They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This seemingly simple offering of food—a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb—was a profound statement of Jesus' resurrection reality. It wasn't a miraculous, ethereal appearance, but a physical one, demonstrating that He still shared the common, humble meals of His followers, grounding His divinity in everyday life.
They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus, having just appeared to His disciples and calmed their fears, gently proves His resurrection by asking for food. They offer Him a simple meal of broiled fish and honeycomb, showing that He retains His physical body and that their ordinary sustenance is still His. This act further solidifies their belief in His risen state and sets the stage for His subsequent teachings about His mission and their commission.
Imagine the scene: Jesus appears to his stunned followers. In their joy and disbelief, what do they offer him to eat? It wasn't some ethereal, spiritual substance, but a tangible meal.
The resurrected Jesus shares a meal with his disciples, offering a powerful testament to the reality of his physical resurrection.
A Familiar Meal
The disciples offer Jesus a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. This wasn't a specially prepared banquet, but likely their common fare. Fish, given their backgrounds as fishermen, was a staple. Honey was also a common and readily available food source in Palestine.
Proof of the Physical Body
This act of eating was not just for sustenance, as Jesus no longer needed food in the same way. Instead, it was a deliberate act to prove to his disciples that he was not a ghost or an apparition, but truly alive in a physical body. He was demonstrating the tangible reality of his resurrection.
The disciples are overwhelmed, their minds struggling to grasp the miracle before them. Jesus doesn't just tell them he's alive; he takes a remarkable step to prove it.
Jesus' act of eating the fish and honeycomb served as a profound confirmation of his resurrection, addressing the disciples' lingering doubts.
A Visible Demonstration
Luke notes that Jesus 'took it and ate before them' (Luke 24:43). This wasn't a private act; it was public, in front of all the disciples. The consumption of food by a resurrected body was meant to silence any lingering questions about whether they were seeing a spirit. It was a concrete, sensory experience designed to anchor their faith in a visible reality.
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Addressing Disbelief
Even after seeing him, the disciples 'disbelieved for joy and wondered' (Luke 24:41). Their joy was so immense that it paradoxically hindered their ability to fully accept the reality. Jesus' willingness to partake in their simple meal was a tender, yet powerful, way to meet their hesitant faith, showing that his resurrected state was real and not a product of their ecstatic imagination.
The disciples' offering of broiled fish and honeycomb highlights the simple, common fare of their daily lives, even in the extraordinary moments following Jesus' resurrection. It underscores Jesus' genuine humanity and His willingness to share in their ordinary experiences as He proved His resurrected state.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Resurrection and Appearances
Following His crucifixion and burial, Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day. He appeared to His disciples and others over a period of forty days, offering proof of His resurrection and giving final instructions.
c. 30 AD
Ascension of Jesus
After His appearances, Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, commissioning His disciples to spread the Gospel to all nations.
c. 30 AD
Descent of the Holy Spirit
Ten days after Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in Jerusalem, empowering them to fulfill Jesus' commission.
c. 30-33 AD
Early Ministry of the Apostles
Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the apostles began preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem and surrounding areas, performing miracles and establishing the early Church.
This passage also highlights Jesus eating fish with his disciples after his resurrection, emphasizing the reality of his resurrected body and their shared meal.
Matthew 14:17This miracle of feeding the five thousand, where disciples offered five loaves and two fish, shows the disciples' common fare included fish, much like what Jesus was offered in Luke 24.
1 Samuel 14:27This verse mentions Jonathan eating honey found in the woods, illustrating honey as a common and accessible food source in biblical times, similar to how it's presented in Luke 24.
Exodus 3:8The description of the promised land as 'flowing with milk and honey' points to the staple nature of honey as sustenance in the ancient Near East, a context relevant to the disciples' offering.
vincentLuke 24:42: "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb."
BroiledOnly here in New Testament.Of an honey-combThe best texts omit.
barnesLuke 24:42: "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb."
Honey-comb - Honey abounded in Palestine, and was a very common article of food. Bees lived in caves of the rocks, in the hollows of trees, and were also kept as with us. The disciples gave, probably, just what was their own common fare, and what was ready at the time.
This seemingly simple offering of food—a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb—was a profound statement of Jesus' resurrection reality. It wasn't a miraculous, ethereal appearance, but a physical one, demonstrating that He still shared the common, humble meals of His followers, grounding His divinity in everyday life.
Jesus, having just appeared to His disciples and calmed their fears, gently proves His resurrection by asking for food. They offer Him a simple meal of broiled fish and honeycomb, showing that He retains His physical body and that their ordinary sustenance is still His. This act further solidifies their belief in His risen state and sets the stage for His subsequent teachings about His mission and their commission.
Jesus, having just appeared to His disciples and calmed their fears, gently proves His resurrection by asking for food. They offer Him a simple meal of broiled fish and honeycomb, showing that He retains His physical body and that their ordinary sustenance is still His. This act further solidifies their belief in His risen state and sets the stage for His subsequent teachings about His mission and their commission.
"They gave him a piece of broiled fish," — This seemingly simple offering of food—a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb—was a profound statement of Jesus' resurrection reality. It wasn't a miraculous, ethereal appearance, but a physical one,…
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Last reviewed October 2026