Abide with Us — TDW Kids

He Went In to Stay

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Near the village. As the three came near Emmaus, “He indicated that He would have gone farther” (Luke 24:28).

They urged Him. “But they constrained Him” (24:29). Constrained means they begged Him strongly and would not take no for an answer.

Their words. They said, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent” (24:29). Abide means stay.

What they knew. They did not yet know who He was, but His words on the road had made their hearts burn (24:32).

He went in. “And He went in to stay with them” (24:29). When they asked, Jesus said yes.

A stranger welcomed. They welcomed a traveler, and the traveler was the Lord.

Room for a stranger. The two were sad and confused, and still they made room for a stranger. Kindness to others does not have to wait until our own hearts are happy.

An old welcome. Long before, Abraham welcomed three visitors at his tent, and Genesis says “the Lord appeared to him” that day (Genesis 18:1).

A home with Him. Jesus promised, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

Why we need Him. Our sin keeps us far from God. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again, so that we can be brought near and welcomed as God's children.

He stays. When you trust Jesus, He does not visit for one evening and then leave. He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Hungry for more. The two had listened to Jesus explain the Scriptures for miles, and they asked Him to stay. When God's Word warms your heart, keep listening, and ask the Lord to stay near.

What this means for you. Ask Jesus to stay with you. Talk to Him when you wake up and when evening comes. If you have never trusted Him, you can come to Him today.

As if He would go on. “Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther” (Luke 24:28).

Parabiazomai. “But they constrained Him” (24:29). The word is parabiazomai (say: pah-rah-bee-AHD-zoh-my), to urge strongly, to press someone until he agrees. They would not let Him walk on alone.

The reason they gave. “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent” (24:29). It was kindness to a traveler, and most likely it was more.

Hearts on fire. Later they asked each other, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road?” (24:32). The invitation came from hearts His words had already warmed.

He went in. “And He went in to stay with them” (24:29). The One they did not yet recognize accepted their welcome.

A place to stay. The day was “far spent” (24:29). The two offered Him a place to stay, not knowing that their guest was the risen Lord.

An old welcome. Abraham once ran to three travelers and begged, “do not pass on by Your servant” (Genesis 18:3). Genesis says “the Lord appeared to him” that day (18:1).

Make Our home. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

Room for a stranger. The two were disappointed and full of questions, yet they made room for a traveler. Love for others does not wait until all our own questions are answered.

Grace first. We do not earn His visit. Jesus died for sinners and rose again, and He comes to us first, as He came to the two on the road. Our part is to welcome Him and trust Him.

He stays. The Lord who went in at Emmaus has promised His people, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

For you. Jesus came near to two disappointed followers. Invite Him into your day, your home and your heart, and ask Him to stay.

Known in the Breaking of Bread

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At the table. “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30).

The Guest became the Host. The two had invited Jesus in as their guest. But at the table He was the one who took the bread, blessed it and gave it.

Blessed. To bless the bread means to give thanks to God for it. Jesus thanked His Father for the food.

Their eyes were opened. “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him” (24:31). God let them see who had been with them all along.

Eyes kept, eyes opened. On the road “their eyes were restrained” (24:16). Now, at the table, God opened their eyes.

Hungry hearts. The two had been hungry for hope all day. Jesus gave them bread for their bodies and Himself for their hearts.

He vanished. “And He vanished from their sight” (24:31). He was gone, but they were not sad anymore. They knew He was alive.

Known by what He did. They knew Him as He did what He had done before: He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it. The risen Jesus was the same Jesus they had followed.

He had done it before. When Jesus fed about five thousand men, “He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude” (Luke 9:16).

The same Lord. Mark tells it the same way: “He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples” (Mark 6:41). The Lord who fed the crowd was the Lord at the Emmaus table.

The Last Supper. On the night before He died, “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 22:19). Many Christians see the Emmaus meal as a reminder of that night.

Known through His Word. Before the table, Jesus had opened the Scriptures to them on the road (24:27, 32). The same Lord makes Himself known to us today as we read His Word.

How He was known. Back in Jerusalem they told “how He was known to them in the breaking of bread” (24:35). They had walked and talked with Him for miles, and at the table they knew Him.

Why He came. Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins, and God raised Him to life. He gives Himself to everyone who trusts Him.

What this means for you. Jesus still makes Himself known to His people through His Word. Ask Him to show Himself to you as you read the Bible. And when you thank God for your food, remember the risen Lord who gave Himself for you.

Took, blessed, broke, gave. “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30). The guest took the place of the host.

Klasis. In Jerusalem they told “how He was known to them in the breaking of bread” (24:35). Breaking is klasis (say: KLAH-sis), the act of breaking bread apart to share it.

Opened eyes. “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him” (24:31). Their eyes had been “restrained” (24:16); now they were opened. Knowing who Jesus is comes as God's gift.

He vanished. “And He vanished from their sight” (24:31). The two did not sit in sorrow. At once they spoke of their burning hearts (24:32).

The feeding. “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude” (Luke 9:16). Mark gives the same order: “blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples” (Mark 6:41).

The upper room. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 22:19). Many Christians see the Emmaus meal as a reminder of the Lord's Supper.

Known as before. They recognized Him in what He did, the same taking, blessing, breaking and giving He had done for the crowd. The risen Lord was not a different Jesus. He was the One they had followed, now alive forever.

The Giver. In both meals Jesus is the one who gives: to a hungry crowd (Luke 9:16) and to two disappointed friends (24:30). He gives what people need most, and most of all He gives Himself.

Hungry hearts. All day the two had been hungry for hope. At the table Jesus gave them bread for their bodies, and by making Himself known He gave them what their hearts needed most.

Known personally. They had heard about the empty tomb (24:22-24), and they had heard Jesus teach on the road. At the table they knew Him. Facts about Jesus are good; knowing Jesus Himself is life.

Given for us. Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

For you. The risen Lord still makes Himself known to His people through His Word. Read it asking Him to show you Himself, and trust Him. Even a meal can remind you to thank the Giver.

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Read each section and answer the questions correctly.