Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
After His resurrection the eleven went to the mountain in Galilee at the definite time and place Jesus had appointed before His death and had announced after it through the angel and Himself. About five hundred believers assembled there on the mountainside, so that besides the eleven many other followers who had been with Him were present to see Him manifested. When they saw Him risen with the marks of His crucifixion they worshiped Him, yet some doubted, though none of the eleven doubted who had heard His words and seen and touched His wounded body. There He gave the great charter of His kingdom, commissioning His disciples as His ambassadors and ministers to go and teach all nations, making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. There He declared that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him, and promised to remain with them always even to the end of the world as they carry that work forward.
Appointed Galilee Meeting
After His resurrection and just before His ascension Jesus appointed a definite time and place to meet His disciples, and the eleven went away into Galilee to the mountain where He had appointed them. He had designated that time and place before His death by promising that after rising He would go before them into Galilee. After the resurrection the appointment was announced by the angel to several disciples and repeated by Jesus Himself with special directions. That promise was passed on to the believers gathered in Jerusalem during Passover week and to those still lingering there for the festivals after the Passover.
The disciples stayed in Jerusalem until Passover week was over, because to leave earlier could have been interpreted as disaffection or heresy. Then they left for Galilee, and lonely mourners and believers came in from every direction by roundabout and indirect ways so as not to excite suspicion of the hostile Jews. They assembled with intense interest, and while they waited they were filled with mingled anxiety, fear and hope for Jesus to appear and fulfill His appointment.
The mountainside in Galilee was chosen by Jesus Himself because it could hold a large company, and about five hundred believers assembled there. Besides the eleven, other followers were present, including believers who had accompanied Jesus during His ministry, so that the gathering and the commission extended beyond the apostles and beyond the twelve who had first received instruction in the upper chamber. The meeting was arranged by Jesus to manifest the risen Jesus to all the assembled brethren, to reveal Him to them and to strengthen the church and their faith before they carried on His work without His personal presence, so that doubt and unbelief would be swept away.
The disciples met Jesus by following His specific direction to the appointed mountain; if they had gone elsewhere they would not have found Him there. After the Galilee meeting the disciples returned to Jerusalem, where Jesus met with the eleven gathered together in the city. One account associates this final meeting before the ascension with the Mount of Olives, where Jesus was about to ascend to His Father's throne and repeated His earlier instructions, leading a small company seen by people in Jerusalem, though the disciples did not know it would be their last time with Him.
Worship and Doubt
On the appointed mountain in Galilee the eleven and those gathered with them saw the risen Jesus and worshiped Him, beholding in Him the marks of His crucifixion. There He declared His authority and commissioned them to teach and baptize all nations, declaring that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him and to Him alone belongs the right of authority over all things. He assured them He is with them always even unto the end of the world, proving His assurances sure to all who know and do His commandments.
Yet though they saw Him, some doubted that He was the risen Saviour and the crucified Jesus. They doubted despite powerful evidence, showing that the resurrection was witnessed by the disciples while some still hesitated to believe. None of the eleven doubted, while others who gathered there were only partly convinced that the one who appeared was the same person who had been crucified. The eleven had heard His prophetic words about Himself and had seen, eaten with, touched and recognized His wounded body.
Their doubt reflected a need for faith in Christ's words rather than for more evidence, with some remaining bound by religious traditions and teachings. Some refused the evidence given to them, while truth may be suppressed and error spread as truth. Some who doubted when Jesus appeared in Galilee included His brothers, who had lost much through their unbelief. Afterward they firmly believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the promised Messiah, and their faith was established.
Doubt among those who saw Jesus shows that there will be doubters in the church who cherish unbelief. They hinder the church and cannot help it or cooperate with its faithful workers. Their doubt arose because their hearts had not fully received the higher education Christ gave, showing that incomplete conversion leaves people unmoved by the Holy Spirit's transforming presence.
Commission Authority Presence
This verse opens the distinct history of the meeting on the appointed mountain and begins Christ's last words before His ascension, which are His commission to His disciples and to believers. It is the commission believers have been given, to be presented in place of controversy over false doctrines and side issues by speaking the truth in love and holding to a plain Thus saith the Lord. It forbids letting the mind be occupied with matters having no bearing on the work, calls workers to dwell upon the great testing truths for this time, and directs them to proclaim the message given and to do the essential work right where they are.
There Christ delivered the great charter of His kingdom in the world, commissioning the disciples as His ambassadors and giving them their credentials as ministers of the Word. That final charge is the standard by which work claiming to serve Christ is judged. From the authority given Him in heaven and earth they were to carry the gospel to all people, to go out and do the work He had done, to go and teach all nations and make disciples. They were to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and to teach them to observe all things He commanded, working with Him to save the world.
There Jesus declared that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him, and to Him alone belongs the right of authority over all things. His authority is that of the Mediator between God and humanity, with authority to send them to teach all nations and make disciples, giving them the truth of the gospel and teaching obedience to His commands. Because He has all authority those who believe in Him receive power to become the sons of God, and the Father, Son and Holy Ghost stand as loving and powerful agencies in representing God to the world. He promised to remain with them always even to the end of the world, to guide, comfort, sanctify, sustain and instruct them as they teach others. As they teach, He awakens people to sin, turns them from transgression to obedience, and leads them from darkness and Satan's power to God's righteousness, with His presence and support extending to all who continue preaching the gospel until the end of time and proving His assurances sure to all who know and do His commandments.
The meeting shows Christ's intense interest in His disciples and fulfills His promise not to leave them comfortless but to come to them after His humiliation and death. It shows the value of sincere belief in His personal reality though He is unseen except by the eye of faith. At that appointed mountain He gave them the great gospel commission to go into all the world.
Prophecy Faith and Preparation
While the believers waited on the appointed mountain, those who had already seen the risen Saviour moved from group to group telling of the angels’ messages and of their own meetings with their Master. They reasoned from Scripture that every detail of prophecy concerning the first advent was fulfilled in His life, death and resurrection. By this testimony they strengthened the faith of their brethren and gave hope to the doubting that Jesus would appear as He had appointed.
That reasoning opened a new train of thought, that only Messiah could triumph over death and burst the tomb. Yet they still had to unlearn false priestly teaching about Messiah and His mission. They had to accept that Christ must reach His throne through ignominy, suffering and death.
The chapter brings the Christian experience to be gained from the ministration of the Holy Spirit there promised. That ministration is the earnest of the spirit of life through Christ which every soul needs now. It leaves no excuse for departing from the faith to give heed to seducing spirits.
The meeting on the mountain in Galilee was a night of communion with Jesus before the disciples went forth on their mission and before the power and glory of Pentecost. It stands with the parting scene upon Olivet and the days of prayer and communion in the upper chamber as divine communion that comes before acts of power. It was part of their preparation for the work that followed. It follows the pattern of Jesus resorting to the solitude of the mountains to spend the night in prayer to His Father when preparing for some great trial or important work.
The passage belongs to the brighter chapter of Christ’s resurrection and triumph after His suffering. Faithful study of this gospel account blesses the soul. It shows that the Lord of glory made infinite sacrifices to open a way whereby sinners might be saved unto a life that measures with the life of God.
Carrying Commission Today
The meeting on the appointed mountain in Galilee just before the ascension gave the commission that remains the God-given work His people must still fulfill without allowing themselves to be called away. It is the great central work that must occupy ministers now in preparing a people to stand in the great testing of character before them, requiring the essential work to be done right where believers are. Time is too precious to be diverted from it by claiming belief in the truth while inventing explanations of Scripture that deny truth already given, disturb minds with new theories, undermine the foundations of the Word, and create questioning, unrest, controversy, strife, misunderstanding, and party spirit.
That specially appointed work for the world to give light to all nations belongs to every disciple of Jesus, and every believer has a part in carrying it out even though not everyone serves in the ministerial role. The work of most earnest invitation is given to all church members to give the message of Bible truth to all to whom they can find access, for Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride and the gospel is to go forth to all nations. Obeying Him means going to teach all nations the things Christ has commanded and instructing and enlightening those who have not heard the truth for this time.
The commission is to be presented in place of controversy over false doctrines and side issues, speaking the truth in love and holding to a plain Thus saith the Lord. It forbids letting the mind be occupied with matters having no bearing on the work and controversy over non-essential subjects, and it directs workers to dwell upon the great testing truths for this time and proclaim the message given. Together with what Jesus said there, it is a message to be kept in mind and obeyed, requiring trust wholly in God without worry, moving forward with a message to the world, faithfulness as stewards under fearful account to God, and labor and prayer for the conversion of souls.
They must keep in the sunshine of the Lord's presence, and when inclined to despond take Christ at His word in faith, looking not on the dark side but to Jesus, believing His all power is given to those who need it, trusting Him for power, strength and grace and not stopping even amid turning and overturning. As His disciples and laborers together with Him they must work in united action, each given his own work and reaching people in different ways but blending unitedly with one object of inspiring belief in the words of inspiration, ordering speech and work in harmony by unity, by speaking the same things, by striving together and putting trust in their Redeemer in sanctification of the truth. They are not to criticize fellow workers or work against one another in suspicion and doubt, and no man is authorized to set up his own mind as a standard or teach the commandments of men. Their unity is the convincing argument that God sent His Son to save all who receive the words of truth, and those who put trust in Him and hold fast faith firm unto the end will be protected.
There He gives the charge to represent the truth as it is in Jesus and to carry the principles of righteousness into every department of work, refusing to represent what is false. Uniting with Christ brings His cooperation to do great things for His people, while doing nothing and expecting everything to work out brings disappointment. The instruction there is the true higher education: receiving the teachings of God's Word and living by its principles is the highest education and the only education that secures entrance into the city of God. That salvation opens a life that measures with the life of God, calling for willingness to make special sacrifices to save souls ready to perish without feeling the price too high in order to be counted worthy to enter the city.
After His resurrection the eleven went to the mountain in Galilee at the definite time and place Jesus had appointed before His death and had announced after it through the angel and Himself.
About five hundred believers assembled there on the mountainside, so that besides the eleven many other followers who had been with Him were present to see Him manifested.
When they saw Him risen with the marks of His crucifixion they worshiped Him, yet some doubted, though none of the eleven doubted who had heard His words and seen and touched His wounded body.
There He gave the great charter of His kingdom, commissioning His disciples as His ambassadors and ministers to go and teach all nations, making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
There He declared that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him, and promised to remain with them always even to the end of the world as they carry that work forward.
Appointed Galilee Meeting
After His resurrection and just before His ascension Jesus appointed a definite time and place to meet His disciples, and the eleven went away into Galilee to the mountain where He had appointed them. He had designated that time and place before His death by promising that after rising He would go before them into Galilee. After the resurrection the appointment was announced by the angel to several disciples and repeated by Jesus Himself with special directions. That promise was passed on to the believers gathered in Jerusalem during Passover week and to those still lingering there for the festivals after the Passover.
The disciples stayed in Jerusalem until Passover week was over, because to leave earlier could have been interpreted as disaffection or heresy. Then they left for Galilee, and lonely mourners and believers came in from every direction by roundabout and indirect ways so as not to excite suspicion of the hostile Jews. They assembled with intense interest, and while they waited they were filled with mingled anxiety, fear and hope for Jesus to appear and fulfill His appointment.
The mountainside in Galilee was chosen by Jesus Himself because it could hold a large company, and about five hundred believers assembled there. Besides the eleven, other followers were present, including believers who had accompanied Jesus during His ministry, so that the gathering and the commission extended beyond the apostles and beyond the twelve who had first received instruction in the upper chamber. The meeting was arranged by Jesus to manifest the risen Jesus to all the assembled brethren, to reveal Him to them and to strengthen the church and their faith before they carried on His work without His personal presence, so that doubt and unbelief would be swept away.
The disciples met Jesus by following His specific direction to the appointed mountain; if they had gone elsewhere they would not have found Him there. After the Galilee meeting the disciples returned to Jerusalem, where Jesus met with the eleven gathered together in the city. One account associates this final meeting before the ascension with the Mount of Olives, where Jesus was about to ascend to His Father's throne and repeated His earlier instructions, leading a small company seen by people in Jerusalem, though the disciples did not know it would be their last time with Him.
Worship and Doubt
On the appointed mountain in Galilee the eleven and those gathered with them saw the risen Jesus and worshiped Him, beholding in Him the marks of His crucifixion. There He declared His authority and commissioned them to teach and baptize all nations, declaring that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him and to Him alone belongs the right of authority over all things. He assured them He is with them always even unto the end of the world, proving His assurances sure to all who know and do His commandments.
Yet though they saw Him, some doubted that He was the risen Saviour and the crucified Jesus. They doubted despite powerful evidence, showing that the resurrection was witnessed by the disciples while some still hesitated to believe. None of the eleven doubted, while others who gathered there were only partly convinced that the one who appeared was the same person who had been crucified. The eleven had heard His prophetic words about Himself and had seen, eaten with, touched and recognized His wounded body.
Their doubt reflected a need for faith in Christ's words rather than for more evidence, with some remaining bound by religious traditions and teachings. Some refused the evidence given to them, while truth may be suppressed and error spread as truth. Some who doubted when Jesus appeared in Galilee included His brothers, who had lost much through their unbelief. Afterward they firmly believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the promised Messiah, and their faith was established.
Doubt among those who saw Jesus shows that there will be doubters in the church who cherish unbelief. They hinder the church and cannot help it or cooperate with its faithful workers. Their doubt arose because their hearts had not fully received the higher education Christ gave, showing that incomplete conversion leaves people unmoved by the Holy Spirit's transforming presence.
Commission Authority Presence
This verse opens the distinct history of the meeting on the appointed mountain and begins Christ's last words before His ascension, which are His commission to His disciples and to believers. It is the commission believers have been given, to be presented in place of controversy over false doctrines and side issues by speaking the truth in love and holding to a plain Thus saith the Lord. It forbids letting the mind be occupied with matters having no bearing on the work, calls workers to dwell upon the great testing truths for this time, and directs them to proclaim the message given and to do the essential work right where they are.
There Christ delivered the great charter of His kingdom in the world, commissioning the disciples as His ambassadors and giving them their credentials as ministers of the Word. That final charge is the standard by which work claiming to serve Christ is judged. From the authority given Him in heaven and earth they were to carry the gospel to all people, to go out and do the work He had done, to go and teach all nations and make disciples. They were to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and to teach them to observe all things He commanded, working with Him to save the world.
There Jesus declared that all power in heaven and in earth is given to Him, and to Him alone belongs the right of authority over all things. His authority is that of the Mediator between God and humanity, with authority to send them to teach all nations and make disciples, giving them the truth of the gospel and teaching obedience to His commands. Because He has all authority those who believe in Him receive power to become the sons of God, and the Father, Son and Holy Ghost stand as loving and powerful agencies in representing God to the world. He promised to remain with them always even to the end of the world, to guide, comfort, sanctify, sustain and instruct them as they teach others. As they teach, He awakens people to sin, turns them from transgression to obedience, and leads them from darkness and Satan's power to God's righteousness, with His presence and support extending to all who continue preaching the gospel until the end of time and proving His assurances sure to all who know and do His commandments.
The meeting shows Christ's intense interest in His disciples and fulfills His promise not to leave them comfortless but to come to them after His humiliation and death. It shows the value of sincere belief in His personal reality though He is unseen except by the eye of faith. At that appointed mountain He gave them the great gospel commission to go into all the world.
Prophecy Faith and Preparation
While the believers waited on the appointed mountain, those who had already seen the risen Saviour moved from group to group telling of the angels’ messages and of their own meetings with their Master. They reasoned from Scripture that every detail of prophecy concerning the first advent was fulfilled in His life, death and resurrection. By this testimony they strengthened the faith of their brethren and gave hope to the doubting that Jesus would appear as He had appointed.
That reasoning opened a new train of thought, that only Messiah could triumph over death and burst the tomb. Yet they still had to unlearn false priestly teaching about Messiah and His mission. They had to accept that Christ must reach His throne through ignominy, suffering and death.
The chapter brings the Christian experience to be gained from the ministration of the Holy Spirit there promised. That ministration is the earnest of the spirit of life through Christ which every soul needs now. It leaves no excuse for departing from the faith to give heed to seducing spirits.
The meeting on the mountain in Galilee was a night of communion with Jesus before the disciples went forth on their mission and before the power and glory of Pentecost. It stands with the parting scene upon Olivet and the days of prayer and communion in the upper chamber as divine communion that comes before acts of power. It was part of their preparation for the work that followed. It follows the pattern of Jesus resorting to the solitude of the mountains to spend the night in prayer to His Father when preparing for some great trial or important work.
The passage belongs to the brighter chapter of Christ’s resurrection and triumph after His suffering. Faithful study of this gospel account blesses the soul. It shows that the Lord of glory made infinite sacrifices to open a way whereby sinners might be saved unto a life that measures with the life of God.
Carrying Commission Today
The meeting on the appointed mountain in Galilee just before the ascension gave the commission that remains the God-given work His people must still fulfill without allowing themselves to be called away. It is the great central work that must occupy ministers now in preparing a people to stand in the great testing of character before them, requiring the essential work to be done right where believers are. Time is too precious to be diverted from it by claiming belief in the truth while inventing explanations of Scripture that deny truth already given, disturb minds with new theories, undermine the foundations of the Word, and create questioning, unrest, controversy, strife, misunderstanding, and party spirit.
That specially appointed work for the world to give light to all nations belongs to every disciple of Jesus, and every believer has a part in carrying it out even though not everyone serves in the ministerial role. The work of most earnest invitation is given to all church members to give the message of Bible truth to all to whom they can find access, for Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride and the gospel is to go forth to all nations. Obeying Him means going to teach all nations the things Christ has commanded and instructing and enlightening those who have not heard the truth for this time.
The commission is to be presented in place of controversy over false doctrines and side issues, speaking the truth in love and holding to a plain Thus saith the Lord. It forbids letting the mind be occupied with matters having no bearing on the work and controversy over non-essential subjects, and it directs workers to dwell upon the great testing truths for this time and proclaim the message given. Together with what Jesus said there, it is a message to be kept in mind and obeyed, requiring trust wholly in God without worry, moving forward with a message to the world, faithfulness as stewards under fearful account to God, and labor and prayer for the conversion of souls.
They must keep in the sunshine of the Lord's presence, and when inclined to despond take Christ at His word in faith, looking not on the dark side but to Jesus, believing His all power is given to those who need it, trusting Him for power, strength and grace and not stopping even amid turning and overturning. As His disciples and laborers together with Him they must work in united action, each given his own work and reaching people in different ways but blending unitedly with one object of inspiring belief in the words of inspiration, ordering speech and work in harmony by unity, by speaking the same things, by striving together and putting trust in their Redeemer in sanctification of the truth. They are not to criticize fellow workers or work against one another in suspicion and doubt, and no man is authorized to set up his own mind as a standard or teach the commandments of men. Their unity is the convincing argument that God sent His Son to save all who receive the words of truth, and those who put trust in Him and hold fast faith firm unto the end will be protected.
There He gives the charge to represent the truth as it is in Jesus and to carry the principles of righteousness into every department of work, refusing to represent what is false. Uniting with Christ brings His cooperation to do great things for His people, while doing nothing and expecting everything to work out brings disappointment. The instruction there is the true higher education: receiving the teachings of God's Word and living by its principles is the highest education and the only education that secures entrance into the city of God. That salvation opens a life that measures with the life of God, calling for willingness to make special sacrifices to save souls ready to perish without feeling the price too high in order to be counted worthy to enter the city.