When did the disciples return to Galilee? They saw Jesus there after at least 40 days, as they were instructed to stay in Jerusalem until receiving power (Matthew 28:17, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:3-4).

Topic: The Timing of the Disciples’ Return to Galilee

Scriptural Passages and the Question at Hand

Matthew’s Gospel specifically mentions the disciples going to Galilee soon after the Resurrection:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16–17)

However, Luke’s account describes events in Jerusalem on that same day of the Resurrection (Luke 24:33–49). Later, in the Book of Acts, it is stated:

“After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. While they were gathered together with Him, He commanded them: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss.’” (Acts 1:3–4)

These texts raise a question: Did the disciples return to Galilee immediately, or did they remain in Jerusalem until Jesus’ ascension—some forty days after His Resurrection—before heading north?

Immediate Journey or Delayed Departure?

1. Matthew’s Perspective of Prompt Arrival

• Matthew 28:10 records Jesus instructing the women at the tomb, “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”

• Shortly thereafter, Matthew 28:16–17 shows the disciples arriving in Galilee, meeting the risen Christ, and worshiping Him—although some wrestled with doubts.

These details create the impression of a relatively quick journey north from Jerusalem to Galilee.

2. Luke and Acts Emphasis on Remaining in Jerusalem

• Luke 24:33 records the disciples still in Jerusalem that very day of the Resurrection.

• Jesus instructs them: “And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

• Acts 1:3–4 notes that Jesus appeared for forty days, telling them explicitly to avoid departing Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit descended upon them (fulfilled at Pentecost, Acts 2).

Taken at face value, Luke and Acts could suggest the disciples stayed in Jerusalem for the bulk of the post-Resurrection period.

Harmonizing the Accounts

1. Multiple Appearances and Journeys

Many interpreters resolve the timeline by noting that Jesus appeared on multiple occasions over forty days. The disciples could have traveled to Galilee (as per Matthew’s narrative) at some point during those weeks, then returned to Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ command to await the Holy Spirit. The Gospels provide selected highlights of resurrection events rather than cataloging every movement day by day.

2. Literary Compression

Biblical accounts sometimes compress events for clarity. Matthew 28 moves swiftly from the Resurrection morning to the meeting in Galilee—potentially skipping over details of intervening appearances in and around Jerusalem. Luke, writing both his Gospel and Acts, emphasizes Jerusalem’s significance (including the temple, ascension scene, and the coming of the Holy Spirit), allowing less narrative space to the Galilean appearances but not excluding them.

3. Context of the Early Followers

Historically, many in that region traveled between Jerusalem and Galilee in approximately three to four days. A short trip north for Jesus’ Galilean appearance, followed by a subsequent journey back to Jerusalem before the ascension and Pentecost, is feasible. Although the Gospel writers focus on theological points, the background detail of traveling a hundred miles or so in the course of a few weeks is consistent with first-century travel patterns, making it plausible that both accounts can stand together without contradiction.

Response to Apparent Contradictions

1. No Indication They Never Left Jerusalem

Luke 24 emphasizes a same-day appearance in the city and subsequent encounters, but does not specify that the disciples slept in Jerusalem all forty days without traveling.

2. Jesus’ Command to Go

Jesus repeatedly gave instructions about Galilee appearances (Matthew 28:7, 10). The early disciples, as devout followers, would have obeyed. Luke’s command to wait in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49) and Acts 1:4’s similar instruction highlight the culminating event of Pentecost. These do not preclude a trip in between.

Historical and Archaeological Notes Supporting the Account

1. First-Century Jerusalem and Galilee

Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem (e.g., sites near the Pool of Bethesda and the steps of the Temple) confirm the bustling nature of the city and show clear evidence of regular travel routes to Galilee.

2. Cultural Patterns of Pilgrimage

Jewish pilgrims routinely made journeys to Jerusalem for festivals (e.g., Passover, Pentecost), and then returned home. The disciples being in Jerusalem for Passover, heading to Galilee, and returning again for Pentecost mirrors the broader cultural norms of that period.

3. Early Church Testimony

Writings from the early centuries (such as declarations from Church Fathers) reinforce that multiple resurrection appearances occurred in different locations, affirming the accounts of the Gospels without a single mandated timeline.

Comprehensive Considerations

• A careful reading of all related passages indicates that the disciples almost certainly went to Galilee sometime during that forty-day window—fulfilling Jesus’ words in Matthew—yet they also remained obedient to the instruction to be in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

• The seeming contradiction dissolves when noticing the Gospels’ selective focus on key events, rather than offering chronological diaries.

• Consistency across these texts underscores the reliability of the testimony that Jesus rose bodily from the grave and that He gave His disciples specific instructions for the early days of the Church.

Conclusion

The question of when the disciples returned to Galilee arises from the varied emphases of Matthew (immediate visit to Galilee) and Luke-Acts (remaining in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit’s arrival). A logical synthesis suggests the disciples made the journey to Galilee during the forty days after the Resurrection, meeting the risen Lord there, and then returned to Jerusalem in accordance with His command to await “power from on high.”

These accounts, when viewed together, portray a coherent picture of Jesus’ multiple post-Resurrection appearances and His purposeful instructions. There is no strict scriptural requirement that they stayed exclusively in Jerusalem for the entire forty days, nor that they ignored Jerusalem and left immediately without eventually returning. Instead, they fulfilled both commands—seeing Jesus in Galilee and remaining in Jerusalem to witness Pentecost.