Matthew 28: The Astonishing Love of Galilee - A Testament of Faith from the Editor of Matthew

Matthew 28: The Astonishing Love of Galilee - A Testament of Faith from the Editor of Matthew

7 "Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

10 Jesus said to the women, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The disciples were disillusioned with Jerusalem. They longed for Galilee. They remembered the place where Jesus first called them—a memory they cherished. They wanted to return to Galilee to see the resurrected Jesus, to bring their journey full circle, back to their first encounter. They wished to bury the unpleasant emotions and events that had occurred between the two meetings—jealousy, betrayal, denial, flight. Jesus mentioned Galilee twice, once through an angel and another time He Himself. It indicated how deeply He cared. The moment the disciples heard from the women that Jesus had asked them to go to Galilee, they rose up as if anew and went. Even if they pondered upon reaching, they did not hesitate. In Galilee, they received a promise of hope, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." There, they encountered Jesus, who covered all denial, flight, and betrayal. They embraced their mission based on the hope given by Jesus. They vowed to spread and pass on their experience and confession of Jesus. The editor asks the reader in return, "Where is your Galilee?"