Do Mark and Luke conflict in their reports about the disciples on the road to Emmaus?
Luke records the appearance of Jesus on the road to Emmaus seven miles away from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13-36). The two men in his account return to Jerusalem only to discover the people present already believe in the Resurrection. The people are saying, “It is true! The Lord is risen and has appeared to Simon” (Luke 24:34). At that point the two men who had just returned tell of their own experience with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The critics, however, claim Luke contradicts Mark who says, “And they [the men on the road to Emmaus] went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either” (Mark 16:12-13).1 Which account is correct? Did the disciples believe in the Resurrection or not believe it? First, we need to understand that the persons exclaiming, “The Lord has risen and has appeared to Peter” were not the apostles themselves. They were the “others who were with them” who came to inform the apostles that Christ was resurrected (Luke 24:33). These other
