As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “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. 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 24:36-43)

As Jesus stood among His disciples, “Peace to you” were His first words to them after His resurrection. But instead of rejoicing, His disciples “were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.” These were the same men who had walked with Him for three years, seen Him feed the multitudes, calm the storms, raise the dead, and teach with unmatched authority. And yet, when the fulfillment of His own words stood before them, alive and resurrected, their hearts were slow to believe.

It might be an initial response to have a “tisk tisk” type attitude towards the disciples, but if we’re honest with ourselves – isn’t that just like us?

How often do we know the truth of God’s Word, having we seen His provision, heard His promises, and tasted His mercy – yet still hesitate to believe when fear, grief, or doubt enters the scene? Sometimes we become so accustomed to the routine of walking with Jesus that we can lose the wonder of what He’s really said, what He’s truly done, and what He’s still doing.

But look at how Jesus responds. “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.”

Here’s the amazing part – Jesus didn’t shame them. He didn’t turn away. He didn’t demand perfect faith. Instead, He invited them closer - “Touch me and see.” He offered His wounded hands and feet – the very marks of His love and sacrifice – as proof; not because He had to, but because He is gracious and kind. Jesus met them right in the middle of their disbelief.

And then, to further ease their troubled hearts, He asked for food and ate in their presence. Not because He was hungry, but to show them He was real, tangible, alive – risen.

What a Savior. So patient with our fragile faith and so willing to meet us in our weakness.

We are all susceptible to disbelief – no matter how long we’ve walked with Jesus. The key is not pretending that we never doubt, but trusting that He remains faithful, even when we falter. As Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself.”

So today, let’s choose childlike faith – the kind that trusts even when we don’t fully understand, the kind that believes because He said it, not because we’ve seen it. And when God, in His kindness, does give us signs of His presence and faithfulness, may we respond with a deep gratitude and humble worship, not demanding more proof, but offering more praise.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 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. They 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?” And 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 24:28-35)

As the disciples walked the dusty road to Emmaus, though the risen Jesus had drawn near and walked with them, their hearts were heavy and confused because they hadn’t yet recognized Him. And Jesus had explained the Scriptures, revealing how the Messiah must suffer and enter His glory, but even with such truth laid bare, their eyes remained closed. It wasn’t until the moment of shared intimacy – when He broke the bread – that their eyes were opened and they knew Him.

This was just an ordinary meal but for them it echoed back to the Last Supper, where He had taken bread, blessed it, broken it, and given it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body, given for you.” (Luke 22:19) That moment of intimate fellowship carried divine significance. And now, post-resurrection, it was in that same kind of moment that their eyes were opened. And how beautiful that it was in that quiet, simple act of breaking bread, that Jesus revealed Himself.

Sometimes we search for God in the grand and the spectacular, yet He so often meets us in the ordinary – at a table, in a quiet prayer, during the simple obedience of daily faithfulness. The breaking of the bread was not just a meal; it was a reminder of covenant love, of sacrifice, of communion. And it was in that space that the disciples weren’t just told who Jesus was – they recognized Him.

Their response is striking. Gone were the long-winded debates and analytical discussions. Gone was the slow-hearted unbelief. Instead, they rose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. Though it was night and the journey was long, they could not contain the truth. Now because of this personal experience, like the women – they were compelled to testify of it.

What a beautiful picture of how revelation leads to action. Their eyes were opened, and their hearts, once burning with mystery, now burned with urgency and joy. The facts they had been discussing were now saturated with faith, and that faith propelled them into bold proclamation.

For us today, the invitation remains the same: draw near to Jesus not only through intellectual understanding, but through intimacy – through remembering Him in communion, in prayer, in fellowship, in studying God’s Word. He is still revealing Himself to those whose hearts are open.

Let us also rise and go to the places God sends us, joyously proclaiming that the Lord is risen and sharing about our personal experiences with the living God.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 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?” 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. 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.” And he said to them, “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?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:15-27)

Some followers of Jesus walked the road to Emmaus, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Their words were filled with facts: Jesus' ministry, His crucifixion, the empty tomb, and even the strange report from the women who claimed He was alive. They had all the information—but still, they were discouraged, confused, and slow to believe.

As they talked and reasoned together, Jesus Himself came near but they didn’t recognize Him. And as He asked them what they were discussing, they poured out their disappointment, their bewilderment, and their hopes dashed. The hard truth is, they knew the Scriptures, they had heard Jesus’ own words, and yet, their faith hadn’t yet connected with what they knew.

How often are we just like them?

We gather facts, quote verses, and try to make sense of God’s ways through discussion and analysis. But there’s a danger in circling through facts without bringing faith into it. Understanding can be helpful—but it’s not a substitute for believing.

The resurrection is one of the most powerful moments in all of history, and yet it’s also one of the greatest mysteries. How did it happen? What exactly took place in those unseen hours between death and life? We may never fully understand it, and we don’t have to, because our faith isn’t grounded in our ability to comprehend – our faith is grounded in the truth that it did happen, and in the One who made it so.

Jesus gently rebuked the disciples, saying, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” The problem wasn’t a lack of evidence – it was a lack of faith. They had been waiting for everything to make sense, when what they really needed was to trust the Word of God.

In our modern world, we often feel pressure to understand every detail – especially when it comes to matters of faith. But some things God has done, and still does, goes beyond our capacity to fully explain and understand. Miracles don’t always follow human logic, grace doesn’t fit into equations, and the resurrection – while historically attested and spiritually powerful – is still a divine mystery that we accept by faith.

As Paul wrote in Romans 6:5, “For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” We may not understand how resurrection works, but we believe that because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised because God has promised it.

Let’s not be content to walk in circles around the facts. Let’s resolve to move toward deeper faith, believing what God has said even when we don’t fully understand how He’ll bring it about. His peace surpasses understanding, so let’s press in by faith and have our hearts and minds guarded by the peace of God.