Cleopas’ Companion

Now for us to speak of Cleopas’ companion, we should first speak of Cleopas. So, in case you’ve never met him, let me introduce you to Cleopas.

Cleopas was a disciple of Jesus, presumed to be one of the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out on a mission.

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. (Luke 10:1 NLT)

Among other things Jesus instructed the seventy-two to do, He also told them to, Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ (Luke 10:9 NLT)

So, if that presumption is true then Jesus was no stranger to Cleopas and Jesus would have known him. However, we don’t meet Cleopas until his name is mentioned in chapter twenty-four of Luke’s Gospel account, when he and his companion have an incredible encounter.

Long story short…

It was the afternoon of the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The Man who many had followed and were banking on to free them from the despotic rule of Rome had been brutally crucified and now His body was missing (Luke 24:21-23).

Two of those followers, despondent after everything that had occurred, embarked on the seven-mile journey from the city of Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. For them, hope had faded.

As they walked along the road, discussing the events of the past three days, they unknowingly met up with Jesus and after an initial discourse, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:27 NIV).

Keep in mind that what we know as the New Testament was not yet in existence, the Scriptures would have comprised the five books of Moses, known as the Law – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – and the Prophets, five major and 12 minor.

But even after Jesus explained all the Scriptures concerning Himself, they still did not recognize Him. Do you see what they did not see?

Do you recognize that if at that time only the Old Testament existed then Jesus was there from the beginning just as Apostle John tells us in 1 John 1:1-4.

Luke does not give the details of what Jesus would have said to the two, but we are told that, they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, but they begged Him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them. As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared! (Luke 24:28-31 NLT).

Luke recorded an awesome encounter! But questions remain:

Did Luke not know Cleopas’ companion? Why didn’t Luke divulge his or her name?

Just a couple nights ago my daughter said to me, “Mom, when you relate a story, you always name names, but when I tell a story, for me mentioning the names of people is not important, what’s important is the story itself and the lessons to be learnt from the story.”

And this story of what happened on the road to Emmaus is a wonderful example of that.

Clearly the name of Cleopas’ companion was not integral to the story, so it wasn’t worth mentioning but Cleopas being named must hold some significance, otherwise Luke might as well have left him unnamed too since Cleopas is not a name that’s widely remembered and he is only mentioned this one time throughout the entire bible.

Luke intentionally named Cleopas and I believe that the significance is in the name itself, the meaning of the name.

Cleopas is a short form of the Greek name Kleopatros which means glory of the Father, renowned father or vision of glory. All apt descriptions of what occurred on that road to Emmaus and when they got to Emmaus.

Cleopas and his unnamed companion’s encounter that afternoon was indeed a vision of glory. They experienced the glory of the Father through Jesus, the Son when He opened their eyes to the spiritual.

Beloved, that encounter with Jesus was real and whether you are named or unnamed in the telling of a story, Jesus knows who you are, just as He knew Cleopas’ companion whose name we don’t know to this day.

Jesus showed up for both His followers in their moment of disappointment and despair, and when hope is fading fast, you can rest assured that Jesus will show up for you. Even now He is with you and is not about to disappear. Jesus is patiently waiting for your eyes to open, so you not only recognize Him but realize that He has been walking with you every step of your journey.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Cleopas’ Companion” ©2026 April 20, 2026