What if I told you the disciples totally missed it on Good Friday?

Not only did they fail to grasp that Jesus would die for their sins, they also missed Jesus' "secret" message that He had a reunion with them already planned after His resurrection! A very specific reunion.

It's one of the most fascinating aspects of the entire Easter story. All along, the plan was for Jesus and the disciples to meet back together again after the resurrection in a place they all knew well. Their home. Galilee.

Galilee is where Jesus and His disciples spent most of the time together. The vast majority of their encounters with Jesus took place in the communities surrounding the Sea of Galilee. So it made sense that Jesus would tell them to meet Him in Galilee after He was raised.

But they missed it.

+ + "Meet Me in Galilee"...

We have a clear record in the Gospels of Jesus instructing the disciples to meet Him in Galilee (pictured here) after the resurrection. Both Matthew and Mark record this specific instruction in Jesus' words to the disciples after the Last Supper:

“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” (Matthew 26:32)

“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." (Mark 14:28)

Jesus basically said, "Meet Me in Galilee"!

If you're wondering how the disciples missed Jesus' instruction, ask yourself if you've ever noticed these clear Gospel references to Galilee or heard a sermon about it. Probably not. We miss it, too.

It seems the plan was that after Jesus was crucified, the disciples would head immediately toward Galilee. Turns out, it's about a 2-3 days' walk from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. If they had started out Friday afternoon, pausing for the Sabbath, they could have been closing in on Galilee by Sunday... "I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

+ + They stayed in Jerusalem...

Instead, the disciples hid in fear. Who could blame them. When they waived the palm branches to herald Jesus' entry into Jerusalem just a few days earlier, they thought the political savior had arrived who would free them from the tyranny of Rome. But that didn't happen. Jesus was put on trial and sentenced to death. When given a choice, the people chose to free Barabbas, not Jesus. The disciples must have assumed they would be next to lose their lives. Even Peter, the brash leader of the disciples, denied Jesus three times in fear.

Then, they watched Him die. It was over. The last thing they were thinking about was going to Galilee to meet Jesus.

Then on Sunday morning, three of the women went to the tomb to care for Jesus' body, only to find the tomb empty. They were greeted by an angel who had an interesting message:

"Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." (Matthew 28:7)

“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" (Mark 16:7)

So the women quickly went to the disciples with the Good News! Peter and John were in disbelief so they ran to the tomb and found it as the women had said. Jesus wasn't there.

It seems that Jesus then appeared to the women to give them the same instruction to head to Galilee:

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me." (Matthew 28:10)

Even though they clearly missed his original instruction and the direction from the angel, Jesus still wanted the disciples to head immediately to Galilee for the planned reunion!

But they didn't leave for Galilee, for at least another week, probably longer. Instead, they gathered together in a room in Jerusalem, where Jesus suddenly appeared to them. Thomas wasn't there and simply couldn't believe that Jesus was alive. So eight days later, Jesus appeared again in Jerusalem to all the disciples, including Thomas.

I'm guessing the disciples waited in Jerusalem for some length of days or perhaps a few weeks, expecting Jesus would appear again. We know they still were looking for Jesus to establish Himself as the political messiah, and what better place than Jerusalem! The Risen Jesus could just walk down to Pilate and it would be the ultimate mic drop.

But that wasn't Jesus' plan. He wanted to meet them in Galilee!

+ + Finally.... the planned Reunion!

Perhaps after some time, the disciples remembered what Jesus had said, and what the angels had said, and what the Risen Christ had said... "Meet Me in Galilee!" So they packed up and headed back to Galilee, where perhaps they waited and waited and finally decided to go back to doing what they knew.

They went fishing.

They fished all night. Didn't catch much. Then this guy on the shore said to try casting the net on the other side of the boat, and they took in a massive haul -- 153 fish according to John. And in that moment, they recognized Jesus!

Peter immediately jumped out of the boat and began thrashing toward the shore. John and the others stayed in the boat and dragged the net full of fish the hundred or so yards to the shore, where they saw a charcoal fire, with already cooked fish and fresh bread....

"Come and have breakfast," Jesus said to them. They finally met in Galilee. For breakfast.

+ + Jesus is preparing a table for you!

This story reminds me so much of my own life.... how God wants to meet me, yet I get so blinded by my fears and my own expectations that I entirely miss the invitation. The daily invitation. But thankfully, the story doesn't end there. 

In the midst of my doubts and fears and confusion, there is Jesus, setting a table for breakfast!

That's the story of Easter. God did EVERYTHING! He took the full penalty of our sins on Himself, making the way back to the Father, and conquered death! He also makes us breakfast, even when we miss the invitation.

There's a table waiting for you this Easter. Will you accept the invitation to dine with the Risen Christ?

Happy Easter and He Is Risen!

Steve Elliott

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