Jesus Picks the No-Names

“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them” (Luke 24:13-15, ESV).

These unfolding events on the road to Emmaus have long been one of my favorite parts of the Easter story. Do you notice something about this passage? Two men – of whom we never heard before this incident – are the ones Jesus spent the most time with on His first day alive. On the first day of human history that He had triumphed over sin, hell, and the grave, He hung out with a couple of unknown guys.

I would have expected the ones enjoying such a breathtaking privilege to include some of the Twelve. Maybe John, the disciple that He loved. Or maybe Mary, the one who chose the better part. But no; instead, He picked a couple of under-the-radar types. One of them remains anonymous yet today. And Jesus went ahead and took a long, leisurely stroll with them, teaching them; encouraging them; and breaking bread with them.

Why do you figure He did this?

I’m thinking those two guys are you and me. Jesus wanted us to know that the “no-names” of this world are just that important to Him. So important that He would separate a seemingly disproportionate amount of time to be with us, to speak to our hearts exactly what we need to hear. He chose you and me.

We do learn what one of these men was called. Cleopas. His name means two things. The first is “the glory of the Father.” Again, this is wholly significant. Hebrews 1:3 tells us, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (NIV). Jesus came to earth both to die for us, and to show us exactly what the Father is like. When He decided to spend such a significant chunk of His first day as Risen Lord with these men, He was radiating the Father’s glory. He was showing us our heavenly Daddy with skin on… a Daddy that wants to walk with us.

Our Abba is not attracted to earthly standards of prominence and status. He wants to be with the simple, no-name folks. He wants to take a stroll and break bread with you and me. You know what? The other meaning of the name Cleopas is “the glory of everything.” When the Savior walks and talks with us, His company truly does bring glory to everything. Every aspect of our lives lights up with the radiance of His goodness when we realize it’s Him walking right there by our side.

“All at once their eyes were opened and they realized he was Jesus!” (Luke 24:31, TPT).

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Can you relate to these two men? Have you had moments of suddenly recognizing that Jesus has been walking with you and you didn’t realize it?