S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The Bible does not specifically tell us why the followers of Christ did not always recognize Jesus after His resurrection. As a result, some of the following is speculation. Keeping this in mind, t...

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July 01 2013 • 5 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire Supporter

I agree with Michael and additionally, I do not believe we can comprehend or imagine the brutalities our Lord experienced. Isaiah 52 14 states: "As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:"

He was so beaten, bruised, battered, ripped, torn and disfigured his appearance was appalling and horrifying to look upon. His visage (appearance) was so damaged that he did not even look human!
Our precious Lord, God and Savior's body was literally reduced to human hamburger.

I'm sure those who saw him in this condition could not imagine that the one later standing before them was the resurrected and glorified Christ.

March 23 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Billy P Eldred Supporter

Why did the disciples not recognise Jesus after his resurection? After all, some were face to face with Him. Beaten or not, surely they would recognize Him. I dont believe it was his appearance that kept them from recognizing Him. The story of the road to Emmaus tells us why.

In the story of the Road to Emmaus, after the Resurection, in LUKE 24, we are told in Verses 15-16 "And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him." Later in verses 30-31 we read: "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 there eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Clearly this was a supernatural event, not just a disfigured face. The question remains: Why? To me this is to emphasize this was to emphasize that Jesus, while He came as a man, was also God and had the power to reveal himself to whom He wished for His purpose. In this case, the purpose was to get his followers and disciples past the crucifixion and prove he was alive; so they would stop grieving and get on with the work he had prepared them for.

October 06 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Luke 24:16 says that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were "kept from recognizing Him." This suggests that God supernaturally prevented them from realizing who He was, possibly to allow them to hear and understand the Scriptures before seeing Him clearly (Luke 24:27, 31).

Jesus’ resurrection body was different from His pre-crucifixion body. While He was still physical—able to eat (Luke 24:42-43) and be touched (John 20:27)—it also had new properties. He could appear and disappear (Luke 24:31) and pass through locked doors (John 20:19). This transformation may have contributed to their difficulty in recognizing Him.

The disciples were not expecting to see Jesus alive. Their minds were still fixed on His death, and the idea of His resurrection was not fully grasped yet. This could have created a psychological barrier to recognizing Him.

The trauma of the crucifixion, grief, and doubt may have clouded their perception. Mary Magdalene, for example, was overwhelmed with sorrow and thought Jesus was the gardener until He spoke her name (John 20:14-16).

In some cases, Jesus revealed Himself progressively, as seen on the road to Emmaus. He first explained the Scriptures to them, then allowed them to recognize Him when He broke bread (Luke 24:30-31). This could have been intentional, showing that true recognition of Jesus comes through faith and the Word, not just physical sight.

Ultimately, these moments emphasize the need for spiritual discernment. Seeing Jesus physically wasn't enough—His followers needed their eyes opened spiritually to truly know Him.

1 day ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

WESLEY BARNARD Supporter

I believe the reason the disciples of Jesus did not recognize him after his resurrection from the dead is because he manifested a different physical appearance.

In addition, the word ‘see’ in the Greek has two meanings – to see physically with ones eyes or to see or understand, mentally with the mind.

For example, at John 16:16, Jesus states: A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

In the first instance, the word ‘see’ in Greek means ‘to be a spectator, look at, behold, to perceive with the eyes’ according to Strong’s Concordance. However, in the second instance, the word ‘see’ in Greek means ‘to see with the mind, to perceive, know: absolutely’ according to that same Concordance. 

Thus, when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he manifested himself physically in a new body, unlike his original. This helps us understand why he spent time teaching and instructing them while in their presence, removing all doubt about his resurrection. 

In the case of ‘doubting’ Thomas, he manifested the wounds in his hands and side to convince Thomas that he was the risen Messiah. Why didn’t Thomas take issue with his new physical appearance? Likely because he recognized the old body would have to be disposed of by the Father. 

Then, there is the case of the brothers walking on the road to Emmaus, who did not recognize him until he broke bread and said a prayer. Jesus always taught ‘my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.’ (John 10:27) 

From a personal perspective, allow me to share this: When I was a youth, I had very poor eye sight and needed glasses, but because of our situation, we could not afford them. However, I could identify people very accurately by using other senses – their voice, their body language, their stride when walking, etc. 

Perhaps, these qualities of Jesus – his voice, his word choices, his body language – enabled his disciple to discern who he was.

3 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report