The Emmaus story of Luke 24 is pivotal to Luke-Acts. It both summarizes Luke's Gospel and anticipates what is to follow. It is the central presentation of Luke's recurring motif of Jesus' tale fellowship as a manifestation of the eschatological kingdom.

Using literary critical analysis, the author shows the progressive development of this motif throughout Luke's Gospel, with its culmination in the Emmaus account. This work departs from most Lukan scholarship in that it examines the motif without reference to Acts, justifying this approach in view of the climactic nature of Luke 24.