When we read the Gospels, we find that after His Resurrection, Jesus did not simply ascend to heaven at once. He remained with His disciples for forty days, appearing to them in many different moments — in the upper room, on the road to Emmaus, by the Sea of Galilee. These encounters were not random; they were acts of love meant to strengthen their faith and prepare them for the mission ahead.
The disciples were confused and frightened after the crucifixion. They had seen their Teacher die and felt their hopes collapse with Him. When Jesus appeared to them, He was not only proving that He was truly alive — He was healing their hearts. His first words, “Peace be with you,” were like a balm to their fear. Each appearance reassured them that death had been conquered, and that love is stronger than the grave.
Jesus also appeared to confirm the truth of His teachings. In Luke’s Gospel, He opened the Scriptures to them, helping them see how everything written about the Messiah — His suffering, death, and rising — was fulfilled in Him. He invited Thomas to touch His wounds, showing that faith is not blind but grounded in the reality of His risen body. These were lessons of faith that turned doubt into conviction.
Finally, His appearances were a call to mission. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus told His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Having seen the risen Lord, they could no longer live in fear. The same men who once hid behind locked doors would go on to proclaim the Gospel with courage, even at the cost of their lives. The Resurrection transformed them — and through them, the world.
Every time Jesus reveals Himself to us — in prayer, in the Eucharist, in the quiet of our hearts — it is to remind us that He is truly alive and near. May we, like the disciples, let His peace conquer our fears and let His love send us forth in faith.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
