New Testament in a Year

³⁶ And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them, and greeted them. ³⁷ But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

³⁸ “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why do you doubt that it is really I? ³⁹ Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I, myself! Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost! For ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do!” ⁴⁰ As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see the marks of the nails,^[a] and showed them the wounds in his feet.

⁴¹ Still they stood there undecided, filled with joy and doubt.

Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he ate it as they watched!

⁴⁴ Then he said, “When I was with you before, don’t you remember my telling you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true?” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand at last these many Scriptures! ⁴⁶ And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day; ⁴⁷ and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me. ⁴⁸ You have seen these prophecies come true.

⁴⁹ “And now I will send the Holy Spirit^[b] upon you, just as my Father promised. Don’t begin telling others yet—stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

⁵⁰ Then Jesus led them out along the road to Bethany,^[c] and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them, ⁵¹ and then began rising into the sky, and went on to heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem filled with mighty joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the Temple, praising God.