Podcast Summary: The Bible Recap – Day 319 (Luke 24, John 20-21) – Year 7
Host: Tara-Leigh Cobble
Date: November 15, 2025

Overview

In this milestone episode, Tara-Leigh Cobble recaps the breathtaking events after Jesus’s resurrection, as described in Luke 24 and John 20-21. She highlights the emotional journeys of Jesus’s followers—from confusion and skepticism to awe and commissioning—and underscores how these familiar stories pulse with fresh meaning about recognizing Jesus, restoration, and the spreading of the Gospel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Road to Emmaus and Unrecognized Jesus

• Setting: Resurrection Day, afternoon; two followers journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
• Jesus appears: The men fail to recognize him, possibly due to the transformation of his resurrected body or simply divine intervention.
• Jesus’s Questioning: He asks what they’re discussing. They respond with confusion at his supposed ignorance.
  • “Are you kidding me? What is anybody talking about? How have you not heard? They crucified a prophet named Jesus a few days ago and we were pretty devastated...” (02:50)
• Jesus’s Response:
  • He calls them “slow of heart, not slow of mind,” identifying belief as a matter of the heart (03:35).
  • He explains that his suffering and resurrection were always part of the divine plan, unfolding the story of redemption from the Old Testament: “Jesus is all throughout the Old Testament. Of all the conversations in all of scripture, I think this is the one I most want in on.” (04:35)
• Recognition and Vanishing: As Jesus breaks bread with them, “their eyes are opened” (07:00). Instant recognition is quickly followed by Jesus disappearing, which Tara-Leigh finds delightfully characteristic:
  • “Jesus loves surprising people. First Mary, now these guys. But as soon as they recognize him, he vanishes.” (07:10)

2. Jesus Appears to the Disciples

• Setting: Disciples gathered, doors locked out of fear.
• Jesus’s Sudden Appearance:
  • “He opens with, peace be with you. Because that's probably what you have to say when you nearly startle everyone to death.” (08:10)
• Proof and Hospitality: To counter their fears that he’s a ghost, Jesus shows them his wounds and eats fish: “Ghosts don't eat.” (09:00)
• Teaching: Once again, he traces how the Old Testament points to him, making the pieces come together for the disciples:
  • “All the wheel of fortune letters have finally turned over and they can see the answer clearly.” (09:50)

3. Thomas’s Doubt and Belief

• The Absent Disciple: Thomas isn’t present during the first appearance and voices his skeptical stance.
  • “We've called him Doubting Thomas, but Jesus never called him that. First, all of these guys doubted until they saw it...” (10:10)
• Jesus’s Response: Rather than shaming, Jesus meets Thomas’s need for evidence:
  • “Eight days later, he walks through another wall to meet Thomas in his doubts... ‘Hey, I heard you need a little more evidence. Here you go.’” (11:00)
• Blessing for Future Believers:
  • “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (11:30)

4. Back to Galilee: The Miraculous Catch

• Following Instructions: Seven disciples return to Galilee as instructed by the angel post-resurrection (12:10).
• All-night Fishing, No Success: Until dawn, when an unrecognized Jesus calls to them from the shore.
  • “‘Children, do you have any fish?’ Despite all they've been through, they're still just kids, probably 16 or 17 by this time.” (13:10)
• Deja Vu Miracle:
  • The catch of 153 fish mirrors their first encounter in Luke 5—a callback and “inside joke” (14:20).
  • “So as soon as they pull up the net and it's breaking, John puts two and two together that this is Jesus. And he tells Peter, who jumps in the water and swims to shore to meet him. This is one of my favorite scenes in scripture.” (15:10)
• Meaning of 153 Fish: Tara-Leigh shares scholarly thoughts, linking it to the call to be ‘fishers of men’ for all nations (17:10).

5. Peter’s Restoration

• Setting: Breakfast cooked by Jesus over a charcoal fire, echoing Peter’s denial scene.
• Threefold Questioning: Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, paralleling Peter’s three denials.
  • “Do you love me? Yeah, I think you’re awesome. But do you love me? Yeah, I told you, you’re great. So finally, Jesus dials it back and meets Peter where he is. He says, do you like me? And Peter says, yes, I like you. This feels kind of sad to me, but maybe I'm expecting too much from a hormonal teenager, even after all they've been through.” (19:45)
• Reinstatement:
  • “Jesus gives Peter a weighty assignment... Don’t screw it up. Except, of course, it's much more eloquent when Jesus says, feed my sheep.” (21:10)
• Prophecy and Comparison: Jesus hints at Peter’s future death by crucifixion, and admonishes him not to compare his calling to John’s.

6. Ascension and Final Reflections

• Jesus's Ascension: 40 days later, Jesus ascends at Bethany (22:20).
• Personal Reflection (“God Shot”):
  • Tara-Leigh’s favorite moment: the disciples’ hearts “burn within us” as Jesus “opened to us the Scriptures.”
  • “Talking to God and opening the scripture. That's prayer and Bible study. That's what we're doing right here... God is the one who makes his word come alive.” (23:00)
  • “It’s a sad, dry, simple 7 mile walk through the desert. But with him, our hearts burn within us. I pray you feel it and know it and live it. He’s where the joy is.” (23:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On recognizing Jesus in the Old Testament:

  • “He’s all over the place, not just in the New Testament.” (05:15)

• About the Gospel’s reach:

  • “So maybe these 153 fish are an object lesson, a reminder that they’ll be catching people from among every nation, that the Gospel net will pull in fish of every kind.” (17:40)

• On doubt and faith:

  • “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (11:30)

Important Timestamps

• [02:50] Two followers on the road to Emmaus recount the resurrection rumors.
• [04:35] Jesus’s Old Testament walk-through with the travelers.
• [07:00] Jesus is recognized in the breaking of bread—and vanishes.
• [08:10] Jesus’s sudden, peaceful appearance to the disciples.
• [10:10] Thomas’s doubt and Jesus’s gentle response.
• [13:10] Miraculous catch of fish at Galilee; disciples’ youthful ages noted.
• [15:10] Peter jumps into the water when recognizing Jesus.
• [19:45] Jesus’s nuanced restoration of Peter.
• [21:10] Delegating leadership to Peter: “Feed my sheep.”
• [23:00] “God Shot”: The disciples’ burning hearts and experiencing living Scripture.

Tone & Style

Tara-Leigh is informal, empowering, and warmly humorous throughout. She draws out the emotional and spiritual “why” behind each moment, offering practical applications for listeners’ own journeys and encouraging deeper recognition of Jesus in all of scripture.

Final Note

The episode concludes by inviting listeners to join in reading Acts next and stay engaged with the Bible Recap community for encouragement and connection.

He’s where the joy is.