The announcement that “He is going ahead of you” is as important as the word that “He is not here.” The verb used here (proago) does not simply mean that Jesus gone on ahead of His disciples. Thucydides uses the verb for leading troops forward, and Pylorus uses it for a commander making an advance. Earlier, Jesus connected the promise that He would go before them to Galilee to the image of a shepherd (14:27-28). Jesus has fed His flock (6:34) and has laid down His life for them, which caused them to be scattered. As the risen Lord, He will regather them into the fold. Just as the earthly Jesus led His frightened disciples to Jerusalem by going before them (10:32), so the risen Jesus goes ahead of them still, leading the church.
-David E. Garland
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