About the empty cave

1Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the cave carrying the oil and powder. Mary Magdalene, Joanna and another Mary, who was James' mother, and some other women went together.

2When they reached the cave, they saw that someone had moved the big stone that had shut the opening.

3So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus inside.

4While they were standing there wondering about it, suddenly two men came and appeared and stood near them. They were wearing shining clothes.

5The women got a big shock and were very frightened and they bowed down to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here in the place for the dead?

6He is not here. God has made him alive again. Remember what he said to you while he was in Galilee.

7He said, ‘People will take me, the one who was born in this world, and they will give me to wicked people. Then they will nail me on a cross and kill me and in three days I will come alive again.’”

8Then the women remembered Jesus' words,

9and left the cave and went home. They told Jesus' eleven disciples and his other friends everything that had happened.

11But when the apostles heard what the women said, they thought they were being stupid and they didn't believe them.

12But Peter got up and ran to the cave. When he reached it he bent down and looked inside. He saw the cloth and that was all, and he too went back home, wondering and amazed.

About two of Jesus' disciples going to Emmaus

13On the same day that Jesus came alive again, two of his disciples were going from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. It was a good walk but not too far. While they were going along the road,

14they were talking together about everything that had happened.

15While they were talking, Jesus came near and walked along with them.

16They saw him but they didn't recognize him; they couldn't understand that it was Jesus.

17He said, “What are you two talking about to each other as you walk along?” They both stood still, feeling miserable, with sad faces.

18One of them named Cleopas said to Jesus, “Have you been staying in Jerusalem and you don't know what has happened? You must be the only one who doesn't know the news!”

19“What news?” Jesus asked. “Surely you know they nailed Jesus of Nazareth on a cross and he died the other day,” they said. “That man was a prophet. The great things that he did and said showed us that God was pleased with him. All the people were pleased with him too.

20But our chief priests and our rulers gave him to Pilate for him to be killed, and they nailed him to a cross.

21We had thought, ‘Maybe he is the one God will send to set Israel free!’ But no! He has been dead for three days now.

22“Some of our women went to the cave early this morning, but they could not find his body. They came back to us and said, ‘We saw two angels. They came and appeared to us and told us that Jesus is alive again now.’ And we were amazed to hear that.

24Some men from our group also went to the cave, and they saw that it was empty, just as the women had said, but they didn't see Jesus.”

25Jesus said to them, “Don't you know God's words that were written long ago? Do you still not know that they are true? You are very silly.

26You should know that the Messiah, the one God was to send to you, had to suffer before God makes him rule.”

27Then Jesus explained to them everything that was written about him long ago in God's book. He told them what Moses said and also what the prophets said.

28Then they came near Emmaus. Jesus acted as if he were going straight ahead,

29but they stopped him and said, “Stay with us. It will soon be night.” So Jesus went inside and stayed there with them.

30He sat down to eat and took some damper and thanked God for it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.

31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but Jesus disappeared.

32They said to each other, “We felt excited when Jesus spoke to us, when we were coming along the road and he was explaining God's word to us.”

33Straight away they got up and went back to Jerusalem and found the eleven disciples. The disciples had come together with some other friends of Jesus,

34and they said, “The Lord really has come alive again! He has appeared to Simon!”

35Then Cleopas and the other disciple told them about meeting Jesus on the road, and what he had said about God, and about them recognizing Jesus when he broke the damper.

About Jesus appearing to his disciples

36While the two disciples were speaking, the Lord Jesus suddenly came and appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

37But his disciples got a big shock and were very frightened. They thought he was a ghost.

38Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Why do you still not believe me?

39Look at my hands and my feet. I am real! Feel me so you will know it is really me. You can see my flesh and my bones. A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, so I cannot be a ghost. I am a real person.”

40Jesus showed them his hands and his feet.

41Then they were very happy, but they were still wondering because they still couldn't believe. Jesus said to them, “Have you anything for me to eat?”

42They gave him some cooked fish,

43and they watched him eat it.

44Then Jesus said, “Now you have seen that I really am alive again. That is what I told you before, when we were all together. Long ago Moses and the prophets spoke about me and the people who wrote the songs to praise God spoke about me too. Everything they said has come true because God planned it.”

45Then Jesus explained God's words to his disciples so that they would understand,

46and he said, “This is what is written: ‘The Messiah must suffer and die and come alive again on the third day.’

47God's people must tell others about the Messiah in all different places. First they must tell about him in Jerusalem and then in all the world. They must tell people to stop doing wrong and obey God, so that he can forgive them.

48You disciples of mine know everything that has happened, because you have seen with your own eyes. So you are the ones who must tell other people everything you have seen and heard.

49“My Father has promised that you will receive his Spirit, and I am the one who will send the Spirit to you. But you must stay here in Jerusalem and wait until God's Spirit comes down in power and touches you.”

About Jesus going up to heaven to his Father

50When Jesus had finished speaking, he took his disciples out of Jerusalem to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

51While Jesus was still speaking, he moved away from them and was taken up into heaven.

52The disciples worshipped him and went back to Jerusalem. They were filled with joy.

53After that they stayed in the temple all the time, praising God.