Title [2010] See You in Galilee
Contents
(Mt 28:5-10)
Christians refer to the land of Israel as “Holy Land”. The Bible calls it “a land flowing with milk and honey”. But it is not a land flowing with milk and honey as we think it is. This is a statement based on God's blessing, and in fact, it is a barren land. If God blesses you, it means that sheep's milk and cow's milk will become abundant, flowers will bloom, and honey will be obtained.
Except for some areas from Caesarea Philippi to Galilee, the land was not in favorable conditions for human habitation. However, because of Jesus, this land has become more precious than the land of abundance flowing with milk and honey. It is called the Holy Land because it is the place where Jesus was born, spoke, worked, suffered, died and rose again.
Among the holy places, Galilee was the center of Jesus' life. Today's text The resurrected Jesus said, “I will see you in Galilee” because there are Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, and many good places. Galilee was known because of Jesus. The Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias) is a very large lake with a width of 13 km, a length of 21 km, and a circumference of 50 km. Compared to Lake Missican (500km long, 50km wide) next to Chicago in the United States, it is about the size of a small pond that does not even have a reservoir, but still, it became a holy place when Jesus walked and became a land of blessing as He worked. If you only meet Jesus, you will rise only if you are with Jesus.
Why did Jesus say he would see him in Galilee? Geographically, Galilee is 200m below sea level and there is a lake that served as the life water of Israel. This Galilee has several meanings.
First, it is the place where the identity has changed.
This is where Jesus made disciples of those who used to be fishermen. There was a change of status. This is the place where you were called to be a disciple of Jesus from the status of a fisherman three years ago, a place where your status has changed, and a place where your spiritual status has changed. A sinner must change from hell to heaven, from a child of the devil to a child of God, and from judgment to salvation. We need to change from complaining, resentment, and frustration to someone who has hope, gratitude, and vision.
Christians must restore their identity. I must live with the belief that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. You shouldn't think, 'I can't, I can't, I can't sell my own, my destiny, where can I be, I have to die'. We must believe that Jesus came, took up the cross, and became the Lord of resurrection because of us. Although there must be a change of realistic status, it must be changed through a spiritual change. There must be a spiritual change from the child of the devil to the child of God. And the spirit must live and the spirituality must become more abundant.
Second, where the ministry has changed.
Dear brothers and sisters, please check once again the grace you received for the first time, the first gift you received, the joy of the Holy Spirit you received for the first time, and the thrill of salvation you received for the first time. Don't lose the first one. Restore your first love. Restore your first enthusiasm. Restore the tears, emotion, and joy you had when you first met the Lord. Go back to the beginning where you promised your allegiance when you first became a deacon, a priest, and an elder.
Third, where values have changed.
Galilee became a holy land. Especially among the Holy Land, the places that were at the center of the stage of Jesus' activities were the villages centered on the Sea of Galilee. Among them, Capernaum was the center of commerce that took place on the Sea of Galilee at that time, and it was the central city where this man, that man, this city and that city were connected. Jesus made good use of word of mouth from people at the time when there were no broadcast media. He used Capernaum in Galilee, where people often come and go, as the stage for preaching the gospel. Not only that, he moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13). The place you moved to for mission and evangelism is Capernaum in Galilee. It is the place where Jesus first called his disciples, and he is resurrected and calls them again. “Say, ‘I will see you in Galilee.’” The Galilee fishing village became a holy place as the place where Jesus worked and the stage of his activities became Galilee. Just as the earth becomes holy when Jesus is present, it becomes the temple of the holy God when Jesus is present. become a man of God.
Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that you will be honored, healthy, and have the meaning of life more valuable because of Jesus.
I pray that you will recover the grace, emotion, mission, and mindset you received for the first time.