Cada um dos quatro evangelhos contém uma história sobre Jesus aparecendo aos seus discípulos depois da manhã de domingo, quando eles encontraram o sepulcro vazio. Por exemplo, veja Mateus 28:16-20; Marcos 16:14-19; Lucas 24:13-33; João 20:19-31, e João 21.

Em Lucas, há uma história de dois discípulos caminhando de Jerusalém até a aldeia de Emaús, uma caminhada de cerca de sete milhas. Pouco depois de deixarem a cidade, são abordados por outro viajante que notou seus rostos perturbados e conversas sérias e lhes pergunta o que os perturba. Caminhando juntos, perguntam ao estranho: "Não ouviste falar dos problemas em Jerusalém, como o profeta da Galiléia, que esperávamos que fosse o que salvaria Israel, foi entregue para ser crucificado? E é estranho dizer que, quando algumas das mulheres foram ao terceiro dia ungir o Seu corpo, viram anjos que lhes disseram que ele não estava lá, mas que ressuscitou dos mortos".

Ao ouvir isto, o viajante repreende-os por não acreditarem, e diz: "Não vês que Cristo teve de sofrer estas coisas e entrar na sua glória?" O estranho conta então aos dois discípulos muitas coisas a respeito de Jesus, dos livros de Moisés, e dos profetas, no Antigo Testamento. Os dois discípulos escutam com admiração, mas não reconhecem o estranho. Chegam longamente a Emaús. O estranho parece querer continuar quando os dois param, mas eles lhe imploram que pare também, porque já é tarde, e eles querem ouvir mais. Então todos se sentam para compartilhar a refeição da noite, e quando o estranho pega o pão e o parte e lhes dá pedaços, seus olhos se abrem e eles O reconhecem, e Ele desaparece.

Pode-se imaginar o espanto atordoado que passou por cima de ambos ao perceberem que este era Jesus. Eles sabiam que Ele estava crucificado, e mesmo assim Ele tinha caminhado e falado com eles por várias horas. As mulheres estavam certas! Os anjos estavam certos! Ele estava vivo!

A Nova Igreja acredita que há significados internos em todas as histórias da Palavra do Senhor, as escrituras sagradas, e que esse significado interno, dentro das histórias literais sobre Abraão, Isaac e Jacó, Josué, Samuel, Davi e o resto, e todos os ditos dos profetas desde Isaías até Malaquias, e os quatro evangelhos... esse significado é o que torna a Palavra sagrada.

Então o que podemos ver aqui nesta história? Bem, esse significado interno em "Moisés e os profetas" é a história da vida de Jesus no mundo, desde o Seu nascimento em Belém, passando por todos os Seus anos de crescimento até a Sua "morte" e depois a Sua ascensão. Porque Jesus sabia disso, e certamente tinha lido as Escrituras e as entendido internamente, Ele sabia há muito tempo como a Sua vida terrena iria se fechar, e que era necessário que ela se fechasse como tinha sido "escrita", a fim de salvar a raça humana. Então Ele contou aos dois discípulos essa história enquanto caminhavam em direção a Emaús.

Mais sobre esse passeio... Na Palavra, qualquer menção a caminhar refere-se realmente à forma como vivemos as nossas vidas no dia-a-dia. Em muitas histórias da Palavra, diz-se que alguém caminhou com Deus. Diz-se que devemos caminhar nos Seus caminhos e que devemos caminhar pelo caminho reto e estreito.

Também nesta história nos é dito que esta foi uma viagem de sessenta estádios (no grego original). Sessenta (ou outros múltiplos de "seis") representa o trabalho vitalício de rejeitar as tentações que vêm do nosso egoísmo inato. Apocalipse Explicato 648. Então, esta jornada para Emaús significa a jornada da nossa vida - como uma pessoa que está tentando seguir os ensinamentos do Senhor e se tornar um anjo.

O destino era Emaús. Na Palavra, qualquer cidade representa uma doutrina, um conjunto organizado de verdades que colocamos em ordem para que possamos viver de acordo com elas - nossas regras de vida. Veja Arcanos Celestes 402. Elas não são necessariamente boas, como em Jerusalém ou Belém, mas também podem ser doutrinas más, por exemplo, Sodoma ou Babilônia. O meu dicionário me diz que o nome Emaús significa "fontes termais". Outro significado universal na Palavra é que água significa verdade em seus usos benéficos, mas também pode significar verdade torcida em falsidade por aqueles no inferno, em sentido contrário. Veja, por exemplo, Arcanos Celestes 790. Pense nos poços que Abraão cavou, ou nas águas que Jesus prometeu à mulher de Samaria enquanto falavam junto ao poço de Jacó, ou no rio de água pura que corre sob o trono na Nova Jerusalém, no livro do Apocalipse. No seu sentido inverso, onde a água é destrutiva, pense no dilúvio que destruiu todos, exceto Noé e sua família, ou no Mar Vermelho que teve que ser separado para que os filhos de Israel pudessem atravessar. As fontes representadas por Emaús eram verdades sagradas que borbulhavam da Palavra para que as usássemos. E estas são fontes termais, e calor significa amor. Então esse é o nosso destino, onde a verdade e o amor juntos estão fluindo para nós usarmos, em uma corrente contínua do Senhor.

Esta pequena anedota simples sobre os discípulos encontrarem o Senhor no caminho de Emaús não é apenas uma história sobre a ressurreição de Jesus com um corpo espiritual. É também uma história de como deveríamos estar vivendo nossas vidas. Podemos viajar em direção ao céu, ouvir o Senhor, caminhar no caminho com Ele, e no final Ele vai partir o pão e jantar conosco.

655. Where also our Lord was crucified, signifies by which, namely, by the evils and the falsities therefrom springing from infernal love, He was rejected and condemned. This is evident from this, that evils themselves and their falsities springing from infernal love are what reject and condemn the Lord. These evils and the falsities thence are signified by "Sodom and Egypt," therefore it is said of the city Jerusalem that it is thus "called spiritually," for "to be called spiritually Sodom and Egypt" signifies evil itself, and the falsity therefrom.

[2] The hells are divided into two kingdoms, over against the two kingdoms in the heavens; the kingdom over against the celestial kingdom is at the back, and those who are in it are called genii; this kingdom is what is meant in the Word by "devil;" but the kingdom that is over against the spiritual kingdom is in front, and those who are in it are called evil spirits; this kingdom is what is meant in the Word by "Satan." These hells, or these two kingdoms into which the hells are divided, are meant by "Sodom and Egypt." Whether it is said evils and the falsities therefrom, or these hells, it is the same, since from these all evils and all falsities therefrom ascend.

[3] That the Jews who were at Jerusalem crucified the Lord means that He was crucified by the evils and falsities therefrom which they loved; for all things recorded in the Word respecting the Lord's passion represented the perverted state of the church with that nation. For although they accounted the Word holy, yet by their traditions they perverted all things therein until there was no longer any Divine good or truth remaining with them, and when Divine good and Divine truth, which are in the Word, no longer remain, evils and falsities from infernal love succeed in their place, and these are what crucify the Lord. (That such things are signified by the Lord's passion may be seen above, n. 83, 195, 627. That the Lord is said "to be slain" signifies that he was rejected and denied, see above, n. 328; and that the Jews were such, see above, n. 122, 433, 619; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.248.)

[4] As it is here said "where our Lord was crucified," it shall be told what "crucifixion" (or hanging upon wood) signified with the Jews. They had two modes of capital punishment, crucifixion and stoning; and "crucifixion" signified a condemnation and curse because of the destruction of good in the church, and "stoning" signified a condemnation and curse because of the destruction of truth in the church. "Crucifixion" signified a condemnation and curse because of the destruction of good in the church, for the reason that "wood," upon which they were hung, signified good, and in the contrary sense evil, both pertaining to the will; and "stoning" signified a condemnation and curse because of the destruction of truth in the church, for the reason that "the stone," with which they were stoned, signified truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, both pertaining to the understanding; for all things instituted with the Israelitish and Jewish nation were representative, and thence significative. (That "wood" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, and that a "stone" signifies truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 3720, 8354.) But as it has not been known heretofore why the Jews and Israelites had the punishment of the cross and the punishment of stoning, and it is important that it should be known, I will cite some confirmations from the Word to show that these two punishments were representative.

[5] That "hanging upon wood" or "crucifixion" was inflicted because of the destruction of good in the church, and that it thus represented the evil of infernal love, whence arises a condemnation and curse, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

If there be a stubborn and rebellious son, obeying not the voice of his father or mother, all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he may die. And if there be in a man a crime and judgment of death, and he be put to death, thou shalt hang him upon wood; his carcass shall not remain overnight upon the wood, but burying thou shalt bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is a curse of God, and thou shalt not defile thy land (Deuteronomy 21:18, 20-23).

"Not obeying the voice of father or mother" signifies in the spiritual sense to live contrary to the precepts and truths of the church, therefore the penalty for it was stoning; "the men of the city who were to stone him" signify those who are in the doctrine of the church, "city" signifying doctrine. "If there be in a man a crime, a judgment of death, thou shalt hang him upon wood" signifies if one has done evil against the good of the Word and of the church; because this was a capital crime he was to be hung upon wood, for in the Word "wood" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil; "his carcass shall not remain overnight upon the wood, but thou shalt bury him the same day," signifies lest there be a representative of eternal damnation; "thou shalt not defile thy land" signifies that this would be a cause of offense to the church.

[6] In Lamentations:

Our skins are become black like an oven because of the tempests of famine; they ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah; their princes were hanged up by the hand, the faces of the elders are not honored, the young men they have led away to grind, and the boys stumble under the wood (Lamentations 5:10-13).

"Zion" means the celestial church, which is in the good of love to the Lord, which church the Jewish nation represented; "the virgins in the cities of Judah" signify the affections of truth from the good of love; "their princes were hanged up by the hand" signifies that truths from good were destroyed by falsities from evil; "the faces of the elders that were not honored" signify the goods of wisdom; "the young men who were led away to grind" signify the truths from good, "to grind" signifying to acquire falsities and to confirm them from the Word; "the boys stumble under the wood" signifies newborn goods perishing through evils.

[7] A "baker" as also "bread" signifies the good of love, and a "butler" as also "wine," the truth of doctrine, therefore:

The baker was hanged on account of his crime against king Pharaoh (Genesis 40:19-22; 41:13).

This may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 5139-5169). Because "Moab" means those who adulterate the goods of the church, and "Baal-peor" signifies the adulteration of good, it came to pass that:

All the chiefs of the people were hung up before the sun, because the people committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab and bowed themselves down to their gods, and joined themselves to Baal-peor (Numbers 25:1-4).

"To commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab" signifies to adulterate the goods of the church; and "to be hung up before the sun" signifies a condemnation and curse because of the destruction of the good of the church.

[8] Because "Ai" signifies the knowledges of good, and in the contrary sense the confirmations of evil:

The king of Ai was hanged on wood, and afterwards thrown down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and the city itself was burned (Joshua 8:26-29).

And because "the five kings of the Amorites" signified evils and falsities therefrom destroying the goods and truths of the church,

Those kings were hanged by Joshua, and afterwards cast into the cave of Makkedah (Joshua 10:26, 27);

"the cave of Makkedah" signifying direful falsity from evil.

[9] Again, "to be hung upon wood or to be crucified" signifies the punishment of evil that destroys the good of the church, in Matthew:

Jesus said, I send unto you prophets, wise men, and scribes; and some of them shall ye kill, crucify, and scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matthew 23:34).

All things the Lord spoke He spoke from the Divine, but the Divine things from which he spoke fell into the ideas of natural thought and consequent expressions according to correspondences, like these here and elsewhere in the Gospels; and as all the words have a spiritual sense, so in that sense prophets, wise men, and scribes, are not here meant, but instead of them the truth and good of doctrine and of the Word; for spiritual thought and speech therefrom, like that of angels, is without the idea of person; so a "prophet" signifies the truth of doctrine, "wise men" the good of doctrine, and "scribes" the Word from which is doctrine; from this it follows that "to kill" has reference to the truth of the doctrine of the church, which is meant by a "prophet;" "to crucify" has reference to the good of doctrine, which is meant by "a wise man," and "to scourge" has reference to the Word, which is meant by a "scribe;" thus "to kill" signifies to extinguish, "to crucify" to destroy, and "to scourge" to pervert. That they will wander from one falsity of doctrine into another is signified by "persecuting them from city to city," "city" signifying doctrine. This is the spiritual sense of these words.

[10] In the same:

Jesus said to the disciples that He must suffer at Jerusalem, and that the Son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they shall condemn Him, and deliver Him up to the Gentiles to be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified; and the third day He shall rise again (Matthew 20:18, 19; Mark 10:32-34).

The spiritual sense of these words is that Divine truth, in the church where mere falsities of doctrine and evils of life reign, shall be blasphemed, its truth shall be perverted, and its good destroyed. "The Son of man" signifies Divine truth, which is the Word, and "Jerusalem" signifies the church where mere falsities and evils reign; "the chief priests and scribes" signify the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth, both from infernal love; "to condemn Him and deliver Him to the Gentiles" signifies to assign Divine truth and Divine good to hell and to deliver them to the evils and falsities that are from hell, the "Gentiles" signifying the evils that are from hell and that destroy the goods of the church; "to be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified," signifies to blaspheme, falsify and pervert the truth, and to adulterate and destroy the good of the church and of the Word (as above); "and the third day He shall rise again" signifies the complete glorification of the Lord's Human.

[11] From this it can be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by the Lord's crucifixion, also what is signified by the various mockings then connected with it, as that "they put a crown of thorns on His head," that "they smote Him with a reed," and also that "they spat in His face," with many other things related in the Gospels, this signifying that the Jewish nation treated Divine truth and good itself, which was the Lord, in a like heinous manner; for the Lord suffered the heinous state of that church to be represented in Himself; and this was also signified by:

His bearing their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).

For it was a common thing for a prophet to take upon himself a representation of the heinous things of the church; thus the prophet Isaiah was commanded to go naked and barefoot three years, to represent the church as destitute of good and truth (Isaiah 20:3, 4); the prophet Ezekiel, bound in cords, laid siege to a tile on which Jerusalem was depicted, and ate a cake of barley made with the dung of an ox, to represent that the truth and good of the church was thus besieged by falsities and polluted by evils (Ezekiel 4:1-13); the prophet Hosea was commanded to take a harlot to himself for a woman, and children of whoredoms, to represent what the quality of the church was at that time (Hosea 1:1-11); with other like things. That this was "bearing the iniquities of the house of Israel" or the church is plainly declared in Ezekiel 4:5, 6. From this it can be seen that all things recorded concerning the passion of the Lord were representative of the state of the church at that time with the Jewish nation.

[12] Thus much respecting the punishment of "hanging upon wood or crucifixion." This is not the place to confirm from the Word that the other punishment, which was "stoning," signified a condemnation and curse because of the destroyed truth of the church, but it can be seen from the passages where "stoning" is mentioned (as in Exodus 21:28-33; Leviticus 24:10-17, 23; Numbers 15:32-37; Deuteronomy 13:10; 17:5-7; 22:20, 21, 24; Ezekiel 16:39-41; 23:45-47; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; 20:6; John 8:7; 10:31, 32; and elsewhere).