But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
After His resurrection He would go ahead of His disciples into Galilee and meet them there. He gave this promise together with the warning that they would all stumble, scatter and abandon Him that night when He was taken, including Peter's denial, as part of His plain teaching that He must suffer, be killed and rise the third day. It was meant to comfort them and hold their trust firm after their failure, assuring them that His death would not be the end and would not prevent their reunion. Spoken beforehand, it assured them of His unfailing love, His victory over the tomb, and His forgiveness, so their faith would not die when He died but would have light in the darkness. On resurrection morning the angel repeated the direction to meet Him in Galilee, and after the Passover the disciples went there and with about five hundred believers saw Him on the appointed mountain.
Promise and Context
After rising from death, Jesus would go ahead of the disciples into Galilee and meet them there. His death would not be the end and would not prevent reunion, for He would rise from the tomb and meet them again after the resurrection. This promise was spoken in the upper chamber before His death.
It was spoken on the way to the Mount of Olives, with compassion at a moment when He could not save the disciples from the coming trial but would not leave them comfortless. He assured them He would break the fetters of the tomb by rising again, that His love for them would not fail, and that He would go before them into Galilee.
He spoke it together with the warning that they would be offended and scattered and forsake Him that night when the Shepherd was struck, including Peter's denial. It belonged to repeated plain instruction that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised the third day.
Resurrection Meeting in Galilee
On the morning of the resurrection the same direction to go to Galilee was repeated by the angel at the tomb, who sent the women to tell the disciples and Peter that they would see Jesus there as He had promised, and the message was passed on to the believers in Jerusalem. The meeting was delayed because the disciples remained in Jerusalem through Passover week, since to leave then would have been interpreted as disaffection and heresy. They gathered in the evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived, where Jesus met them twice and told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time. As soon as the Passover ended they obeyed the direction and left Jerusalem for Galilee.
Seven of them went together in the humble clothing of fishermen, poor in worldly goods but rich in the knowledge and practice of the truth. They had not been trained in the schools of the prophets, but for three years they had been taught by Christ Himself, and were therefore elevated, intelligent and refined. In heaven they were ranked as the highest teachers, fit mediums to lead souls to a knowledge of the truth.
Jesus Himself had set the time and place for the meeting on a mountain chosen because it was spacious enough for a large company. He appointed it to gather believers together so He could reveal Himself to them and remove their doubts. The meeting was of the utmost importance because the church would soon have to carry on the work without His personal presence, and He planned to appear to all the brethren assembled so that all doubt and unbelief would be swept away. About five hundred believers gathered at the appointed place and saw the risen Jesus.
Comfort Faith and Warning
The promise was given to comfort the disciples and strengthen their trust after they scattered and abandoned Him that night, to keep them from fear and to sustain their hope by assuring them that His death would not be the end and would not prevent their reunion. Though the Shepherd would be struck and they would be offended and forsake Him, He would rise from the dead and go ahead of them into Galilee to meet them and gather them again. It assured them that He would break the fetters of the tomb, that His love for them would not fail, and it pointed them toward the resurrection to help them understand the meaning of His sacrifice.
He said everything encouraging He could to prepare them for His absence and suffering and for His crucifixion and burial, so that their faith would not die when He died. He gave them light amid darkness so that they would believe when it came to pass instead of giving way to sorrow and hopeless discouragement. He spoke the promise before their denial and scattering as an assurance of forgiveness, so that after His death and resurrection they knew they were forgiven and dear to His heart. Yet they forgot His words and looked only on the dark side, though careful review of what He had told them would have sustained them.
His words place Peter's coming failure alongside the promise of His resurrection and return to the disciples. The verse belongs to His warning to Peter about the danger ahead, for Peter's self-confidence and claim of greater fidelity did not keep him from denying Him when opposition came, and he afterward bitterly repented. The account warns against self-confidence and self-righteousness and teaches humility and tenderness toward those who err and need sympathy and love.
After His resurrection He would go ahead of His disciples into Galilee and meet them there. He gave this promise together with the warning that they would all stumble, scatter and abandon Him that night when He was taken, including Peter's denial, as part of His plain teaching that He must suffer, be killed and rise the third day. It was meant to comfort them and hold their trust firm after their failure, assuring them that His death would not be the end and would not prevent their reunion. Spoken beforehand, it assured them of His unfailing love, His victory over the tomb, and His forgiveness, so their faith would not die when He died but would have light in the darkness. On resurrection morning the angel repeated the direction to meet Him in Galilee, and after the Passover the disciples went there and with about five hundred believers saw Him on the appointed mountain.
Promise and Context
After rising from death, Jesus would go ahead of the disciples into Galilee and meet them there. His death would not be the end and would not prevent reunion, for He would rise from the tomb and meet them again after the resurrection. This promise was spoken in the upper chamber before His death.
It was spoken on the way to the Mount of Olives, with compassion at a moment when He could not save the disciples from the coming trial but would not leave them comfortless. He assured them He would break the fetters of the tomb by rising again, that His love for them would not fail, and that He would go before them into Galilee.
He spoke it together with the warning that they would be offended and scattered and forsake Him that night when the Shepherd was struck, including Peter's denial. It belonged to repeated plain instruction that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised the third day.
Resurrection Meeting in Galilee
On the morning of the resurrection the same direction to go to Galilee was repeated by the angel at the tomb, who sent the women to tell the disciples and Peter that they would see Jesus there as He had promised, and the message was passed on to the believers in Jerusalem. The meeting was delayed because the disciples remained in Jerusalem through Passover week, since to leave then would have been interpreted as disaffection and heresy. They gathered in the evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived, where Jesus met them twice and told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time. As soon as the Passover ended they obeyed the direction and left Jerusalem for Galilee.
Seven of them went together in the humble clothing of fishermen, poor in worldly goods but rich in the knowledge and practice of the truth. They had not been trained in the schools of the prophets, but for three years they had been taught by Christ Himself, and were therefore elevated, intelligent and refined. In heaven they were ranked as the highest teachers, fit mediums to lead souls to a knowledge of the truth.
Jesus Himself had set the time and place for the meeting on a mountain chosen because it was spacious enough for a large company. He appointed it to gather believers together so He could reveal Himself to them and remove their doubts. The meeting was of the utmost importance because the church would soon have to carry on the work without His personal presence, and He planned to appear to all the brethren assembled so that all doubt and unbelief would be swept away. About five hundred believers gathered at the appointed place and saw the risen Jesus.
Comfort Faith and Warning
The promise was given to comfort the disciples and strengthen their trust after they scattered and abandoned Him that night, to keep them from fear and to sustain their hope by assuring them that His death would not be the end and would not prevent their reunion. Though the Shepherd would be struck and they would be offended and forsake Him, He would rise from the dead and go ahead of them into Galilee to meet them and gather them again. It assured them that He would break the fetters of the tomb, that His love for them would not fail, and it pointed them toward the resurrection to help them understand the meaning of His sacrifice.
He said everything encouraging He could to prepare them for His absence and suffering and for His crucifixion and burial, so that their faith would not die when He died. He gave them light amid darkness so that they would believe when it came to pass instead of giving way to sorrow and hopeless discouragement. He spoke the promise before their denial and scattering as an assurance of forgiveness, so that after His death and resurrection they knew they were forgiven and dear to His heart. Yet they forgot His words and looked only on the dark side, though careful review of what He had told them would have sustained them.
His words place Peter's coming failure alongside the promise of His resurrection and return to the disciples. The verse belongs to His warning to Peter about the danger ahead, for Peter's self-confidence and claim of greater fidelity did not keep him from denying Him when opposition came, and he afterward bitterly repented. The account warns against self-confidence and self-righteousness and teaches humility and tenderness toward those who err and need sympathy and love.