Weary, heavy laden and utterly perplexed,
With hopes all shattered and hearts sore vexed,
Busily conversing as they travel along
To the village of Emmaus, about sixty furlong,
While communing and reasoning about the events of the day.
Behold! Jesus draws near and joins them on the way.
But their eyes were holden and they knew not him,
For their hearts were troubled and their faith was dim.

What manner of communications are these and why are ye sad?
Is not this the day in which to be glad?
Ah! Art thou a stranger? And dost thou not know
The things that have happened to fill our hearts with woe?
And he said, “What things?” I pray of thee declare.
Why are ye sad, and why so burdened with care?

The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth; Hast thou not heard?
He was a prophet before God and man, mighty in deed and word.
And the chief priests and our rulers have delivered him
To be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But we had trusted that it was He
Who should redeem Israel and set us free.

And certain women have astonished us more
Who went early to the sepulcher’s door.
And finding not His body, they did declare
That they saw a vision of angels there
Sent from heaven above, and unto them said
That Jesus was risen from the dead.

Then certain of our brethren in haste did go
To the sepulchre’s door, and found it even so.
But earnestly seeking in the tomb so dim
They visioned neither angels, nor did they see Him.

And then He said: O Fools! And slow of heart
To believe all that the prophets did impart.
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things?
Must not He the supreme sacrifice bring?
And then into glory to enter in,
Forever with His people to reign?

Now come with me to the dawn of history
Where God first revealed the eternal mystery.
When man fell in sin; God’s command did not heed.
But Jehovah in mercy did promise the seed
Which in fierce struggle would wrest from the dead
His people and crush Satan’s head.

And now let us to Egypt, unto Pharaoh go.
Who in defiance said, “The Lord I do not know.
So why should I the voice of Israel’s God obey
And free the people to journey in the way?”

Then God in wrath His judgments sent on them,
And plagued them time and time again.
Until at last, in that dread midnight hour,
Death’s cold blast their very choicest did devour.

And when death’s angel entered Goshen’s land
There to strike down with a relentless hand
Man born in sin. He saw a sight so rare
For blood was stricken on the door posts there.

It was the blood of the Lamb, the pure, the spotless one,
Whose blood was shed to cover all their sin.
Its precious value none can e’er deny.
Death’s Angel saw! And lo! He passed them by.

Now hearken to the Psalmist as he sings
His sad and mournful song that only misery brings.
He sees the suffering Christ as He moans in agony
And cries my God, Oh Why has Thou forsaken me?
Yea mournfully he signs; I am a worm and not a man,
Despised among the people and rejected men.

They shake their heads in scorn, and sneer at me in glee
He trusted in the Lord. Let Him now set him free!”
My feet and hands they pierced, and in their wicket plot
My garments they did part, and on m y vesture cast the lot.

Thus in prophetic song the Psalmist sings.
As he to Israel the message of Salvation brings.
Let us also to the prophet Isaiah give heed
As he pictures God’s people in their crying need
For Salvation and release from sin,
Revealing Israel’s Redeemer: The Lamb that was slain.

He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
Stricken, smitten, oppressed and afflicted. He found no relief.
As a lamb that opens not its mouth;
To the slaughter He was brought.
As a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so His mouth he openeth not.

He was taken from prison and judgment.
His generation who can declare?
For He was cut off from the living
For the transgression of a people in despair.

His grave was with the wicked, with the rich in His death
Because He had done no violence; nor was deceit in His mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him,
And to put Him to grief.
To make His soul an offering for sin,
And send His people relief.

He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.
For he bore the iniquities of them all;
And many shall be justified.

Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great.
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong
Because He hath poured out His soul unto death
Therefore His days will I prolong.
And again, give heed to the voice crying in the wilderness;
Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Repent! O Israel! Return ye with one accord.
Make straight His path, The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Thus John the Baptist proclaimed his message throughout the land.

And when he saw Jesus coming the very next day.
He said, “Behold!” The Lamb of God.
That taketh the sins of the world away.

Thus Jesus taught them, as on their journey they went,
Until the entered the village, when the day was far spent.
And they constrained Him, “Come abide with us here.”
So He entered in to tarry with them there.

And it came to pass as they sat at meat
That He took the bread, blessed it, brake it, and gave them to eat.
Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him
As the Lamb that was slain; He was revealed unto them.
And when their souls had entered the light
He vanished from their vision and out of their sight.

He liveth, He has conquered, He is risen from the dead,
And is entered into glory, as our eternal Covenant Head.
He wears the Victor’s crown, and rules o’er all the earth.
His people are Redeemed. Oh, praise His matchless worth.

And when at last in His face,
We shall behold “The Eternal I Am
Ah, then we’ll sing for e’er
The song of Moses and the Lamb.

Originally Published in:
Vol. 30 No 2 April 1970