Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 28:16-17

"But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped [him]; but some doubted." — Matthew 28:16-17 (ASV)

Notice those words: the eleven disciples. There were twelve, but Judas, one of the twelve, had gone to his own place, and Peter, who had denied his Lord, had been restored to his place among the apostles.

The eleven went away into Galilee, to the meeting place their Lord had designated, to a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Jesus always keeps His appointments, so He met the group that assembled at the selected spot, and when they saw Him, they worshiped Him.

Seeing their Lord, they began to adore Him and to give Him divine honors, for to them He was God; but some doubted.

Where will not Mr. Doubting and other members of his troublesome family be found? We can never expect to be entirely free from doubters in the Church, since even in the presence of the newly risen Christ, some doubted.

Yet the Lord revealed Himself to the assembled group, although He knew that some among them would doubt that it was really their Lord who had risen from the dead.

This was probably the occasion Paul referred to, when the risen Savior was seen of above five hundred brethren at once.

It was evidently a meeting for which He had made a special appointment, and His own words to the women, following those of the angel, seem to point this out as the one general assembly of His Church on earth before He ascended to His Father.

Those who gathered were, therefore, a representative group, and the words addressed to them were spoken to the one Church of Jesus Christ throughout all time.