By Peter Amsterdam
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After seeing the resurrected Jesus, the women followed His instructions to go and tell the disciples that He was alive. The Gospel of Luke tells us that the disciples didn’t believe what the women had said, as “these words seemed to them an idle tale” (Luke 24:10–11).
“But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:12).Though the disciples didn’t believe, Peter went to the tomb anyway, looked at the situation, and returned home marveling.
Luke goes on to recount events surrounding two disciples, neither of whom was one of the eleven apostles, who were traveling, possibly heading back to their homes.
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him (Luke 24:13–16).
This is the only mention of Emmaus within Scripture, so it is uncertain exactly where it was. As they were on their way, the two disciples engaged in discussion about recent events. It had been a difficult time. Jesus had been arrested, condemned to death, hung on a cross, and buried, but then three days later, His tomb was empty. Since they were leaving Jerusalem, perhaps they were heading home to return to their previous lives.
However, the unexpected happened. While they were talking together about all that occurred, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them, though they were kept from recognizing Him. In the Gospel of John we find a similar situation, where Jesus’ disciples didn’t recognize the risen Christ, as “Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (John 21:4). Mary Magdalene also didn’t initially recognize the risen Christ: “She turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus” (John 20:14).
Jesus entered into a conversation with the two disciples who were walking along the road.
And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:17–18).
Cleopas was rather shocked at Jesus’ question. It was hard for him to believe that anyone coming out of Jerusalem could not know what had happened over the past days, as Jesus’ trial and crucifixion were so public.
And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 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” (Luke 24:19–21).
Cleopas and the other disciple had believed in Jesus and had high hopes for Him and His ministry; however, after all that transpired with His arrest and crucifixion, they were disappointed. Though He did mighty things during His ministry, including raising the dead, He was rejected by the chief priests and rulers, who were responsible for His being condemned to death, as they had handed Him over to the Romans for crucifixion.
It had been three days since Jesus’ crucifixion—the three days He had predicted throughout the Gospels (Luke 9:21–22; Matthew 20:17–19).
The two disciples then summarized what Luke wrote in the first part of this chapter about the women going to the tomb and finding that Jesus was not there:
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see (Luke 24:22–24).
This account included the empty tomb, the appearance of the angels, and the message that Jesus was alive. However, these two said that the disciples who had gone to the tomb found it empty; they did not see Jesus. Jesus responded to their account by saying, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25–26)
In referring to the two disciples as foolish and slow of heart to believe, Jesus was making the point that they weren’t understanding what was obvious. Jesus pointed out that there was much Old Testament teaching on this, as He referred to “all” that the prophets had spoken. He stated what the two disciples should have known from Scripture, that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to come into His glory, as it says in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 53:5–7).
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus continued to explain to Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple what all of Scripture (the Old Testament) had to say about the promised Messiah, Jesus.
As Jesus and the two disciples approached the town of Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He was going to continue on, perhaps heading to the next town. Because it was late in the day and would soon be dark, the disciples urged Him to remain with them. Jesus agreed, and “when he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:28–31).
When the two disciples reclined at the table with Jesus, they still didn’t know that it was Him. Once their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, He disappeared. Throughout the Gospels, we are told that Jesus appeared and disappeared among the believers after His resurrection. (See Luke 24:36; John 20:19.)
After Jesus disappeared, the two disciples said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” (Luke 24:32). Once the two disciples knew that it was Jesus who had been with them, they expressed the effect that His presence and words had on them with great emotion.
They rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:33–35).
The two disciples wanted to pass on the news that they had seen Jesus, so they reversed course and returned to Jerusalem. But before they had a chance to give their account, another report came. They were told, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
As they were talking about these two encounters with the risen Christ, “Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’” But the apostles and the others with them were surprised and scared, thinking that they had seen a spirit (Luke 24:36–37). In order to calm them, Jesus asked them two questions.
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet (Luke 24:38–40).
Jesus instructed the disciples to look at His hands and feet, to see the wounds He bore from being crucified. This passage, as well as one from the book of John (John 20:25), shows that Jesus was nailed to the cross and not just tied to it. Besides looking at His wounds, He instructed them to touch Him, as He wanted them to see that He had a body of flesh and bones and was not a disembodied spirit.
And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them (Luke 24:41–43).
In asking for something to eat and sitting at the table with them eating a meal, Jesus demonstrated that He wasn’t a ghost or some sort of phantom. It also shows evidence that Jesus truly rose from the dead. He appeared to them, spoke with them, and ate with them. There was no question about His resurrection from death.
“Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled’” (Luke 24:44). Jesus’ reference to my words that I spoke to you referred not to His general teaching, but rather His teaching regarding His death and resurrection.
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:45–47).
Through Jesus’ explanation, the disciples better understood Scripture’s teaching about His death and resurrection, in contrast to earlier on when they lacked in understanding due to some things being concealed or hidden from them (Luke 9:45, 18:34).
Another point He makes is that “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” The future of God’s plan is expressed here: The message of repentance and forgiveness is to be proclaimed everywhere. Jesus’ instruction was that they begin their mission in Jerusalem, and then eventually move beyond, to take the gospel to all the world.
Jesus goes on to say, “You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48). The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. They were commissioned to share their personal experience of the risen Christ, and their mission was to proclaim the message to all nations—as is the mission of His disciples today. As followers of Jesus, we, too, are all called to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).
Originally published July 2022. Adapted and republished March 2026. Read by Jon Marc.
