table, eating and trying to make sense of the day’s events. There was a knock on the door, and two of the Galileans entered with haste.
“We must tell you what happened!” one named Cleopas said. “We were walking the seven miles to Emmaus—conversing and wondering aloud about all that has happened—when a man drew near and walked with us. We did not know him. He said, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you are sad?’
“I said, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem and know not the things which have happened?’
“He said, ‘What things?’
“I said, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.’ I told him we had been hoping that it was He who would redeem Israel, but that it had already been three days since these things happened. I added that certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us with their report that they did not find His body, but that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. I told him that certain of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but that they did not see Jesus.
“And then, gentleman, this stranger said, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to us all the Scriptures concerning the Christ.
“When we drew near to Emmaus we begged that he abide with us, for it was toward evening and the day was far spent. And he stayed with us and sat at the table with us. My friends, when he took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to us, our eyes were opened and we knew Him. It was the Lord. And He soon vanished from before our very eyes.
“We said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ We rose up immediately and rushed here to tell you, the Lord is risen indeed!”
It had to be true, Mark thought. It just had to be. And yet he could tell from the looks of the disciples that even they weren’t sure. But as they all sat pondering, suddenly Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace to you.”
Mark froze, terrified that he was seeing a spirit.
Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you clearly see I have.”
He showed them His hands and His feet, but Mark sat like all the rest, overjoyed but still finding it hard to believe. And Jesus said, “Have you any food here?”
John immediately rose and gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He ate. Mark noticed Peter, pale and wide-eyed, and yet appearing afraid to meet Jesus’ gaze. Everyone else just stared, unmoving.
“These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you,” Jesus said, “that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
And Jesus disappeared from their midst.
Soon Thomas arrived.
“We have seen the Lord!” the others told him.
He looked warily at them and shook his head. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Mark was at first nearly as disappointed in Thomas as he had been with Peter. But he had to admit that even he would not have been able to take the word of these men and
“We must tell you what happened!” one named Cleopas said. “We were walking the seven miles to Emmaus—conversing and wondering aloud about all that has happened—when a man drew near and walked with us. We did not know him. He said, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you are sad?’
“I said, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem and know not the things which have happened?’
“He said, ‘What things?’
“I said, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.’ I told him we had been hoping that it was He who would redeem Israel, but that it had already been three days since these things happened. I added that certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us with their report that they did not find His body, but that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. I told him that certain of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but that they did not see Jesus.
“And then, gentleman, this stranger said, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to us all the Scriptures concerning the Christ.
“When we drew near to Emmaus we begged that he abide with us, for it was toward evening and the day was far spent. And he stayed with us and sat at the table with us. My friends, when he took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to us, our eyes were opened and we knew Him. It was the Lord. And He soon vanished from before our very eyes.
“We said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ We rose up immediately and rushed here to tell you, the Lord is risen indeed!”
It had to be true, Mark thought. It just had to be. And yet he could tell from the looks of the disciples that even they weren’t sure. But as they all sat pondering, suddenly Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace to you.”
Mark froze, terrified that he was seeing a spirit.
Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you clearly see I have.”
He showed them His hands and His feet, but Mark sat like all the rest, overjoyed but still finding it hard to believe. And Jesus said, “Have you any food here?”
John immediately rose and gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He ate. Mark noticed Peter, pale and wide-eyed, and yet appearing afraid to meet Jesus’ gaze. Everyone else just stared, unmoving.
“These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you,” Jesus said, “that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
And Jesus disappeared from their midst.
Soon Thomas arrived.
“We have seen the Lord!” the others told him.
He looked warily at them and shook his head. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Mark was at first nearly as disappointed in Thomas as he had been with Peter. But he had to admit that even he would not have been able to take the word of these men and
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