THE EMMAUS DISCIPLES were discouraged as they left Jerusalem after the crucifixion. “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21).
When the risen Christ met them on the road at Emmaus, he chided them as “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe” (Luke 24:25). He reminded them of the necessity of the crucifixion, that the Christ would suffer. When the women at the empty tomb “did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive,” yet they could hardly believe it (Luke 24:22–24).
It was only after the resurrection that he could fully proceed to teach: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27; Augustine, Sermon 235.1–2).
The doctrine of Christ’s exaltation (hupsosis, Acts 2:33; 5:31; huperupsosis, Phil. 2:9; doxasis, John 17:5; stephanosis, Heb. 2:9) reflects on the biblical testimony to the full resumption of the exercise of the divine powers that had been voluntarily constrained during the descent from incarnation to crucifixion.