After meeting the risen Christ at Emmaus, the two disciples rushed back to share the news with the others. As they were speaking, Jesus himself appeared. Luke reported in detail that he was no ghost, but physically alive. Jesus again explained the Scriptures to the disciples, and commissioned them to share his message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. “You are witnesses,” he said, promising that God’s power would help them spread his message.

• Jesus conquered death, robbing evil of its greatest power. As Pastor Hamilton says every Easter, the resurrection means that “the worst thing is never the last thing.” That is good news—celebrate and praise God! But Jesus’ words in verse 48 apply to you today as much as they did to his first disciples. Jesus called you to share that hope with others. In what ways can you be a “witness” and share the hope of the resurrection this week? Next week? Throughout the next year?
• Jesus’ summary of his message in verse 47 was “the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations.” In what ways does believing that Christ rose from the dead change your heart and life? How does the resurrection make credible for you Jesus’ claim to have the divine authority to forgive your sins?