Miracle of Resurrection
Road to Emmaus proves eye-opening for apostles
After Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala outside the tomb in the garden area (Mark 16.9-11) on that glorious Sunday morning, he next appears to the rest of the women who had been spoken to by angels at the empty tomb when they had come w i th spices to anoint his body (Mk 16.1, Ma t t 28.8-10).
From this appearance twice to the women, they all excitedly carried the news of Jesus being seen alive to the Eleven and the others in the inner circle of Jesus’ followers.
The men, however, just could not believe what they were saying and in fact said their words “seemed like nonsense”( Luke 24.11). Peter would run to the tomb to check out their story and view the strips of linen and a folded head-cloth by wondering what happened while John would enter the same tomb moments later and believe (John 20.3-9).
Later that evening Jesus would rebuke all of them for their lack of faith and their “stubborn refusal” to believe the women who had seen him after he had risen (Mk 16.14).
Jesus then seems to play a type of “Cat and Mouse” game the rest of Resurrection Sunday. Two of the inner circle are walking to the village of Emmaus, about seven miles NW from Jerusalem, and as they talked of the day’s events, Jesus came up alongside the pair and entered the conversation without being recognized (Luke 24.13-49).
“What’s going on?” (paraphrase), Jesus asks. With downcast faces, one replies, “Are you new to Jerusalem? Haven’t you heard about the things going on?” Jesus, still not known by the two travelers, responds—“What things?” “About Jesus of Nazareth!” they reply and then continue with a recapping of events over the past three days. The still unknown visitor, Jesus, then begins to explain in the Old Testament scriptures all that was said about the Messiah. Can you imagine that Bible study with that Teacher?
The Emmaus pair are amazed and have Jesus join them for supper. While breaking bread, their eyes were opened and they saw him---and then he disappeared from their sight! Their hearts burned within, they rushed back to Jerusalem to report the women’s testimony was true.
The Eleven and the others were assembled behind locked doors (Jn 20.19) and suddenly Jesus appears. All are alarmed thinking they see a ghost. Jesus calms them with words of peace, shows them his nail-scarred hands and feet, and dines with them again as promised a few days earlier when he washed their feet. Jesus breathes on them the Holy Spirit, opens their minds to understand the Scriptures, and asks them to stay in Jerusalem until Pentecost. The Kingdom has now come and fully enveloped the hearts and minds of his chosen ones! The Apostles are now ready to deliver the Miracle of Resurrection sermon to the world!