Go Back to Galilee
April 21, 2025 - Monday in the Octave of Easter
Matthew 28:8–15
That Easter morning, the Jewish authorities must have felt a profound dread. They had handed Jesus over to the Romans and witnessed His crucifixion. To prevent any chance that His disciples might steal the body and proclaim the resurrection, they stationed guards at the tomb. Yet something even worse occurred—the tomb was empty, and the guards reported an angelic vision that terrified them. Soon, they would hear the disciples proclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead. What should they do?
Two groups fled from the tomb: the women, both fearful and overjoyed, and the terrified guards. Both groups carried the same message but delivered it to different recipients. The women brought the news to Jesus’ disciples, who rejoiced, while the temple guards reported it to the authorities, who then concocted a cover-up story claiming that the body had been stolen—a narrative that persisted into later generations, as noted by St. Justin Martyr.
The risen Christ did not appear to the guards; He met only the women, who embraced His feet in an act of worship. His words dispelled their fear while preserving their joy. Then Jesus instructed them to inform His “brothers”—as He now calls His disciples—to leave Jerusalem and return to Galilee, where they would see Him again. Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem bribed the guards to perpetuate the story that Jesus’ body was stolen.
Matthew’s Gospel contrasts Galilee and Jerusalem: Galilee, where Jesus’ mission began and where many believed, versus Jerusalem, where He was rejected. Although the resurrection was first known in Jerusalem, the city clung to its unbelief.
For Matthew, the Gospel’s proclamation begins not in Jerusalem, as in Luke’s account, but in Galilee—the very place where Jesus’ ministry started. From Galilee, the message of life’s victory over death would spread to the world, while from Jerusalem, a false tale about a stolen body would circulate among many Jews. Clearly, fake news is not a modern invention—it dates back centuries.
Finally, consider this: the disciples left everything to follow Jesus in Galilee, yet they faltered in Jerusalem. By calling them back to Galilee, the risen Christ offered a fresh start—a new beginning. And that is a lesson for us all. We all have failed Jesus at times, but He offers us a fresh start right where our journey with Him began. Let us leave behind our personal Jerusalem and return to our Galilee, where we will meet the risen Jesus and receive a new beginning.