Ever since the Easter service this morning, I’ve been thinking about the pastor’s sermon.  We walked with two of Jesus’ disciples on their 7 mile journey to Emmaus, seeing their sadness and hearing their disappointment about the crucifixion. Having listened to (and watched) Jesus teach, they knew what he looked like. Yet when he walked next to them and even conversed with them, they had no inkling it was him.

We also read that Mary didn’t recognize him, either, mistaking him for someone else. She questioned him about the empty tomb, probably focusing on his face to get the answer. It’s astounding she didn’t recognize her very good friend.

Then there’s the puzzling incident when Jesus suddenly appeared among his 11 remaining disciples inside a home. This time it wasn’t just a matter of not recognizing him. They were also terrified, thinking he was a ghost. He had to play show ‘n tell with them to convince them it was really him. When they still weren’t sure, he proved he wasn’t a ghost by eating some fish.

As we shadow the risen Jesus from the time he left the tomb until he ascended to heaven, these curious responses of non-recognition seem to be the norm. The only logical conclusion is to assume he didn’t look “like himself.” We know he had a glorified body but don’t know exactly what that means. We do know he was able to walk through walls and transport himself quickly from one geographical place to another.

We also know his countless severe wounds from lashings, a crown of thorns, nails and an abdominal stabbing had completely healed in less than three days. But what was it that made recognition happen? When did they “get it?”

The two men in Emmaus identified Jesus at the dinner table. It was his way of saying grace and breaking bread that caused them to realize, “It’s him!” For Mary it was his voice. And for the 11, it was becoming convinced he wasn’t a ghost.

In other words, his glorified self was more about who he was than what he looked like.

In this world we often act as if appearances are what count. The risen Jesus taught us, however, that the most important thing is what’s inside.

And that goes for all eternity.

“Our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)