I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20. 

In Luke 24:13-32, we read the story of two travelers on the road to Emmaus. As they walked and talked together, Jesus Himself drew near. They did not recognize who it was but how their hearts burned within as He opened up the Scripture to them. “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24:32)

For every Christian, the resurrection is not only real, but relevant. The evidence is compelling. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promised, “I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” The two travelers learned what is was like to be in the company of Jesus and we can as well. Because Jesus is alive, His followers are not alone. We have the Son of God as our partner in life, every step of the way. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we now enjoy His personal fellowship with us always.

Knowing that Christ is alive should fill us with joy. Knowing that our Savior rose from the dead should motivate us to complete the good work He has started in us: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.“ (Philippians 1:6) Knowing that Jesus is victorious over death should inspire us to imitate him, to live the life that glorifies Him. It should embolden us to tell others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection means we can be children of God. We have the promise of eternal life.  We should always be striving to be closer to Jesus. We have that possibility because of His Resurrection. We can feel like Paul, who wrote, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) The resurrection also assures us that Jesus can transform our lives every day. We live empowered by the presence of Jesus to live changed lives.  Jesus is no longer someone we know about, He is someone we know.

My prayer is that we long to feel that close to Jesus. To feel His presence through the Holy Spirit. To picture Him there, talking with us. To walk on the road of life with us and to say, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the cross of Christ reveal the power of God? How does the cross of Christ reveal the wisdom of God?
2. What impact has the story of Jesus’ crucifixion had on your life? What impact would you like it to have?  
3. How might we maintain a cross-centered focus in our lives this week?