Moses, the Prophets, and the Road to Emmaus 

We began by reading from Luke 24:13-32, describing Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus.The disciples discuss the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus joins them and asks about their discussion, leading to a conversation about Jesus’ prophecies and suffering. Jesus rebukes them for their lack of biblical understanding, telling them about how all of the scriptures, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets,” speak about Jesus and His mission. “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

Scriptural Prophecies of Jesus’ Suffering and Resurrection 

We then transitioned to discussing the scriptures that Jesus might have referenced in his conversation with the disciples.

We began with Isaiah 52:13-15, highlighting prophecies about Jesus’ suffering and exaltation. Isaiah 53 continues the account of the “servant,” detailing Jesus’ rejection, suffering, and ultimate sacrifice for humanity. We find Jesus being described as “the arm of the Lord.” The prophecies of his suffering and resurrection not his pain, his  physical disfigurement, his unfair death at the hands of sinners.

The passage ends with this prophetic word of exaltation:

After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Who knew in the Old Testament that a man could die and live again? Strangely, this passage (Isaiah 53) seems to be missing in the traditional Jewish yearly reading cycle of the Prophets.

Psalms and Their Relevance to Jesus’ Suffering 

We moved on to Psalm 16, emphasizing its relevance to Jesus’ resurrection and the promise in verse 10 that he would not abandon “his faithful one to decay.” This prophetic promise was a high point of Peter’s first sermon on Pentecost in Acts 2:24-33.

Psalm 22 was discussed, with Jesus’ quotations from it as he hung on the cross. This Psalm prophesied his suffering and mockery.The symbolism of lions and bulls in Psalm 22 and their link to the the region of Bashan is a reference to the “earthly headquarters” of the demonic realm and its influence in the suffering of Jesus.

The prophecies of Jesus’ suffering in Psalm 22 include many details, including his hands and feet being “pierced.” The Roman punishment of crucifixion would not be invented for centuries after this was written. The amazing detail includes the fact that soldiers “cast lots for my garment.”

The Psalm ends with this promise that might have seemed impossible until Jesus’ resurrection and the following Pentecost:

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.  They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

Note that this Psalm claims that He will be remembered all around the world and that entire nations will bow down to Him. Even the dead (“all who go down to the dust”) “will kneel before him.” You can’t get more exalted than that!

Additional Scriptural References to Jesus’ Suffering 

We continued with Psalm 34:19-20, noting that “the righteous person may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” In the rush to be done before the beginning of the yearly sabbath, the two criminals beside Jesus had their legs broken, hastening their deaths. Jesus was already dead, so His bones remained intact.

Psalm 116:8-19 was discussed, emphasizing the Lord’s compassion and deliverance from death. In verse 15 the psalmist writes, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His faithful servants.”

The conversation includes references to Genesis 3:14-15, where the serpent’s enmity with the woman’s offspring is prophesied. The discussion touches on the singular “seed of the woman” and the prophecy of the woman’s offspring crushing the serpent’s head, while the serpent bites his heel. Note that the bite of a venomous snake usually leads to death. In this case, however, it does not permanently do so.

Prophecies of David’s Succession and Jesus’ Role 

We reference 2 Samuel 7:12-17, where God promises David a house and an eternal kingdom. The discussion includes the prophecy that God would establish David’s kingdom forever and the unique punishment for David’s offspring who go astray from God’s commands. John Valade explains that Jesus took on the specific punishments of the sins of all the kings of Israel, including being beaten with rods and flogged. This further highlights the significance of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection in fulfilling the prophecies of David’s kingdom.

The Role of the Priestly Line and Jesus’ Sacrifice

We read 1 Samuel 2:26-36, where God promises to raise up a faithful priest and cut short the strength of Eli’s priestly house. The discussion includes the prophecy that Eli’s sons would die young and that a faithful priest would minister before God’s anointed one. This prophecy becomes the standard punishment for priestly families who stray from their calling as God’s priesthood. It also establishes the need for a “faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind.” Jesus, as the mediator of a new covenant, certainly fulfils that role.

Jesus took on the punishment by dying young in humiliation, fulfilling the prophecy of the punishment for the errant priestly line of Israel.This highlights the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice in taking on punishment of the sins of the entire priestly line, just as He did those of the kingly line as well as those of all of humanity.

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples 

We ended by returning to Luke 24, where Jesus appears to the two disciples and explains the scriptures concerning his suffering and resurrection. The disciples recognize Jesus when he breaks bread, recalling the Last Supper.

The two disciples’ rush back (six miles!) to Jerusalem to share their experience with the other disciples. Jesus strategically takes the moment they are discussing the different appearances of Jesus to appear before them and prove His resurrection.

Reflections on Jesus’ Suffering and Resurrection 31:58

The discussion includes reflections on the emotions and reactions of the disciples to Jesus’ appearance and the events surrounding his resurrection. The conversation touches on the disciples’ journey back to Jerusalem and their renewed hope and faith.

John Valade concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the scriptures and the prophecies that point to Jesus’ suffering and resurrection so that our hope and faith may be renewed as well.