And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss here is the subtle but profound reason for the disciples' disbelief: it wasn't a simple rejection, but a wrestling with a reality so astonishing it defied their immediate comprehension. Their hesitation reveals that Jesus' resurrection wasn't just a return to life, but an entry into an entirely new, "unprecedented" mode of existence that stretched their understanding to its limits.
And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the women reported Jesus' resurrection, two disciples en route to Emmaus encountered the risen Christ and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the rest. However, when they shared their incredible news, the remaining disciples, still reeling from the crucifixion and perhaps still in shock, struggled to accept it. Their disbelief highlights the profound and unprecedented nature of the resurrection event, which challenged their understanding of life and death.
When the disciples rushed back from Emmaus with incredible news, they weren't met with open arms. Instead, they faced a wall of doubt.
The journey to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) was a profound experience for the two disciples. They encountered the risen Jesus, had their hearts set ablaze by His Word, and recognized Him in the breaking of bread. Yet, when they returned to Jerusalem, their fellow disciples – the 'residue' or the remaining apostles – did not believe their report.
This 'residue' included those who had already heard from Mary Magdalene and the others who saw the Lord. Their disbelief wasn't a complete absence of faith, but a deep-seated struggle to accept the unprecedented reality of the resurrection. This repeated pattern highlights how astonishing and seemingly impossible the resurrection was, even to those closest to Jesus.
The disciples' initial disbelief might seem like a failure, but Scripture suggests it served a divine purpose.
The hesitation and doubt of the apostles weren't just personal failings; they were permitted by God for a greater good.
As some commentators suggest, this allowed for a more robust faith to be built. When Jesus finally appeared to the eleven, He addressed their unbelief directly, upbraiding them for their 'unbelief and hardness of heart.' This encounter solidified their faith in a way that would have been less profound if they had immediately accepted the report.
Their later certainty and boldness in preaching the gospel, even in the face of persecution, stemmed from a faith tested and confirmed by seeing and touching the risen Lord, and by overcoming their own initial skepticism. This providential doubt ultimately strengthened their testimony.
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The disciples' persistent disbelief, even after hearing multiple testimonies and seeing evidence, highlights the radical, unprecedented nature of the resurrection. It wasn't an easy truth to accept, showing that profound faith often battles with doubt.
c. AD 30, Easter Sunday morning
Women find the empty tomb
Several women, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, visit Jesus' tomb early on Sunday morning after the Sabbath. They discover the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. An angel or young man tells them Jesus has risen and is going to Galilee.
c. AD 30, Easter Sunday morning
Mary Magdalene tells disciples
Mary Magdalene, deeply distressed, rushes to tell the disciples that Jesus' body is gone and she has seen the Lord. The disciples, mourning and weeping, disbelieve her report.
c. AD 30, Easter Sunday afternoon
Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus
Two disciples, unaware, walk to the village of Emmaus. Jesus joins them, explains the Scriptures concerning Himself, and is revealed to them in the breaking of bread before vanishing. They immediately return to Jerusalem.
c. AD 30, Easter Sunday afternoon/evening— this verse
Emmaus disciples report to the eleven
The two disciples from Emmaus arrive in Jerusalem and tell the remaining eleven apostles and others what happened. They report Jesus' appearance and how they recognized Him. However, the eleven, still struggling with disbelief, do not fully believe their report.
c. AD 30, Easter Sunday evening
Jesus appears to the eleven
Jesus suddenly appears to the eleven apostles (with the two from Emmaus now present) while they are gathered. He rebukes their unbelief and hardness of heart, showing them His hands and feet to prove His physical resurrection.
This passage shows the disciples' initial disbelief even when hearing from Mary Magdalene, mirroring the disbelief faced by the two disciples from the road to Emmaus.
Luke 24:33-43This account describes the resurrected Jesus appearing to the eleven, who are initially terrified and think they are seeing a ghost, highlighting their struggle to believe the reality of the resurrection despite prior witness accounts.
John 20:24-29This passage focuses on Thomas's doubt and Jesus's gentle approach to satisfy his need for physical proof, illustrating the deep-seated unbelief that even direct appearances couldn't immediately dispel for everyone.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8Paul lists the appearances of Jesus to various individuals and groups after His resurrection, emphasizing the widespread witnessing and the significant fact that Jesus appeared to over 500 brothers at once, underscoring the importance of this event that was initially met with skepticism.
barnesMark 16:13: "And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them."
The residue - The remainder. Those who remained at Jerusalem.
cambridgeMark 16:13: "And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them."
13 . they went and told it unto the residue ] No sooner did they recognise our Lord in the breaking of the bread ( Luke 24:35 ), and He had vanished out of their sight ( Luke 24:31 ), than they returned in haste to Jerusalem, ascended to the Upper Room, found ten of the Apostles met together ( Luke 24:33 ), and whereas they thought they alone were the bearers of joyful tidings, they were themselves greeted wit…
What's easy to miss here is the subtle but profound reason for the disciples' disbelief: it wasn't a simple rejection, but a wrestling with a reality so astonishing it defied their immediate comprehension. Their hesitation reveals that Jesus' resurrection wasn't just a return to life, but an entry into an entirely new, "unprecedented" mode of existence that stretched their understanding to its limits.
After the women reported Jesus' resurrection, two disciples en route to Emmaus encountered the risen Christ and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the rest. However, when they shared their incredible news, the remaining disciples, still reeling from the crucifixion and perhaps still in shock, struggled to accept it. Their disbelief highlights the profound and unprecedented nature of the resurrection event, which challenged their understanding of life and death.
After the women reported Jesus' resurrection, two disciples en route to Emmaus encountered the risen Christ and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the rest. However, when they shared their incredible news, the remaining disciples, still reeling from the crucifixion and perhaps still in shock, struggled to accept it. Their disbelief highlights the profound and unprecedented nature of the resurrection event, which challenged their understanding of life and death.
"And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them." — What's easy to miss here is the subtle but profound reason for the disciples' disbelief: it wasn't a simple rejection, but a wrestling with a reality so astonishing it defied their immediate comprehe…
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Last reviewed October 2026