The Empty Tomb
Very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. When they arrived, they discovered that the large stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. They went inside, but the body of the Lord Jesus was nowhere to be found. While they stood there completely bewildered by what they were seeing, two men suddenly appeared beside them, dressed in clothes that shone like lightning. The women were so terrified that they fell to the ground with their faces down. The two men spoke to them: "Why are you searching for someone who is alive in a place where dead people are kept? He is not here—he has come back to life! Remember what he told you when he was still with you in Galilee. He said that the Son of Man would be handed over to sinful people, killed on a cross, and then come back to life on the third day." Then the women remembered exactly what Jesus had said to them. They hurried back from the tomb and told everything that had happened to the eleven apostles and all the other followers. The women who brought this news were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others who were with them. But when the women told the apostles what they had seen and heard, the men thought their story sounded like complete nonsense and refused to believe them. Peter, however, jumped up and ran as fast as he could to the tomb. He bent down and looked inside, where he saw only the linen burial cloths lying there. Then he walked away, completely amazed and trying to figure out what could have possibly happened.
The Road to Emmaus
That same day, two of Jesus' followers were walking to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking together about everything that had just happened. As they walked and discussed these things, Jesus himself came up and began walking with them. But something kept them from recognizing who he was. Jesus asked them, "What are you talking about so seriously as you walk?" They stopped walking, and their faces showed deep sadness. One of them, whose name was Cleopas, replied, "Are you the only person visiting Jerusalem who doesn't know what has happened there in the past few days?" "What things?" Jesus asked. They answered, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who was powerful in what he said and did before God and all the people. Our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. We had been hoping that he was the one who would rescue Israel. But now it's been three days since all this happened. Some women from our group have completely amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning and couldn't find his body. They came back saying they had seen a vision of angels who told them Jesus was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they didn't see Jesus." Then Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are! How slow your hearts are to believe everything the prophets said! Didn't the Christ have to suffer these things before entering his glory?" Starting with Moses and continuing through all the prophets, Jesus explained to them everything written in the Scriptures about himself. As they came near the village where they were going, Jesus acted as if he planned to keep walking. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us. It's almost evening, and the day is nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When Jesus sat down to eat with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and handed it to them. Suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognized him—but at that moment he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Weren't our hearts burning inside us while he was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?" They got up immediately and hurried back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others gathered together, who were saying, "The Lord has really risen! He has appeared to Simon!" Then the two travelers told everyone what had happened on the road and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
While the disciples were telling each other about everything that had happened, Jesus suddenly appeared right there among them. "Peace be with you," he said. They jumped back in terror, convinced they were seeing a ghost. Jesus looked at their frightened faces and asked, "Why are you so upset? Why are you filled with doubt? Look at my hands and my feet—it's really me. Touch me and see for yourself. A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones like I do." He held out his hands and feet for them to see. The disciples stared in wonder, still unable to believe what they were seeing. They were caught between overwhelming joy and complete amazement. Jesus noticed their struggle to accept what was happening, so he asked them, "Do you have any food here?" They handed him a piece of cooked fish. He took it and ate it right in front of them, proving he was truly alive and real. Then Jesus spoke to them seriously: "This is exactly what I told you when I was with you before—everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to come true." He opened their minds so they could finally understand what the Scriptures meant. "Here's what was written," he explained. "The Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Then, in his name, the message of turning back to God and receiving forgiveness would be proclaimed to every nation on earth, starting right here in Jerusalem. You are the witnesses who saw all these things happen. "Now listen carefully—I'm about to send you what my Father promised. But you must stay in the city and wait until you receive power from heaven."
The Ascension
Jesus brought his followers to the outskirts of Bethany. There he raised his hands and gave them his blessing. As he was speaking these words of blessing over them, something extraordinary happened—he departed from them and was lifted up into heaven. The disciples fell down and worshipped him. Then they made their way back to Jerusalem, their hearts filled with overwhelming joy. From that time on, they spent their days in the temple, constantly praising and giving thanks to God.