But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What’s easy to miss is the simultaneous despair and flicker of hope in Cleopas’s words. He states their dashed hopes about redemption, but then the almost-an-afterthought mention of it being the third day hints at the faint memory of Jesus’s own prophecy about rising again.
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Two disciples are walking from Jerusalem, deeply saddened and confused by Jesus' crucifixion. They express their dashed hopes that he was the promised redeemer of Israel, finding it hard to reconcile his death with their expectations. As they recount the events, they mention it's the third day since Jesus died, a detail that will soon become profoundly significant, though they don't yet grasp its meaning.
Cleopas and his friend had a very specific idea of what the 'Redeemer of Israel' should look like. It wasn't what Jesus delivered.
The disciples, like Cleopas, held a common expectation for the Messiah: a powerful political and military leader who would restore Israel's glory and overthrow Roman rule. They saw Jesus' miracles and teachings, but his crucifixion shattered this earthly, nationalistic hope.
Their understanding of 'redemption' was primarily focused on national liberation. They dreamed of freedom from oppression and a return to Israel's golden age. The idea that the Messiah would suffer and die was almost unthinkable, as it seemed to end all such hopes. This verse reveals a deep disconnect between God's plan for redemption through suffering and humanity's often superficial desires for power and glory.
Why did Cleopas, in his grief and confusion, bring up the 'third day'? It held a deeper significance than he realized.
The phrase 'it is now the third day' isn't just a marker of time; it's a loaded statement for the grieving disciples. Jesus had spoken about rising again on the third day, a prophecy they hadn't fully grasped or believed.
Cleopas mentions it almost as another piece of confusing evidence. The hope they had is fading, yet this specific timeframe – the third day – echoes Jesus' own words. It's a subtle, almost unconscious, tether to a promise that seemed impossible. Even in their despair, the words Jesus spoke about his resurrection are surfacing, a faint light in the darkness.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
lytroō · Greek Verb
To ransom, release, or liberate by payment of a price; in the OT, often associated with deliverance from slavery or divine judgment, and in the NT, specifically refers to Christ's work in setting believers free from the bondage of sin.
The disciples' deep disappointment stems from their expectation of a political redeemer, contrasting sharply with Jesus' path of suffering foretold in Scripture. The 'third day' reference highlights their dawning, yet confused, remembrance of Jesus' own words about his resurrection.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus Crucified
Jesus of Nazareth is arrested, tried, and crucified in Jerusalem by order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Buried
Jesus' body is taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. His followers are devastated.
c. 30 AD
Women Visit Tomb
Early on the first day after the Sabbath, women disciples discover the tomb empty and report seeing angels who say Jesus is alive.
c. 30 AD
Disciples Report Empty Tomb
Some male disciples also go to the tomb and find it empty, confirming the women's report but not yet fully understanding.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus
Jesus, unrecognized by two disciples, walks with them and explains how the Scriptures foretold his suffering and resurrection.
This verse mentions Anna, who was also in Jerusalem, waiting for the redemption of Israel, showing that the hope for a redeemer was a shared expectation among those devoutly looking to God.
John 1:41This passage highlights the initial messianic hopes placed in Jesus by his first disciples, particularly Andrew's statement that they had found the Messiah, which echoes Cleopas's broken hope mentioned in Luke 24:21.
Acts 1:6The disciples' question here, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?', reveals their persistent, though perhaps misguided, expectation of a political and national redemption, which is the very hope Cleopas expresses disappointment over in Luke 24:21.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4This is a foundational summary of the Gospel, stating that Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day, directly addressing the core events that led to the disciples' confusion and dashed hopes as described in Luke 24:21.
Romans 1:3-4This passage speaks of Jesus being declared the Son of God with power by his resurrection, offering a theological framework that explains why Jesus, though crucified, was indeed the One destined to redeem Israel, a truth the disciples were struggling to grasp.
clarkeLuke 24:21: "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done."
Cleopas paints the real state of his own mind in these verses. In his relation there is scarcely any thing well connected; important points are referred to, and not explained, though he considered the person to whom he spoke as entirely unacquainted with these transactions: his own hopes and fears he cannot help mixing with the narration,…
pulpitLuke 24:21: "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done."
Verse 21. - But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And we who were his friends and followers, we thought we had found in him the Redeemer of Israel, King Messiah! Think! the Redeemer crucified! Although the Redeemer, in the sense they-probably understood the word, was something very different to the sense we…
What’s easy to miss is the simultaneous despair and flicker of hope in Cleopas’s words. He states their dashed hopes about redemption, but then the almost-an-afterthought mention of it being the third day hints at the faint memory of Jesus’s own prophecy about rising again.
Two disciples are walking from Jerusalem, deeply saddened and confused by Jesus' crucifixion. They express their dashed hopes that he was the promised redeemer of Israel, finding it hard to reconcile his death with their expectations. As they recount the events, they mention it's the third day since Jesus died, a detail that will soon become profoundly significant, though they don't yet grasp its meaning.
Two disciples are walking from Jerusalem, deeply saddened and confused by Jesus' crucifixion. They express their dashed hopes that he was the promised redeemer of Israel, finding it hard to reconcile his death with their expectations. As they recount the events, they mention it's the third day since Jesus died, a detail that will soon become profoundly significant, though they don't yet grasp its meaning.
"But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened." — What’s easy to miss is the simultaneous despair and flicker of hope in Cleopas’s words. He states their dashed hopes about redemption, but then the almost-an-afterthought mention of it being the th…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026