"The Assurance of Resurrection in the Midst of Darkness"

 

Matthew 26:32: But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.

This verse stands out as a bright shining light in the midst of great darkness. Jesus has just informed the disciples that they will all flee from Him in fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7. They have all been in school for three years (the length of a seminary education after 4 years of college), and they are all receiving a "F" for their final grade in the course "Faithfulness."

But Jesus does not leave them feeling worthless, which would have been a justified emotion after that statement. Instead, he points them to a future reunion spot, and in doing so reassures them all that there departure from Him at the Cross would be not be final. They would return to Him.

The means of that return would be the resurrection. Jesus speaks of it in the past perfect tense. It is a completed action, and not only that, it is regarded as a past completed action. In fact, it was the resurrection that would bring the disciples back their faith that would waver in the face of the suffering and death of Christ. The resurrection would breath new life into them, and it would then be that they would see Jesus in Galilee. The disciples would see Jesus in Jerusalem also, but the gatehring point where five hundred saw the risen Christ at one time was Galilee. Matthew 28:7 has the angel who stood before the empty tomb reminding the disciples that Jesus was going before them into Galilee. The Scripture here is fulfilled within three days.

We have a life changing message. It turned the disciples from cowards into conquerors, and it can do the same for us as we fully appropriate its meaning. Go out with boldness this week. We have a great message and a great Savior!