“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b
The believer experience Christ’s presence at their side.
At the beginning of the gospel according to Matthew, Jesus is presented as Emmanuel—God is with us. The message is clear: God loved His people despite their disobedience. The story of Jesus Christ’s life and death testifies to God’s solidarity with humankind. The incarnate Son of God shared their living conditions. He was close to the poor and needy, He was willing to be treated and die like a criminal—God loves all sinners, without exception.
The gospel ends with Jesus Christ’s promise to be with His people. Jesus makes this promise to the Apostles, after sending them on their mission. In this way, He shows that His presence among His people has as its main objective their salvation. He will be with them always—nothing can stop Him. He will be with them until the end of the world (or of the age, depending on the translation), meaning, until they are delivered from the dominion of evil.
Jesus Christ suffered even though the Father was always with Him. Christ’s presence at our side is not intended to keep us from affliction. He is always willing to listen and talk to us. Jesus always has something to tell us! He is there to guide, strengthen and forgive us.
Only those who believe in Him can experience His presence:
- Faith leads to obedience—to fully benefit from Christ’s help, we must do His will;
- Faith leads to trust—certain that we are loved by God, we are content with what we can obtain by following His will (Mt 6:32-33; Heb 13:5);
- Faith is patient—certain of God’s help, we wait patiently for it;
- We believe in the apostolate—the Apostles are sent by Jesus to lead us into His kingdom;
- We persevere in fellowship, for we believe that Jesus is in the midst of those who gather in His name (Mt 18:20).
However, let us not be misled. The fact that Jesus is with us does not mean:
- That He always agrees with us—sure, He loves us as we are, but He wants us to change!
- That He is against our “enemies” — He loves all people equally;
- That He will grant all our wishes and make everything we do succeed — He will complete His work, not ours!
Jesus Christ is with His people. Faith, obedience, patience, trust and perseverance allow us to fully benefit from His help.