Do you remember the first time you drove a car? What about the first time you saw your spouse across the room? Or when you looked into your child's eyes for the first time? Can you remember the first time you had ice cream? Firsts are sometimes memorable, but not always. Some first moments are seared into our memories, and others somehow float away as we experience something for the second, third, or hundredth time.
The memorable ones are often peculiar, shocking, unorthodox, or seemingly impossible. Let me ask you a question about a different first: Do you know the first moment the followers of Jesus realized that Jesus was truly back from the dead? Looking at Luke's account of the event (which he investigated thoroughly!): It wasn't when the women visited the tomb, though they believed Jesus was alive and told the other disciples. It wasn't when Peter went back to the tomb and discovered Jesus' burial clothes on the ground. It wasn't even when Jesus walked on the road with a few of the disciples (because He hid Himself from them).
According to Luke, the first moment they realized Jesus was really back was over a piece of bread. Here's the story.
No Expectations and No Christians
Luke 24:1-3 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
As Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and a few others approached the tomb, they had only one expectation: to find a dead Jesus who had been hastily embalmed. Earlier on, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had performed embalming according to Jewish burial customs but may not have had time to do it properly. It's the reason the women brought thee spices and perfume to Jesus' tomb, to correct, I mean complete, the embalming process that the men began. They hadn't brought Jesus a new tunic and some fresh sandals to change into after a few nights with death. They were there to pay their respects, not to see a resurrected Christ. So it was probably a little surprising that they found no body, the stone rolled away, and two shimmering beings standing beside them telling them Jesus was alive and well.
They were probably excited, confused, surprised, and intent on telling the rest as they quickly told what they had found to the 11 remaining disciples. They took it well: Finally! What took Him so long anyways? We planned this whole resurrection party in His honor, but we were beginning to get worried after a few days. Unfortunately, most people went home already, the food is gone or stale, and kids carried off all the balloons. It's ok though, let's tell everybody He's back!
Yeah - this is not how it happened, unfortunately. Instead, what happened was:
Luke 24:11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
It's hard to blame the guys. They all saw the horrible effects of the torture Jesus went through. A few of them were there for crucifixion and saw Him take His last breath. They knew that two men had carried Jesus off and buried Him. What was there to get excited about? To believe? Who would they be followers of now? Where could they place their hope?
At this point, there really were no Christians yet.
"We Had Hoped"
Luke 24:13-16 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
One of the first things Jesus does when He comes back to life is to check on His followers. But He did it incognito style, with a little Jesus reconnaissance. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" Cleopas had been there when Jesus was crucified. He witnessed the horror of Roman punishment and the finality of Jesus' death, or so he thought. He didn't have to rely on stories or second-hand information; Cleopas was convinced without a doubt that Jesus was dead. And because Jesus was such a high-profile person in the Jewish community, news of His death spread quickly, which is what confused Cleopas about this stranger's ignorance of the events over the past three days. It's like Cleopas and his companion were saying:
"What are you, new?"
"Have you checked your email?"
"Have you not seen what's all over social media?"
But they obliged the stranger and said: "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him";
…but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. They had hoped, past-tense. When Jesus died, their faith and their hope died too. They were defeated, walking as prisoners of war back home from a battle they had lost dramatically. Their leader was killed, and their forces were scattered. It was an utter defeat.
The Last Meal and the First Moment
Luke 24:28-29 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
And now we come to the surprising first moment that they realize that Jesus is really back: When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. This is the moment! This is when they finally see Him for who He really is, the Messiah, who did this very thing with the disciples just days before.
It seems a bit anti-climactic that a piece of bread is what reveals Jesus to them, but it's quite the opposite. The moment that Jesus was revealed is connected to the moment Jesus asked His followers to remember Him at the Last Supper (You can check out my other article on the Last Meal here.) No one else but Jesus had the audacity to superimpose another meaning over the Passover meal that the Jewish community had been celebrating for almost 5,000 years at this point.
And yet when Jesus ate His last meal with His disciples, He didn't celebrate it as the Old Covenant, but instead as the New one. The Passover bread would take on a new meaning — to celebrate and remember the Christ who had been broken from them. Then when He ate His first meal with a few of His followers, they made the connection:
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Starved from Death
As if this wasn't enough, food would play a central role again. The story of Jesus' empty tomb, the amazing account of two of Jesus' followers, and the breaking of bread weren't enough for all of the disciples because just a few moments later:
"While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 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." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them."
How do you prove that you're not a ghost? How do you convince a frightened bunch of followers that they aren't hallucinating or experiencing a strange message from the spiritual beyond? Jesus wanted them to understand that He didn't just come back in spirit, but in the flesh, so He asked them a question that would settle everything: "Do you have anything here to eat?"
Food will once again play a central role in revealing who Jesus is. He could have proved to them in any way He wanted to, and yet He chose to prove He was alive by eating. It's like Jesus was saying: "I'm starving to death."
Actually, that's not quite right. To be more correct, He might have said: "I'm starving from death."
So they gave Jesus a piece of fish which He ate, and then He reminded them one more time of His mission:
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
Food plays a surprisingly major role in the death and resurrection of Christ. The act of eating a meal helped common, everyday people receive and realize something was not so common and didn't happen every day — that a dead man came back to life and gave hope to a world hungry for it.
With Easter just around the corner, I hope that this story helps you realize, maybe for the first time, just how powerful the story of Easter is. If you haven't given your life to Christ or haven't been baptized, here's my encouragement to you: Today can be the first moment in your real life because Jesus really did rise from the dead, and He really does want a relationship with you. If you have, I hope you take this story with you as you sit down to have a meal sometime during Easter. I hope there's an "aha!" moment when you reach for a piece of bread that He is risen; He is risen indeed!
Kile Baker is a former Atheist who didn’t plan on becoming a Christian, let alone a Pastor, who now writes to try and make Christianity simple. Kile recently wrote a study guide to help people “look forward to and long for Heaven.” You can get one on Amazon here. He also writes at www.paperbacktheologian.com. Kile is the grateful husband to the incredibly talented Rachel, Dad to the energetic London and feisty Emma and Co-Lead Pastor at LifePoint Church in Northern Nevada. He single handedly keeps local coffee shops in business.