The first Easter Sunday started with sadness for those who loved Jesus.  The empty tomb brought anxiety, and reports of Jesus being alive were disbelieved (John 20:1-10).  But by that evening it was all different.  The two disciples who lived in Emmaus rushed back through the darkness to tell the Eleven (Judas Iscariot, one of the original twelve Apostles was dead) that they had seen Jesus (Luke 24:30-32).  By that time Simon Peter had encountered the Lord, and so had Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas (Matthew 28:1-10).  At least five people had met the risen Christ, and the others believed them.
 
The truth mattered to them.  The disciples were not interested in illusions.  Their early morning assumption was that Jesus was dead (Luke 24:19-21); any other conclusion would have to be demonstrated beyond all doubt.  And it was not just a single piece of evidence which convinced them.  All sorts of information came together to convince them that Jesus was alive.   The cloth strips which wrapped the dead Jesus were still in place although His body had gone from inside them (John 20:3-7).  The angels reminded them of Jesus' predictions of His resurrection (Luke 24:1-8).  When Jesus talked to the couple from Emmaus, all these facts came together when they understood the significance of words from the Old Testament, which they would have been taught as children and heard in the synagogues.  

Finally, they recognised Him when He took the role of host in their house and broke the bread (Luke 24:30).  How did they know it was Him?  Was it His voice or His uncovered head as He prayed?  Was it the nail marks in His hands? (John 20:26-27)  The Bible does not say.  But it says that they knew, without any doubt, that He was Jesus and that He was alive.  Nothing less would have propelled them on a seven-mile journey to Jerusalem in the dark, to share their joy.
 
There is no formula for recognising who Jesus is.  He makes Himself known.  Looking back, most Christians see how He has used a wide variety of circumstances and people to draw their attention to Him, inform them about Him and enable them to recognise His call on their lives.  But three threads are common to all: Biblical information about His identity and saving work, the Holy Spirit's call to repent and trust in Jesus, and a personal repentant response with the Spirit’s seal of certainty that they belong to God.  That mutual knowing, which is the essence of all true relationships, is also the mark of true faith in Jesus.  Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me ..." (John 10:14).  If you know Him, treasure Him and grow in the relationship.  If you do not know Him, click on www.crosscheck.org.uk to get the Biblical information and ask Him to help you to recognise Him.  When you do, you will want to share the joy of knowing Jesus.