As she said this, she turned around, and saw a man standing at her side. It was Jesus; but she knew him not. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, replied, “Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her (probably then assuming his well-known voice), “Mary!” Instantly she recognized him, and, astonished and overjoyed, could only exclaim, “Master!” Jesus added,—
“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.”
Then probably he disappeared. Mary went into the city, and informed the bewildered and weeping disciples of what she had seen; “and they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, believed not.”
At a later hour of that same day, two of the disciples went to the village of Emmaus, about six or seven miles west from Jerusalem. As they walked along, they were conversingabout the wonderful events which were transpiring. While thus engaged in conversation, Jesus joined them, but in a form which they did not recognize.
“What manner of communications are these,” said he, “that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?”
One of the disciples, whose name was Cleopas, replied, “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”
“What things?” inquired Jesus.
“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth,” was the answer, “which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And, besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and, when they found not his body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not.”
Jesus replied, “O fools,[75] and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
“And, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone farther: but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”[76]