While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. (NIV)

‘He had promised that after his resurrection he would see them in Galilee; but so desirous was he to see them, and satisfy them, that he anticipated the appointment and sees them at Jerusalem. Note, Christ is often better than his word, but never worse.‘ Matthew Henry

Henry also makes the important point that in Jesus’ greeting of peace, He was showing that He did not hold anything against Peter for his denials, nor against the disciples for their running away. They really could live in peace.

But what we think about Jesus will affect how we feel (37). The two on the Emmaus road, and the eleven disciples, had come to the conclusion that Jesus was alive (34,35). Yet here they all thought they were seeing ”a ghost” (37). Even though Jesus had said to them, ”Peace be with you” (36), they were ”startled and frightened” (37). This shows that we can live well below the level of our privileges; that we can fail to experience all that it is possible for us. It makes us realise that the flowering of faith can be fragile. Although Jesus went on to show them His scars (40), we have the rather puzzling statement that ”they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (41). Jesus actually had to do the very physical act of eating to show them He was not some sort of spectre.

PRAYER: Lord, you have given me a Bible full of ‘exceeding great and precious promises’, yet I confess I so regularly live as though they have no bearing on my situation. Please forgive me; have mercy on my weakness. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight.