God is with you
March 25, 2020
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20
One of the difficult things about reading the Bible is trying to put yourself in the story, to imagine what it was like for those who were living through the events. Reading the gospels, we know the end of the story—we know Jesus rose from the dead, winning that final victory over sin and death. But we can only imagine what his disciples thought on Good Friday when Jesus was dead and all seemed lost.
The same is true at the end of the book of Matthew. Yes, the disciples knew Jesus had risen and they had seen him. But Matthew writes that still, “some doubted,” possibly because the future was unknown. They had seen their risen Lord, but what would happen next? Where would they go? What would life be like? Jesus knows their doubt and so he tells them that he will never leave them. I’m sure some questions remained: How would he be with them? Would they see him again? But the book ends here because Jesus has given the greatest reassurance that no matter what happens, he will be with those who love him to the end of time. Soon after, he sent the Holy Spirit to make that godly presence a reality for the disciples and for us, too.
As we face an unknown situation today, we have the same promise. Jesus walks alongside us to answer our questions and calm our anxiety. When we speak with him in prayer and read his Word, we find the answers. Today, so much is unknown but this is not: Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age.
Gina Bridgeman