Towards the evening of the resurrection day, two friends of Jesus, Zachus and Cleophas of Emmaus, seven miles away, were going to their home. And as they walked and talked about the things that had occurred a stranger joined their company. He said, My friends, you seem discouraged and are sad. Has some great grief upon you come? Cleophas said, Are you a stranger in Judea, and know not of the thrilling things that have transpired here? The stranger said, What things? To what do you refer? Cleophas said, Have you not heard about the man from Galilee who was a prophet mighty in both word and deed? A man whom many thought had come to found again the kingdom of the Jews, and drive the Romans from the city of Jerusalem and be himself the king? The stranger said, Tell me about this man.
Cleophas said, His name was Jesus; he was born in Bethlehem; his home was up in Galilee. He loved the people as he loved himself. He was, in truth, a master sent from God, for he had matchless power. He healed the sick and made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and even raised the dead. The Jewish scribes and Pharisees were jealous of his fame and power, and they arrested him; by perjured witnesses they proved him guilty of a score of crimes, and on last Friday he was taken to the place of skulls and crucified. He died and he was buried in a rich man’s tomb, out in the garden of Siloam. This very morning when his friends went to the tomb they found it empty; the body of the Lord was gone. And now the news has spread abroad that he has risen from the dead. (Aquarian Gospel 174:1-15)
He loved the people as he loved himself. This is the first thing Cleophas says in describing Jesus, for this is the proof that he was one with God, the Lover of Mankind. Many devotees are busy trying to love God above all things, but they forget that they must also love all sentient beings above themselves. Not doing so, they do not attain perfection in love of God.
He was, in truth, a master sent from God. Cleophas does not say Jesus is God the Creator come to earth, but that he is a master sent from God. This is just what any intelligent devotee in India would say about a great master such as Sivananda. Certainly such a master is an avatar, but Yogananda explained very clearly that an avatar is a totally liberated person that has returned to earth for the liberation of others.
The stranger said, Yes, I have heard about this man; but it seems strange that after all the things that Jewish prophets long ago foretold concerning him that when he came men knew him not. This man was born to demonstrate the Christ to men, and it is just to say that Jesus is the Christ. According to the word, this Jesus came to suffer at the hands of men, to give his life as pattern for the sons of men; to rise from death that men might know the way to rise from death. And then the stranger told the two disciples all about the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, and read to them a multitude of things that had been written of this man from Galilee.
And now the men had reached their home, and as the night was near they importuned the stranger to abide with them. And he went in with them and as they sat about the table at the evening meal, he took a piece of bread, and blessed it in the name of Christ. And instantly their eyes were opened up, and they perceived that he, the stranger, was the Lord, the man from Galilee; that he had risen from the dead; and then the form of Jesus disappeared.
When he had gone, the two disciples were amazed. They said, Did not our hearts burn with delight while he was talking to us by the way and opening up the testimonies of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms? Then Zachus and Cleophas went back to Jerusalem, and everywhere they went they said, Lo, we have seen the Lord; he walked with us to Emmaus; he ate with us the evening meal, and broke for us the bread of life. (Aquarian Gospel 174:16-26)
This man was born to demonstrate the Christ to men, and it is just to say that Jesus is the Christ. According to the word, this Jesus came to suffer at the hands of men, to give his life as pattern for the sons of men; to rise from death that men might know the way to rise from death. Here we see the true mission of Jesus, and it is not to be a blood sacrifice so sinners can get into heaven by “pleading the blood of Jesus.” Rather, it is to show the way to Christhood to all men, at least to those evolved enough to be interested.
He took a piece of bread, and blessed it in the name of Christ. And what was that name? Om.
He broke for us the bread of life. He made common bread the Bread of Life by Om, the Pranava, the Word of Life. All that is pervaded by Om lives, especially the yogi.
Read the next section in the Aquarian Gospel for Yogis