“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”(Matthew 28:20b).

We are dwelling on the promises of God this year, and this is one that I personally hold fast. It is this knowledge that encourages me. What is the context? Jesus is talking to his disciples. He has been with them since his resurrection, teaching them. Luke 24 reads “…he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v 45). He told them “I am going to send you what my Father has promised” (v 49).

In the book of Matthew Jesus gave his disciples what we know as the Great Commission: “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” (Matthew 28:19), then made the promise to be with them always “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b), and “was taken up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). These passages also indicate that when Jesus was taken up into heaven, he “sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

When Jesus was sending out the disciples for their initial attempts at evangelizing, he told them: “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12).

So now we have this promise, but what is the evidence that he has been fulfilling it?

Two stories from the New Testament about ordinary men give witness to the power of the Holy Spirit and his continued presence; both are after Jesus had ascended to heaven. Deacons were men who had been appointed by the apostles to care for the people in the church, especially the widows, so that the apostles could spend their time in the ministry of prayer and preaching. These men were known to be guided by the Holy Spirit, in the same way that all of us are as believers in Christ.

Evidence: When Stephen, a deacon of the early church, gave his famous speech to the Sanhedrin in his own defense after being seized for doing great wonders and miracles among the people, he said “Look…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56). I love this passage. As we read from the passage in Mark at the end of the second paragraph above, Jesus was seated at the right hand of God; but when Stephen was testifying to the Sanhedrin, Jesus stood up! He was with Stephen in his defense.

Evidence: Another deacon, Philip, was also guided by the Holy Spirit, and the result was the launch of the gospel to Africa!

^“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So, he started out, and on his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.

The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So, he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” (Acts 8:26-40)

Evidence: Many, many times, I myself have been in conversations where I did not know what to say. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would give me the words, and He always did; He always came through. I am sure he will come through for you. Just ask and be receptive.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).

 “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8:14).

In Christ,

Judy