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Matthew 28 – Go Back to Your Galilee
Go Back To Your Galilee
The angel sitting on the rock he rolled away from Jesus’s empty tomb had a message for the women to deliver to the apostles:
“Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”” (CSB’17 Matthew 28:7)
So important was this message it is repeated again just a little later:
“Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”” (CSB’17 Matthew 28:10)
Why? What is the reason Jesus wants to meet his apostles in Galilee?
Since the text does not tell us other than Jesus had already planned this (Mark 16:7), we have to infer. I’ll let you decide whether my inference is valid.
Do you remember where Jesus met these strangers and called them to follow him? Galilee. I surmise Jesus is reminding the apostles, who had failed to believe in Jesus’s resurrection, to go back to the beginning.
They just spent 3 years with him gathering evidence of who he was. Yet, they seemingly had more faith at the beginning than the end. In the beginning they left everything and followed Jesus. Now they think Jesus has left them. They need to go back to the beginning. They need to go back to Galilee.
Have you lost all your faith? Go back to your Galilee. Go back to the time before your hurt. People don’t lose faith easily unless they want to live a life unmonitored from their conscience. Whether prodigal living, or pain and suffering caused your loss, remember the empty tomb follows the cross of shame, pain, and suffering. Remember the cross is where Jesus saved a very unholy man dying beside him. Those times of faith are your Galilee.
Have you lost most of your zeal? Go back to your Galilee. Do you remember the sadness over your sins, the fear of being lost, the love of wanting fellowship with God, and the freedom you sought from your shame and guilt, all experienced in your baptism? Maybe there was another time you need to remember where you stood strong in the Lord. Those times of faith are your Galilee.
If ever you were once stronger than you are today, here’s my advice. Go back to your Galilee. Go back to your beginning. Jesus will meet you there.
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