The approach of Easter is a wonderful time to review the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection and to meditate on the eternal redemption He obtained for us through His sacrificial death on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12). When we reflect on Jesus’ glorious resurrection as our Lord and Savior, we can echo the ancient Christian greeting, “He is risen indeed!”
In each of the four Gospels we read an account of Jesus’ appearances to His disciples—both women and men—after His resurrection. In Matthew’s account, when some of the women disciples went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, they found the tomb empty. They were met by an angel who instructed them to go to the apostles and tell them that Jesus was alive and that He was going to Galilee, where they would see Him (Matthew 28:6–7).
As they ran to deliver this message to the disciples, the women were met on the road by the resurrected Jesus Himself.
“And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’” (Matthew 28:9–10).
It’s hard to imagine the joy and wonderment they felt at seeing the risen Jesus. In falling at His feet and worshiping Him, they showed that they understood that He was more than a mere man—He is divine.
Luke’s gospel recounts Jesus’ appearance to two disciples, neither of whom was one of the eleven apostles, who were traveling that day to a village named Emmaus. As they walked and discussed all that had occurred, Jesus Himself drew near and spoke with them, though their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
“[Jesus] 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 from Jerusalem could not know what had happened over the past days, as Jesus’ trial and crucifixion were so public. When Jesus asked them to explain “what things” they were referring to, they responded by saying:
“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. It had been three days since Jesus’ crucifixion—the three days He had predicted would occur prior to His resurrection (Luke 9:21–22; Matthew 20:17–19).
The two disciples then recounted to Jesus the circumstances of 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 men said that the disciples who had gone to the tomb found it empty; they did not see Jesus. Jesus responded 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).
Jesus made the point that the two disciples weren’t understanding what they should have known from Scripture—that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to come into His glory (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 went on to explain in detail what all of Scripture (the Old Testament) had to say about the promised Messiah.
Later, the disciples recognized Jesus as they shared a meal with Him, and He “took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Luke 24:30–31). Once they recognized Jesus, He vanished from their sight. 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 exclaimed to one another, “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). They expressed with great emotion the effect that His presence and words had on them, and then reversed course and returned to Jerusalem immediately to share the news with the apostles that they had seen Jesus.
But before they had a chance to give their account, they learned that Jesus had also appeared to Simon. “They found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’” (Luke 24:33–35).
As they were all jubilantly discussing 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 instructed the disciples to look at His hands and feet, to see the wounds He bore from being crucified. He also 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 (Luke 24:38–40).
“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 for a meal, Jesus demonstrated that He wasn’t a ghost or some sort of apparition. He appeared to them, spoke with them, and ate with them. There was no question about His resurrection from death.
“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).
Once the disciples’ minds were opened to understand the Scripture’s teaching about His death and resurrection, Jesus presented God’s plan: the message of repentance and forgiveness is to be proclaimed everywhere—to all nations. Jesus instructed them to begin their mission in Jerusalem, and then eventually to take the gospel to all the world.
Jesus went 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. 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 proclaim the gospel to everyone everywhere in the world (Mark 16:15). Let’s be faithful to share the good news that “He is risen indeed!”