The eleven disciples go to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had appointed. When they see Him they worship, although Matthew adds that some doubted or hesitated.
Jesus in Context
The Mountain in Galilee: Worship and Doubt
Matthew places the climactic meeting between Jesus and the eleven on a Galilean mountain, where the disciples worship Him even as Matthew acknowledges hesitation among them.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Mountains repeatedly function as important settings in Matthew. Jesus is tempted on a mountain, teaches on a mountain, withdraws to mountains, is transfigured on a high mountain, and finally commissions His disciples from a mountain in Galilee.
The Greek verb translated 'doubted' can express hesitation or uncertainty. Matthew does not eliminate this reaction from the climactic resurrection scene even though worship is occurring at the same time.
Why It Matters
The setting links the end of Matthew with important earlier scenes in Jesus' ministry. The acknowledgment of hesitation also gives the account an unusually candid quality: the disciples who are about to receive a worldwide commission are not portrayed as uniformly fearless or psychologically uncomplicated.