Two pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem meet a traveler, whom the invite to dinner. When their unknown guest blesses the bread on the table, they recognize that he is Christ resurrected. This story is taken from the Gospel of Luke (24, 13-55).

The painter sets the scene in a space that is open to an architectural landscape, with a fortress and a Baroque building out of which a figure is leaning. These buildings, along with the warm light employed, give the work a certain Italianate air.

The expressions of the pilgrims reveal Rubens' mastery of expressivity in his most mature period. At the side, the grotesque innkeeper contemplates the scene, unaware of its religious import.

This work was acquired for Felipe IV at the auction of Ruben's belongings in 1640.