Luke 24:28-Did Jesus Pretend?
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Did Jesus ever deliberately make someone believe something that wasn’t true?
That’s a strange question to ask about Jesus. But there’s a little phrase in Luke’s account of the road to Emmaus that’s easy to read right past.
After walking with two disciples and opening the Scriptures to them, Jesus reaches Emmaus. Then Luke tells us that He “made an appearance of going on further.”
Was Jesus pretending? And if He was, why?
In this episode of Verses We Missed, we take a closer look at Luke 24:28, an interesting Greek word behind that unusual phrase, what the disciples did next, and a detail they remembered only after they finally realized who had been walking with them.
Did Jesus Pretend?
It’s Resurrection Sunday. Two disciples are making the roughly seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus when Jesus joins them on the road.
They don’t recognize Him.
For miles, Jesus opens the Scriptures to them and explains what they had said about the Messiah. Then they reach their destination.
And Jesus acts like He’s going to keep walking.
Why?
Read and compare translations of Luke 24:28 at BibleHub.
An Unusual Greek Word
The Literal Standard Version says Jesus “made an appearance of going on further.”
The Greek behind that phrase is interesting. It can carry the idea of acting as though something is the case, making an appearance—or even pretending.
But does that mean Jesus was deceiving these disciples?
That’s where we need to slow down and pay close attention to what Luke says—and what he doesn’t say.
Examine the Greek wording in BibleHub’s interlinear of Luke 24:28.
What Happened Next?
The disciples still have no idea who has been walking with them.
But when Jesus appears ready to continue down the road, they don’t simply say goodbye.
What they do next—and what they later say had been happening inside them during that long walk—may help us understand why this easily missed detail matters.
Related Scriptures
- Luke 24:1-12 – The empty tomb and the first reports of the Resurrection.
- Luke 24:13-27 – Jesus joins two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
- Luke 24:28-29 – Jesus appears ready to continue beyond Emmaus.
- Luke 24:30-32 – The disciples finally recognize Jesus.
- Luke 24:44-45 – Jesus opens the disciples’ minds to understand the Scriptures.
Podcast Chapters
- 00:00 Did Jesus Pretend?
- 01:15 Welcome to Verses We Missed
- 01:42 The Road to Emmaus
- 03:27 An Unusual Phrase in Luke 24:28
- 04:39 Was Jesus Pretending?
- 05:52 They Urged Him to Stay
- 07:15 Their Hearts Were Burning
- 08:22 Their Eyes Are Opened
- 09:09 Do I Want More?
- 10:11 The Verse We Missed
- 10:56 Prayer
- 12:24 Value for Value
- 12:58 Closing
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