Jesus appeared to his disciples at various times after his resurrection for a period of 40 days. Several of these occasions were recorded by the writers of the New Testament. My favorite was written by Luke.
Luke told about two men traveling to the nearby town of Emmaus who were talking about the crucifixion of Jesus. A stranger came up and walked beside them listening to what they were saying.
"What is this you are discussing?" he asked.
Haven't you heard?" they said. "You must not be from around here."
Then they told him about Jesus, his popularity as a teacher and healer, his arrest and finally his crucifixion.
"Now we heard some of his disciples claim he is alive. Not only that, but that they saw him. We didn't see him anywhere around." They added sadly, "We had hoped he was the promised Messiah."
Luke records that Jesus began to talk with them about what the Scriptures said about himself. He agreed with what they knew about the Old Testament prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. But more than that, he showed them how they all pointed to Jesus, even the ones prophesying his rejection, his death on a cross, and his resurrection. Essentially, he validated what the disciples were saying.
As the men approached their destination, still not recognizing him, they invited him to have dinner with them. As he broke the bread with them, their eyes were opened, so to speak, and they recognized Jesus. At once he disappeared. We know how they felt because Luke says they ran back to Jerusalem and told the disciples, "We have seen him, too!"
If you haven't heard it, check out Sandi Patty's recording of "I've Just Seen Jesus."
Paulita
