"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." These are the last words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, spoken on a mountain in Galilee to eleven disciples who, Matthew admits, still had their doubts. He did not promise them an easy road. He gave them a job, and then He gave them Himself.
One Simple Fact
Matthew's Gospel begins and ends with the same promise. Near the start, the angel's message about Jesus' birth is tied to the name Immanuel, "which means 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:23, NIV). The very last verse of the book is Jesus saying, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20, NIV). The whole story of Jesus in Matthew is framed by God choosing to be with His people.
The Words of Jesus
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
— Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
Notice the order. The command to "go" is sandwiched between two statements about Jesus: His authority and His presence. The disciples are not sent out alone to do something hard for an absent master. They are sent by the One who holds all authority, and He goes with them. Read the whole scene in context at Matthew 28 on Bible Gateway.
A Historical Reference: The Megiddo Mosaic
Did the first generations of Christians really believe Jesus was still present with them, not just a teacher from the past? Archaeology offers a striking answer. Between 2003 and 2005, archaeologists excavating the Roman-era village of Kefar 'Othnay, on the grounds of today's Megiddo Prison in northern Israel, uncovered the mosaic floor of a Christian worship hall dated to around 230 AD, roughly a century before Christianity was legalized under Constantine.
One Greek inscription honors a woman named Akeptous, who "offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial." The "table" was most likely used for the Lord's Supper, the meal at which believers remembered Jesus and met Him in worship. The Biblical Archaeology Society describes the phrase as among the earliest known inscriptions to identify Jesus as God, and notes that five of the seven people named in the mosaic were women. Remarkably, the hall sat inside a building used by soldiers of Rome's Sixth Ironclad Legion.
- Biblical Archaeology Society: The Megiddo Mosaic
- Associates for Biblical Research: The Megiddo Prison Mosaic Inscriptions
Two centuries after a Galilean mountain, believers in a Roman army post were still gathering at a table in His name, living as though His promise to be with them were true.
A Witness: "Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You As Always"
Jennifer V shared her near-death experience with the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF). She describes it in her own words after a car crash: she felt she had returned "HOME," and she writes, "I believe it to be the spirit of Christ that I met, and who talked with me. It was too perfect to be any other."
She did not want to come back. But, as she reports it, the voice told her a badly injured man in the car needed her help and gave her clear instructions for what to do. Then came words that echo Matthew 28:20 almost exactly:
"It's just blood, so do not be afraid, I am with you as always."
— Jennifer V, as she reported to NDERF (Jennifer V NDE 3318)
She writes that she reluctantly agreed, "I will go for you," and returned to her body to help him reach the hospital. Afterward, she says, she prayed: "I know you guys are always with me. And you have always been with me, and I will never die or be alone, here or there." Her story is presented here as she told it; you can read the full account at the link above.
Living It Today
Jesus' promise is not only for apostles or for people standing at the edge of death. It is for an ordinary Tuesday. Whatever task is in front of you today, the hard conversation, the hospital room, the job you don't feel ready for, you are not doing it alone. He goes with you, "to the very end of the age."
Read today's quote: "I Am With You Always" (Matthew 28:20).