“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matt. 28:20 (NIV). Before Jesus ascended to heaven he promised to be with his disciples always. The gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, fulfilled this promise. This is a priceless gift that the Old Testament believers could not imagine. In the Old Testament God, Yahweh, only dwelt in the innermost room of the temple, the holy of holies. The temple and especially the holy of holies was the center of the ancient Jewish nation. Nothing was more precious to devout Jews than the presence of Yahweh in their temple. It was better to be at the temple than anywhere else on earth because the presence of God was there. Now his Spirit makes his home inside you and we can “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ESV). You have the presence of God inside you in a way that far surpasses the presence of God in the ancient Jewish temple. Therefore, Jesus is always with us whether we feel it or not. This is our comfort and encouragement. By believing he is with us his transforming power continues to flow through us.
