Peace
94. Three95. Report
96. Road to Emmaus
97. A Room
98. Galilee
99. Fishing
100. Home
The Sabbath’s over but it’s still dark. Mary Magdalene, James’ mother Mary, and Salome prepare spices to take to the grave. During the night each had dreamt: a great trembling; the Lord’s angel—face like lightning, raiment brilliant as snow—rolling back a stone; guards looking like dead men; the angel saying to women, “Don’t fear: I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. Why look for the living among the dead? He is risen—he is not here. Remember what he said in Galilee: Adam’s son must be put in the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day rise. Come, see where the Lord lay, then go quickly and tell his followers that he has risen from death, and look: he is going into Galilee. You’ll see him there: I have told you.”
Walking to the tomb as the sun rises, they ask each other, “How will we roll the stone away?” At the grave they see that the stone has been rolled away and that the body is gone. The women, wild with fright, run to tell Peter and John.
Peter and John run to the tomb. John reaches it first; stopping at the the entrance and looking in, he sees the linen graveclothes but no body. Peter comes up, sees the linen, and enters the tomb. The cloth that covered Jesus’ face is not with the linen but is rolled up in a place by itself. Peter and John return to the city. Mary Magdalene remains outside the grave, crying. Looking into the grave, she sees two angels in white sitting where the body was, one at the head, the other at the feet.
ANGELS. Woman, why are you crying?
MARY MAGDALENE. Because they’ve taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they’ve put him.
She sees a man standing behind her. She takes him for the gardener.
THE MAN. Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?
MARY MAGDALENE. Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you put him: I will take him with me.
JESUS. Mary.
MARY MAGDALENE. Rabboni—Teacher.
JESUS. Don’t cling to me: I have not yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them I am going to my Father and their Father: to my God and their God.
She runs and tells the others, “I’ve seen the Lord,” but they don’t believe her.
The soldiers who guarded the tomb report that the body’s no longer in the grave. The council gives them money to say: “While we were sleeping at night his sympathizers broke in and stole his body.”
Afternoon. Two followers of Jesus, Simon and Cleopas, are on their way to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They are talking about Jesus’ death and the disappearance of his body. While they’re thus abstracted in discussion Jesus himself draws near and walks with them. But they don’t recognize him.
JESUS. What are you talking about that make you so sad?
CLEOPAS. Are you alone in not knowing what’s happened in the past few days?
JESUS. What has happened?
SIMON. Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet great in word and in action before God and his people, came to Jerusalem. He was condemned to death by our rulers and chief priests and was crucified. We were hoping that he was the one who would set Israel free. He was killed two days ago; this is the third day. This morning some women who also believed shocked us. They went to the grave very early and the body was gone. They came back saying they saw angels who told them Jesus was alive, but when some men went they saw on empty tomb and they didn’t see Jesus.
JESUS. Haven’t you the brain and heart to believe that what the prophets said was actually true, that the Messiah had to suffer to be glorified?
He explains passages in the scriptures that tell about him. As they reach Emmaus he makes to walk further, but the two beg him to stop with them.
CLEOPAS. Stay with us. It’s almost evening—the sun’s going down.
So he stays with them. When they come to the table, he takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Their eyes open and they see him: then he vanishes.
SIMON. Didn’t our hearts burn as he talked to us along the road and explained the scriptures?
They hurry back to Jerusalem.
The apostles have locked the door in fear.
CLEOPAS. The Lord has risen: Simon and I saw him.
They describe what happened on their way to Emmaus and how Jesus revealed himself to them when he broke the bread. While they’re still talking, Jesus comes into the room.
JESUS. Peace.
His followers think they’re seeing a ghost.
JESUS. Why are you afraid? Who do you think I am? Look: my hands and my feet. Skin and bones are unheard of in a ghost.
They’re now too happy to believe.
JESUS. May I eat?
They give him a piece of broiled fish: he takes it and eats it.
JESUS. All that I spoke to you about is done: everything written about me in Moses, in the prophets, and in the psalms has been made true.
He explains the scriptures to them.
JESUS. And now you see it was good that the Messiah should suffer and should rise from the dead on the third day. Beginning with Israel, preach in my name to all the nations. Teach them new life and forgiveness of sins. You are witnesses of what I say: as the Father sent me, I send you. I say again: Peace. Whose sins you forgive will be forgiven: whose sins you don’t forgive won’t be forgiven.
One of the eleven, Thomas, known as the Twin, was not with the others when Jesus came. When the others tell him, “We’ve seen the Lord,” he says, “Unless I see the nail wounds in his wrists and put my finger in the wounds and my hand in his side, I won’t believe.” The next week, the apostles are again in the house and Thomas is among them. The door’s locked, but Jesus appears in front of them.
JESUS. Peace.
He looks at Thomas.
JESUS. Here are my wrists: put your finger here. Give me your hand and put it in my side: don’t be faithless, but believe.
THOMAS. My Lord and my God.
JESUS. Thomas, because you see you believe: it is better to not see and yet believe.
He tells them to go to a hill in Galilee, where they’ll see him again.
They go there and meet him. Even now some of them can’t comprehend what has happened.
JESUS. Receive the Holy Spirit. All vindication in heaven and earth comes from me and ends in me. Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach the nations what I commanded you. Look: I am with you to the end of time.
Another evening. Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, and Zebedee’s sons are near the Sea of Galilee.
PETER. I’m going fishing.
THE OTHERS. We’ll go with you.
They get into a boat and fish all night, but catch nothing. At daybreak, while they’re still about a hundred yards out, a stranger on the shore calls to them.
THE STRANGER. Boys—any fish?
THE APOSTLES. No.
THE STRANGER. Throw your net out on the right and you’ll find some.
They throw their net into the sea and quickly discover they can’t pull it back because it’s full of fish.
JOHN. It’s the Lord!
Hearing what John said, Peter throws off his clothes, jumps into the water, and swims toward shore. The others follow in the boat, dragging a net full of fish after them. Landing, they see a charcoal fire with fish and bread lying on it.
JESUS. We need more fish.
Peter and the others drag the net to shore. Although they count a hundred and fifty-three large fish, the net isn’t broken.
JESUS. Come: eat.
He gives them bread and cooks some fish. None of the apostles ask, “Who are you?” for they know he’s their Lord. After they eat:
JESUS. Jonah’s son Simon, do you love me more than the others do?
PETER. Yes, Lord, you know I love you.
JESUS. Feed my lambs.
JESUS. Jonah’s son Simon, do you love me?
PETER. Yes, Lord, you know I love you.
JESUS. Watch my sheep.
JESUS. Jonah’s son Simon, do you love me?
PETER. Lord, you know all things: you know I love you.
JESUS. Feed my sheep.
JESUS. Simon, when you were young you dressed as you liked and walked where you would. When you are old, you will stretch your hands and someone else will dress you and carry you where you will not want to go. But now: walk with me.
Peter gets up but sees that John remains sitting.
PETER. Lord, what about him?
JESUS. If I want him to wait till I return, what is it to you? Walk with me.
Forty days after he rose from the dead. Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with his followers. He lifts his hands and blesses them. As they look, he’s himself lifted up and a cloud takes them out of their sight. Two angels dressed in white stand over them.
ANGELS. Men and women of Galilee, why do you stand here staring at the skies? When the Father wills, this Jesus who was taken up from you to heaven will come in the same way you saw him go. But do not wait here: go and receive the Holy Spirit.
So they go back to Jerusalem, to the house where they are staying: Peter, John, James, and Andrew, Philip, Nathaniel, Thomas, and Matthew, Alphaeus’ son James, James’s son Judas, and Simon the Zealot; they devote themselves to prayer, as do the women who walked with Jesus, his mother Mary, his sisters, and his brothers.