The disciples had seen something like that before—breaking bread. They looked up quickly.
Why! This man was not a stranger at all. It was Jesus. They knew him as they looked into his face. And as they looked, he vanished out of their sight, and they were alone again.
They said to each other,
"Didn't you have a strange feeling, as he talked to us along the road and explained the Scriptures?"
Although it was now night, they returned to Jerusalem at once. They found the other disciples and told their story.
"The Lord is indeed alive!" they said. "We knew him the moment he broke the bread!"
While they were speaking, Jesus was suddenly among them once again. Jesus said,
"Peace be with you."
They were frightened then, but Jesus spoke again.
"Do not be afraid," he said. "I am not a spirit."