What does "after I have risen" reveal about Jesus' resurrection promise? The Text in View Matthew 26:32: “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Immediate Context • Spoken on the night of the Last Supper, just before Gethsemane • Delivered amid predictions of betrayal and scattering (vv. 31–35) • Framed as a calm, matter-of-fact statement, not hypothetical or symbolic Certainty, Not Speculation • Jesus says “after I have risen,” not “if I rise.” • The verb tense shows an event already settled in His plan (cf. John 10:18). • His death was voluntary, but His resurrection was equally predetermined. Literal, Bodily Resurrection • “Risen” (Greek egerthēnai) means to be physically raised, not merely remembered (cf. Luke 24:39). • Validates earlier predictions: Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19. • Confirms Old Testament typology (Jonah 1:17—Matthew 12:40). Demonstration of Divine Foreknowledge • Jesus identifies not only the fact of rising but the post-resurrection rendezvous in Galilee. • Shows mastery over future events, reinforcing His deity (Isaiah 46:10). Assurance for Discouraged Disciples • They would flee (26:31) but later regroup around a living Lord (28:16). • The promise anticipates restoration and recommissioning (John 21:15-17). Foundation for Gospel Trustworthiness • Fulfillment in Matthew 28:6, 10 makes Jesus’ word the benchmark for all His promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). • Resurrection validated Him as “declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). Hope for Believers Today • Guarantees victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). • Grounds the promise of our own resurrection (John 14:19). • Inspires courage in trials, knowing the risen Christ goes “ahead” of us. Summary “After I have risen” reveals a confident, literal promise of bodily resurrection, rooted in divine foreknowledge, aimed at restoring disciples, and sealing every hope believers hold in Christ. |
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