The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
Before he died Jesus promised that he would see his disciples again when he went before them to Galilee. When he appeared to the women after his resurrection he commanded them to tell them disciples to go to Galilee where he himself would await them. And now, as a culmination of all the appearances of the risen Lord, the disciples met Jesus on the mountain in Galilee.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
They saw Jesus but did not yet draw near to him. There were still some among them who doubted, or some degree of doubt in all of their hearts. It was not doubt, seemingly, that Jesus had risen. They had seen ample evidence for that fact. But there was still much that was unclear. Just what did the resurrection mean for the identity of Jesus and his relationship to the world? And what did it mean for the disciples, their relationship to Jesus, and their mission? The resurrection of Jesus had to lead to something beyond the encounters of the disciples with the Lord. Indeed all the encounters seemed to point forward to something more, to a fulfillment now begun but not yet accomplished. Would Jesus stay with them as he was? What of the fact that he had said that he must go to the Father in order that the Holy Spirit might be sent? There was plenty of justification for confusion leading to hesitation. Similar lack of clarity sometimes causes us to offer only partial worship mixed with doubt to the risen Lord. But the response of Jesus that offered comfort and direction for the eleven disciples can do the same for us as well.
Then Jesus approached and said to them
Jesus did not wait for his disciples to draw near to him, to surmount all of their doubts, or to get their theology perfect before he himself drew near to them. Even this gesture was already the beginning of an answer to their doubts. How, they must of wondered, are we now to relate to the one who has defeated even death itself? This Jesus, with whom they walked in intimate friendship, now seemed to be unapproachably exulted. By approaching them Jesus expressed the fact that he would not stop calling them friends on account of this exultation.
All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations
The human nature of Jesus had now received power equivalent to that of God himself, all in heaven and on earth, with nothing excluded. And yet this glorification of the human nature of Jesus was not a barrier between himself and the disciples. It was rather the basis for their mission, the source of their own authority, the reason for their right to command others to observe all that he had first taught to them. Obviously this was an intimidating commission. Going to all nations did not allow them to make use of the common ground and shared culture they had with other Jews. And yet, it made sense that this was now necessary. The defeat of death was not an event that pertained only to Judea or Galilee. It was something with immediate relevance to every human life. And the power given to Jesus was not a power that pertained only to those of his own nation. It was an authority that was universal, encompassing heaven and earth. Thus the mission of the disciples would also need to be a universal mission. But how would mere men live up to such a calling?
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Only with the constant assistance and presence of Jesus himself could the Church and her mission advance. In Mark's Gospel we read of how this worked in practice as "the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs" (see Mark 16:20). But this promise of Jesus went deeper than confidence for mission. It meant that the one who was promised to be Emmanuel would not cease to be with his Church. Even as the physical and visible presence of Jesus was taken from their sight and obscured by clouds the disciples had this promise as a firm foundation for all that would follow. Their relationship with him would not be broken. It would not even turn into something merely transactional that existed only to facilitate evangelization. He, their friend, would remain present and accessible to them. The love they shared would continue. The peace and the joy that originated in the heart of Jesus would continue to flow into them.
These final words of Jesus are meant to reassure us as well, giving us direction, confidence, and above all reassurance that Jesus remains near to each one of us. We often recite this a theological datum or a fact of faith. But how different would our lives be if we truly practiced a living remembrance of the constant presence of the risen Lord? What, if we did so, could possibly steal his joy from us?
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness
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