Luke 24 30

Luke 24:30 kjv

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

Luke 24:30 nkjv

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 niv

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

Luke 24:30 esv

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.

Luke 24:30 nlt

As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.

Luke 24 verses

Luke 24 30 Meaning

Luke 24:30 describes a pivotal moment during the meal in Emmaus, where the resurrected Jesus performed a sequence of actions familiar to His disciples: taking bread, offering a blessing, breaking it, and giving it to them. This specific sequence, reminiscent of His actions at the Last Supper and the feeding miracles, served as the catalyst for the disciples to recognize Him as the risen Lord. It signifies Jesus' presence, fellowship, and self-revelation through familiar spiritual practices, opening their eyes to His identity.

Luke 24 30 Context

Luke 24:30 occurs within the narrative of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). They are despondent and discuss the events of Jesus' crucifixion, unaware that the resurrected Jesus Himself is walking with them. Though Jesus explains the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:25-27), their eyes are "restrained" from recognizing Him. When they arrive at Emmaus, they invite the "stranger" to stay. This verse details the moment at the supper table when Jesus assumes the role of host, performing familiar actions that shatter their spiritual blindness. Historically and culturally, sharing a meal was a deeply intimate and significant social act in the ancient world, signifying hospitality, fellowship, and acceptance. The actions of blessing and breaking bread were common parts of Jewish meals, especially for the head of the household. However, Jesus performs these actions with an unparalleled authority and familiarity that stands out to the disciples, moving beyond a mere social custom.

Luke 24 30 Word analysis

• When He was at the table with them:

  • Greek: ἐν τῷ κατακλιθῆναι αὐτὸν μετ’ αὐτῶν (en tō kataklithēnai auton met’ autōn).
  • κατακλιθῆναι (kataklithēnai): literally "to recline." This implies they were seated in the customary manner for a meal, a posture of fellowship and intimacy.
  • Significance: This signifies a shared meal, a moment of close human interaction. Despite their ignorance of His true identity, Jesus participates in common life, indicating His humanity even in His resurrected state. It highlights the depth of His engagement with them before revealing Himself.

• He took bread:

  • Greek: λαβὼν τὸν ἄρτον (labōn ton arton).
  • λαβὼν (labōn): "having taken." This implies a deliberate and authoritative action, taking the initiative in the host's role, despite being invited as a guest.
  • ἄρτον (arton): "the bread." The definite article "the" may suggest a specific or special loaf, perhaps simply the common table bread, but in the context of Jesus' previous actions, it holds deeper meaning.
  • Significance: This act is reminiscent of Jewish meal customs where the host would initiate the meal with bread. For the disciples, it may have unconsciously stirred memories of the Last Supper and the feeding miracles where Jesus performed this identical gesture.

• blessed:

  • Greek: εὐλόγησεν (eulogēsen).
  • εὐλόγησεν: "he blessed." This word is consistently used for Jesus giving thanks or blessing God over food (cf. Luke 9:16; 22:19). It indicates a prayer of thanks, a consecration of the food, and an invocation of God's presence.
  • Significance: While a common Jewish prayer before a meal (Berakah), Jesus' blessing here likely carried unique authority, tone, or accompanying gestures that subtly conveyed His divine identity. It sanctifies the food and anticipates the deeper spiritual sustenance He offers.

• and broke it:

  • Greek: καὶ κλάσας (kai klasas).
  • κλάσας: "having broken." Breaking bread was a necessary step for distributing it, as loaves were often baked flat and thin.
  • Significance: This is perhaps the most direct and poignant link to Jesus' other significant meals. It evokes the "breaking of His body" at the Last Supper (1 Cor 11:24) and the miraculous multiplication of loaves. This gesture became so distinctive in the early church that "the breaking of bread" became synonymous with Christian fellowship and communion (Acts 2:42).

• and gave it to them:

  • Greek: ἐπέδωκεν αὐτοῖς (epedōken autois).
  • ἐπέδωκεν: "he gave over," "he handed to."
  • Significance: This completes the communal action, establishing intimacy and sharing. It signifies spiritual provision and the offer of Himself. In this final act, the full weight of His identity is finally grasped, for in receiving the broken, blessed bread from His hands, their spiritual eyes were opened to the one who had also broken and given Himself for them.

• He took bread, blessed and broke it: This sequence of actions (λαμβάνω, εὐλογέω, κλάω) is a unique marker of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, occurring notably in the Last Supper narratives (Luke 22:19), the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:16), and the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:6). Its deliberate repetition here serves as a potent spiritual fingerprint, guiding the disciples' recognition.

Luke 24 30 Bonus section

The act of "the breaking of the bread" in this verse is widely understood by scholars as a prefiguration and indeed a prototype of the Christian practice of Communion or the Eucharist. It reveals Jesus' identity to the disciples just as He makes Himself known to believers today through this sacred ordinance. The disciples' initial spiritual blindness, even after extensive scriptural teaching from Jesus, highlights the need for the Holy Spirit to open eyes and the significance of an experiential encounter with Christ. It also implies that true recognition of the risen Lord often comes through communal acts of worship and remembrance, where Christ himself presides and dispenses His grace. This moment in Emmaus teaches that Jesus is still encountered not only in the Word (expounding Scripture) but also in sacred acts and fellowship, just as the early church experienced in "the breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42).

Luke 24 30 Commentary

Luke 24:30 presents the climactic moment of recognition for the Emmaus disciples, who, despite having listened to Jesus expound scripture, remained spiritually veiled. Their eyes were opened not through intellectual discourse alone, but through a deeply embodied and sacramental act. Jesus' assumption of the host's role—taking the bread, blessing it with a familiar yet unique grace, breaking it, and giving it to them—was precisely the gesture that shattered their spiritual blindness. This specific ritual sequence mirrored His actions at the Last Supper and the feeding miracles, signifying His sacrificial body broken for humanity, His identity as the ultimate provider of spiritual nourishment, and His continuing presence among His people. It reveals that the resurrected Lord is not distant, but intimately involved in human fellowship, often revealing Himself in familiar sacred actions and shared meals. This event underscores that understanding the Word and experiencing the Christ are deeply intertwined, with the breaking of bread serving as a powerful conduit for divine revelation and intimate communion. It foreshadows the continued experience of Christ's presence in the breaking of bread that became central to early Christian worship and continues to this day in the Lord's Supper.