During Jesus' earthly ministry, the disciples and masses only saw and experienced Jesus in the flesh. His ministry was limited by physical time and space constraints. When He wasn't with His disciples, they typically faced their most difficult problems. They had to either ride the bitter waves of a stormy sea (John 6:16-21) or battle with the demonised (Luke 9:37-42). They were most afraid and terrified when Jesus was arrested, crucified and laid in the tomb for three days.

When He rose from the dead, Jesus revealed to His disciples that He had fulfilled His earthly ministry. He didn't have many more days with them because He was about to return to His Father.

By revealing the Scriptures to the two disciples whom He met on the road to Emmaus (and later to the rest of the disciples and then to all believers), Jesus wanted them to understand that He was bringing their relationship with Him to a whole new level.

Before the two disciples realised the significance of this new dynamic in their relationship with Him, they were deep in conversation about Jesus' death and resurrection (which had just occurred a few hours earlier). Before Jesus appeared in their midst. They couldn't recognise Jesus since their eyes were restrained from seeing Jesus in the flesh (Luke 24:16).

After unveiling to the two disciples the revelation of Scriptures concerning Himself, Jesus broke bread with them. Luke informs us that it was at this point that their eyes were opened, and they recognised Him.

This breaking of bread signifies something profound.

When Jesus last broke bread with His followers, He was introducing them to the New Covenant. By breaking the bread and giving them the wine, Jesus was demonstrating to them that He would establish the New Covenant on the Cross through His own broken body and spilled blood. When Jesus exclaimed before His death, "It is finished!" He had completed what was required to put the New Covenant into full force.

When Jesus broke bread with His pierced hands for the first time since His resurrection, the two disciples recognised Him right away. They no longer saw Christ in the flesh because, having been enlightened spiritually, they now completely comprehended Christ in the Spirit. And as Jesus vanished from their sight, they were filled with faith rather than fear. It was a lightbulb moment for them. The two disciples said to one another:

 

Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?

Luke 24:32 (ESV)

 

The two disciples with their hearts strangely warmed quickly returned to Jerusalem. They told the Eleven and those present about their experience with the resurrected Jesus and the revelation they received from Him (Luke 24:33-35).

The paradigm shift of the two disciples from being “blind” to being able to see shows one crucial truth. Every believer can now know Christ—in the Scriptures and in the Spirit. He "appears" to you every time the Word of God is spoken, every time the Lord's Table is celebrated, and every time you take hold of the revelation of your life in Him.

Christ in the flesh can only be in one place at a time, but Christ in the Spirit dwells within your spirit—and He is always and everywhere with you. Now Christ is present to all peoples, at all times and in all places. And where He is, there is no fear but liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). We no longer need to be afraid since Jesus in the Spirit told us that He will be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).