Stay in Jerusalem or Go to Galilee
The disciples, the 11 plus some others are in the upper room of Jerusalem and the two men from Emmaus have just shown up. They begin to explain what happened to them on the road and in the house. When they are done Jesus shows up. It is still Resurrection Sunday. And he tells them to stay in Jerusalem.
“Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”
But in Matthew’s account, Jesus is talking to the women near the tomb before they had a chance to separate and He tells them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee. How can they do both? How can we reconcile both of these statements of Jesus?
“While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Luke repeats himself again in Acts but this time Jesus said it on the day of His ascension to heaven not to return to earth in his human form until the day he shows up to establish his 1,000-year reign.
The first argument someone would make is that Luke is not a credible writer because he was not an eyewitness to any of this. But I would counter this argument by saying that he was able to interview many if not all the apostles and people who were with Jesus. It would be the same argument that a news reporter who is on the scene of an accident is not credible because they were not there, but they should have done some investigation before they hit record.
“Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.”
Luke says along the same lines in his opening letter to Theophilus. He is doing his research to give Theophilus an accurate chronology of the events of Jesus from the eyewitness of Jesus.
Matthew is writing from an eyewitness of Jesus but he was not at the tomb with the women. So he too is writing based on their narrative.
We have written evidence from John that they did go to Galilee.
“After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed Himself in this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons {James and John}, and two others of His disciples were together.”
Bracketed { } text I added.
So we know they went to Galilee. But no other gospel records them going to Galilee. I would think I would be hanging on every word from Jesus if I knew He did the impossible by raising from the dead. If He said to stay I would stay. If He said to go I would go.
So here is what I see happening. I think Luke's statement of Jesus may not have been said on the first Sunday but rather later. Jesus’ command to go was first and when the fish breakfast was over He told the disciples to go back to Jerusalem. So then after 40 days he told them to stay and wait. They had to wait 10 more days for His promise to be fulfilled.
“After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
“Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 15:6 HCSB
“When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.”
Pentecost is the 50th day after the Sabbath after Passover. In the Old Testament, it was called the festival of weeks.
“You are to count seven complete weeks starting from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the presentation offering. You are to count 50 days until the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.”
Leviticus 23:15-16 HCSB
“Observe the Festival of Weeks with the first fruits of the wheat harvest and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the agricultural year.”
So the disciples did both. They went to Galilee soon after resurrection Sunday for a quick vacation. (https://bharper504.blogspot.com/2018/08/acts-14-csb-while-he-was-with-them-he.html) But then they stayed in Jerusalem until after Acts 2. What about you and I? Have we stayed until we are empowered from on high? And have we gone out under that power to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to those around us?
“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 HCSB
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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