1 At the earliest light of dawn on one of the sabbaths they carried their prepared aromatic spices to the tomb. 2 But the stone had been rolled away from it, 3 and when they entered they did not find the body of Master Jesus. 4 While they stood there perplexed, suddenly two men in shining attire were standing there! 5 The women became terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. And the men said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here but is risen! Remember how he told you this while you were all still in Galilee? 7 ‘The Human must be handed over to scoundrels and crucified, but on the third day he will arise.’ ” 8 And then they remembered what he had said.
9 So the women returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the Eleven and everyone else. 10 (Those who told these things to the apostles were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and their companions.) 11 But they dismissed it all as nonsense and didn’t believe them. 12 Nevertheless, Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over to look inside, and seeing only bandages there, he went away wondering what could have happened.
Jesus walks with two disciples to Emmaus
13 Now on that very same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking to each other about all that had happened. 15 And while they were talking and arguing, Jesus himself came near and went along with them, 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 Then he said to them, “What is all this conversation about as you walk along?”
They stood still and looked down in deep disappointment. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, replied, “You must have just arrived in Jerusalem to not know what has been going on here in the last few days.”
19 “What happened?” Jesus asked.
“It’s all about Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 But the high priests and our rulers handed him over to receive the death penalty, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped that he was to be the one to liberate Israel. And now we’re into the third day since this all happened. 22 But some of our women told us something amazing. They went to the tomb at dawn 23 but found no body there, so they came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who told them that he is alive! 24 So some of us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, though they did not see him.”
25 And Jesus said to them, “You’re clueless! You are reluctant to believe all that the prophets said. 26 Didn’t Christ have to suffer all these things before entering into his majesty?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted all the scriptures that wrote about him.
28 When they were about to enter the village, Jesus acted as though he would continue on his way. 29 But they twisted his arm and said, “We insist that you stay with us! It’s getting dark and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 But as he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
Jesus appears to the rest of the disciples
32 Then they exclaimed to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he spoke with us along the way and shed light on the scriptures?” 33 So they got up at that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. The Eleven had convened a meeting with the others, 34 and they told them, “The Master has indeed arisen and appeared to Simon Peter!” 35 Then the two told what happened to them along the way, and how he revealed himself to them as he broke the bread.
36 While they were still saying these things, there was Jesus standing among them! “Greetings!” he said. 37 But in their fear and terror they presumed they were seeing a ghost. 38 So he said to them, “Why are you so shaken up? And why do you jump to such conclusions? 39 Observe my hands and feet; it’s me! Touch and examine me; a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you can clearly see that I have.” 40 And having said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
41 But they still couldn’t believe it because it seemed too good to be true. So he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 And they handed him some grilled fish, 43 which he took and ate in front of them. 44 Then he said to them, “This is what I was talking about when I was still with you; everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Praise Songs had to be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “It is written that Christ must suffer and then rise up from the dead the third day. 47 Then proclamation is to be made on his behalf, starting in Jerusalem, for people of all nations to turn to God so they can be cleared of all charges against them. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Now I will certainly send you what my Father promised, but you must stay in the city until you are clothed with power from above.”
Jesus ascends to heaven
50 When he had led them out as far as Bethany, he raised his hands and blessed them. 51 And while he was doing this he put some distance between himself and them, and then he was lifted up into the sky. 52 and they praised God every day in the temple compound.