Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 24:36

"And as they spake these things, he himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you." — Luke 24:36 (ASV)

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them.—The account agrees with that in John 20:19, who adds the fact that the doors of the room had been closed for fear of the Jews. The mode of appearance in both Gospels suggests the idea, as in Luke 24:31, of new conditions of existence, exempt from the physical limitations of the natural body, and shadowing forth the spiritual body of 1 Corinthians 15:44. It may be noted, however, that there had been time for the journey from Emmaus without assuming more than the ordinary modes of motion.

Peace be unto you.—These words do not appear elsewhere as addressed by our Lord to His disciples. However, as we find in Matthew 10:12 and Luke 10:5, they were identical with the customary salutation of the Jews. Therefore, we may fairly assume that in this instance also, the familiar words, like the familiar act before, were meant to help the disciples recognize His presence. St. John records (John 20:19) the same salutation at the same interview.