On Resurrection Day, after the Lord Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9), the next recorded appearance was to two men walking on the road to Emmaus. It was Sunday evening as this well-known event occurred. The Lord Jesus obscured the minds of the two men so that they did not recognize Him (Luke 24:16). From Scripture He showed them how the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament, which was the only Word of God they had at that time.

Then, as they neared the village of Emmaus, they invited the “wise stranger” to stay with them because darkness was approaching. While there, the Lord Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and began to give it to them. It was then that they recognized Him, and He simply disappeared (Luke 24:30-31).

According to Scripture, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and then later to the men on “the road to Emmaus.” There were two men that Jesus appeared to while they walked toward Emmaus. Only one is named; Cleopas (Luke 24:18). The other man is not named, but is identified later in my opinion.

This event, the bodily appearance of the Lord Jesus, was so astounding that the two immediately returned the estimated seven miles back to Jerusalem, even though it was getting dark and was certainly night by the time they returned.

When they got back to Jerusalem, they found the Eleven and told them that they had seen the Lord Jesus and that He had appeared to Simon (Luke 24:34). Again, in I Corinthians 15:5 we are told that Jesus appeared first to Peter and then to the Twelve. As they were discussing this, the Lord Jesus appeared in the midst of them (Luke 24:36). This is the famous scene also found in Mark 16:14 and John 20:19.

From these accounts, it appears that Peter was one of the two men on “the road to Emmaus.” This encounter is described as the second bodily appearance of Jesus and later it was told to the Eleven that He had appeared to “Simon,” confirmed to be Simon Peter in I Corinthians 15:5. From this sequence of events it is easy to deduce that Peter was one of the two men.

The only difficulty is the accounts of the last appearances of the Lord Jesus are not specifically chronological. The Great Commission of Matthew chapter 28 occurs immediately following the account of the tomb guards being paid to lie. The account of Jesus appearing to the Eleven in Mark chapter 16 is followed by Him being taken up into Heaven. Luke chapter 24 skips from Jesus appearing to the Eleven to the His ascension from the Mount of Olives. John’s Gospel tells of the appearance of Jesus to Thomas one week after His first appearance. Then the text goes to the Sea of Galilee and the miraculous catch of 153 fish. John then concludes his Gospel. The choosing of Matthias is recorded in Acts chapter 1 after the ascension of Jesus from the Mount of Olives, but the timing is merely noted as happening “in those days.”

You can see that there is no specific sequence or pattern to these events.

But the Bible says that the Lord Jesus appeared to Peter before the other Disciples. The account found in Luke chapter 24, in my opinion, indicates that Jesus appeared to Cleopas and Peter on the road to Emmaus.

How I look forward to His next appearance. Praise His name forever!