The road to Emmaus [ኤማሁስ]
The Road to Emmaus - የኤማሁስ መንገደኞች - Third Sunday after Resurrection [Tensae]
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrates third Sunday after Tensae to commemorate the history of Saint Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus.
The two Apostles who went to Emmaus, were Luke, who wrote the Gospel, and Cleopas, who was the brother of St. Joseph the Betrothed. Saint Luke being humble, didn't mentioned his own name when he wrote about the road to Emmaus, but he put the name of Cleopas. When they started the road to Emmaus they were very discouraged and heavyhearted from what happened to the Lord in Jerusalem but still had faith and love to their Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos.
Luke 24:13-23
“13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.”
The day was far spent, the sun was setting, and they were tired, but they made haste to go back as soon as they found out it was our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos who was talking with them. The two Apostles didn't want to spend one single night without witnessing the good news.
It is the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos that ultimately makes the Gospel “Good News”. The Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos is the very foundation and hope of Christianity and affirms our belief in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
1 Corinthians 15:14-21
“14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”
Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos alone rose from the dead, but He has destroyed death and its finality.
Before the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos, all the dead would go to Sheol (place of darkness and death) whether they were righteous or not. After Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos was laid in the tomb, He descended into Sheol and broke the bonds of Satan and death and let out all the children of Adam therein.
God sent His Son to save the whole person-both body and soul. Therefore, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church teaches that all mankind shall rise from the dead at the Final Judgment. Even though we all will meet death and will be laid in the grave, the day is coming when the trump of God shall sound and the dead shall rise and be presented before Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos as a full person, with a body and soul.
John 5:28-29
“28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
Apostle Saint Luke:
After the Resurrection, Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos appeared to Saint Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus.
St. Luke was a companion of the holy Apostle Paul. (2 Timothy 4:11)
St Luke painted the first icons of the Mother of God, this Icon is now located at Gishon Maryam in Ethiopia
St Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 A. D at Rome.
St Luke also wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles at Rome around 62-63 A.D
Christ is Risen from the dead! Amen