Today's main idea: Jesus rose from the dead and meets his followers in grief, confusion, fear, and unbelief. He opens their understanding, gives them peace, and calls them to trust him and share the news.
Read Slowly
Main readings: Luke 24:1–35 and John 20:1–31
Notice what each person expects before meeting the risen Jesus. Watch how his words and presence change their understanding and their next steps.
In Day 28, Jesus died and was buried. The sorrow was real, and so was his promise to rise. These readings bring us to the fulfillment of that promise.
Jesus' Words Explain the Empty Tomb
In Luke's account, the women arrive with spices for Jesus' body. They find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two men in dazzling clothing tell them Jesus has risen and remind them that he had spoken about his suffering, death, and resurrection. The women remember his words and report what happened.
The apostles initially dismiss their report. Peter runs to the tomb, sees the linen cloths, and leaves wondering. John describes Mary Magdalene finding the open tomb and assuming someone has taken Jesus' body. Peter and the other disciple run there. The other disciple enters, sees, and believes, while John says they have not yet understood the Scripture about Jesus rising.
Their understanding develops as they encounter what has happened. Remembering Jesus' words is especially important in Luke. The empty tomb becomes intelligible in light of the promise he had already given.
We also need his words to shape how we interpret what we see. When we are confused, we can return to the passage, ask what Jesus has said, and remain willing to learn. Faith grows as we receive the truth he gives us.
Remember: When I do not understand what is happening, I can return to what Jesus has said.
Jesus Calls Mary by Name and Gives Her Good News to Carry
Mary remains outside the tomb crying. She sees angels and then Jesus, but assumes he is the gardener. She still wants to find the body. Then Jesus calls her by name, and she recognizes her Teacher.
Earlier, in John 10:3–4, Jesus described the shepherd calling his own sheep by name and leading them as they recognize his voice. Mary's encounter recalls that personal care. The risen Lord knows the woman standing before him in tears.
Jesus also directs her toward what comes next. He tells her not to cling to him and sends her to his brothers with the news of his coming ascension to the Father. He names the Father as their Father too. His resurrection opens a future of belonging and witness.
Mary goes to the disciples and announces that she has seen the Lord. Her grief has become testimony because Jesus has met her and given her something true to say.
We can receive his care personally and then share what we are learning about him. A simple, truthful conversation about Jesus can begin with one passage that has helped us trust him.
Remember: Jesus' personal care gives me a reason to trust him and good news to share.
Jesus Corrects Hope That Has Misunderstood the Cross
Two disciples walk toward Emmaus, talking about what happened in Jerusalem. Jesus joins them, but they are kept from recognizing him. When he asks about their conversation, they explain their sorrow. They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel, meaning rescue God's people, and now he has been crucified.
They know about the women's report and the empty tomb. Yet their account ends with the fact that no one in their group who went to investigate saw Jesus. They have many of the facts, but they still need help understanding what those facts mean.
Jesus corrects them for being slow to believe the prophets. He explains that the Messiah had to suffer and enter his glory. Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he shows how Scripture points to him.
The event they regard as the collapse of hope belongs to the rescue God promised. Jesus teaches them to understand his suffering within God's purpose. Their expectations must be reshaped by Scripture.
This is a searching lesson for us. We may attach our hope in Jesus to a particular outcome, then feel lost when that outcome does not come. We can bring that disappointment to him and let his teaching correct what we expected. Knowing him includes learning what he has actually promised.
Remember: Jesus can restore my hope by correcting what I expected him to do.
Jesus Opens Their Eyes, and They Return with News
As they reach the village, the disciples urge their companion to stay. At the table, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Their eyes are opened, and they recognize him. Then he vanishes from their sight.
Eric Barreto draws attention to the reversal at the table: the person invited as a guest takes the role of host, giving them bread.1 Jesus has been teaching them on the road, and now they recognize the one who has been with them.
They remember how their hearts burned while he opened the Scriptures. The movement is connected: Jesus opens Scripture, their eyes are opened, and their understanding of the day's events changes. Their sorrowful conversation becomes a message they want to share.
They return to Jerusalem that same hour. There they hear that the Lord has appeared to Simon, and they tell their own story. The risen Jesus brings them back into the company of his followers with something to contribute.
When a passage helps us see Jesus more clearly, we can take it into conversation with another believer. We encourage one another by sharing what he is teaching us and listening to what others have learned.
Remember: What Jesus helps me understand can strengthen someone else's faith too.
Jesus Gives Peace and Sends His Followers
That evening, the disciples gather behind locked doors because they are afraid. Jesus stands among them, speaks peace, and shows them his hands and side. They recognize the Lord and rejoice. The one standing before them is the same Jesus who was crucified.
He speaks peace again and sends them as the Father sent him. He breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit. He also entrusts them with a ministry involving the forgiveness and retention of sins.
Andreas Köstenberger connects this commission with their responsibility to represent Jesus and announce forgiveness in him.2 The message has serious consequences: sin needs forgiveness, and the risen Savior is the one to whom people must come.
The order is encouraging. Jesus comes to frightened people, gives them peace, and then gives them work. They will depend on the Spirit as they bear his message. Their mission begins with what they receive from him.
We can bring our fear to Jesus and ask for help to speak truthfully about him. We can tell someone why his forgiveness matters to us, while treating that person with the patience and care we have received.
Remember: Jesus gives his followers peace and the Spirit's help as he sends them to others.
Jesus Calls Thomas from Refusal to Trust
Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the gathered disciples. When they tell him what they saw, he refuses to believe unless he sees and touches Jesus' wounds.
Eight days later, Jesus comes again while Thomas is present. He offers Thomas the evidence he demanded and calls him to believe. Thomas responds by acknowledging Jesus as his Lord and his God.
That confession reaches back to John 1:1, where John identifies the Word as God. The Gospel's opening truth now becomes a disciple's personal confession. Köstenberger highlights this connection between the beginning of John's Gospel and Thomas's response.3
Jesus meets Thomas with both patience and a direct call to faith. His response invites us to bring our questions into the light and remain willing to receive an answer. We can examine the testimony of Scripture and let it lead us to trust the person it reveals.
Thomas's words also ask something of us. To call Jesus Lord is to recognize his authority over our lives. Faith becomes personal when his identity changes whom we trust and how we live.
Remember: Jesus welcomes an honest response that moves from examining his claims to trusting him as Lord.
Jesus' Resurrection Reaches Readers Who Were Not There
Jesus blesses those who believe without having seen him. John then tells us why he wrote: so that readers may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and have life in his name.
This places us within the purpose of the Gospel. We were not in the garden, on the road, or in the locked room. We receive the written testimony of people who encountered Jesus. John selected these signs to help readers know who Jesus is and believe in him.
That has been the purpose of this whole journey. Learning about Jesus leads toward receiving life from him and following him. Each reading invites a response to the living Savior.
Remember: Scripture invites me to trust the risen Jesus and receive life from him.
What We Learn About Jesus
Jesus is alive. He knows his followers personally, opens Scripture to them, and meets fear with peace. He is patient with confusion and direct about the need to believe.
His resurrection leads to relationship and responsibility. Mary carries a message. The travelers return to the disciples. The gathered followers are sent. The Lord who gives life also draws his people into helping others know him.
How the Readings Fit Together
Luke and John show people moving from sorrow and confusion toward recognition, faith, and witness. Jesus takes the initiative throughout. He explains, calls, reveals himself, and sends.
The empty tomb, the opened Scriptures, and the wounds of the risen Lord belong together. Jesus' death was real, his resurrection is real, and Scripture helps his followers understand God's saving purpose in both. As we receive their testimony, we are invited to make the same response of trust.
Take a Moment with Jesus
- What disappointment might reveal an expectation I need to bring back to Jesus' teaching?
- What question or fear can I bring honestly to him while remaining willing to receive his answer?
- Which part of these readings could I share to help someone see Jesus more clearly?
Prayer
Risen Jesus, thank you for meeting your followers in their grief and fear. Help me believe your word and receive the life you give. Correct the expectations that keep me from understanding you. Give me peace, teach me to obey you as Lord, and help me share your good news with care. Amen.
One Thing to Do
Read John 20:30–31 again. Write one sentence about who Jesus is and one sentence about why you trust him. Share those thoughts with one person who would welcome the conversation, or invite that person to read the passage with you.
Carry This with You
Jesus is risen, and his invitation reaches me through Scripture. I can trust him, receive his peace, and help someone else come to know him.
Next: Day 30 - Jesus Sends Us and Stays with Us
Sources Consulted
Source citations
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Eric Barreto, Commentary on the Emmaus road, Working Preacher, Luther Seminary, April 26, 2020. On the invited guest becoming the host who shares bread. ↩
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Andreas Köstenberger, John commentary, The Gospel Coalition, section “Resurrection Appearances.” On the disciples representing Jesus and announcing forgiveness. ↩
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Köstenberger, same section. On Thomas's confession connecting with John's opening identification of the Word as God. ↩
What is one thing you want to remember?
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