Meet Me Back in Galilee

Mat 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Olivet, Bethany, the Temple, Gethsemane, Calvary, the upper room. All of these places capture our imagination. They all play important roles as places of the passion of our Lord. They are all within 2 1/2 miles of each other.

But, subsequent to the resurrection of the Lord, He ordered them back to the Galilee for His most important message of all, the Great Commission.

Casual readers may get the impression that Jesus ministered mainly around Jerusalem. Not so! Galilee was ministry central for the Lord and His disciples, most of whom hailed from that region north and east of Judea.

We tend to cling to the old rugged cross, to kneel at Calvary, to behold the empty tomb and to gaze into the ascension skies. But the Lord wants us to reconnoiter up in Galilee to receive our command to go into all the world.

Though they are nice places to visit, you won't see Jesus on the cross. His tomb is empty. The Temple is long gone. If you want to see Jesus, you will meet Him at a place where you will receive your orders going forward. Win the lost, get them to follow the Lord in believer's baptism and train them to fulfill the Lord's command.