“Thereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises,…” (2 Peter 1:4)
Christian friends,
Whenever I go through difficult times, I turn to this verse. I often find myself waking up in the middle of the night, and in those moments, I focus my mind on the promises of Scripture.
Jesus shared many lessons with the new believers, and if His commands are true, then His promises are true as well. Every promise made to the Apostles is a promise for us too.
One of my favorite promises is: “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:20).
I love to break down this statement word by word. Let’s do it together.
“Lo”
Jesus is calling for our complete attention here! He’s saying that what He is about to say is extremely important. Let’s underline this, take it to heart, impress it on our minds, and treasure it. This is special!
“I”
One Lord, two natures, two estates, three offices.
One Lord because there is only one Christ. Two natures because He is both God and human. Two estates because He was born of the Virgin Mary in poverty and humiliated by the cross, yet He is exalted as He rose from the dead and now reigns in heaven. Three offices because He is our Prophet, our Priest, and our King. Our Prophet because He revealed the way to salvation. Our Priest because He is the sacrifice that takes away our sins. Our King because we are conquered, protected, and kept by Him.
This is the best way I know to describe our Lord and Savior…”I”
“am”
Why didn’t Jesus just say “I’ll be with you”? The word “am” means that He is always with us without exception. This is the perpetual present—I am with you. There are no gaps, no waiting. It is now, and it will never end.
“with you”
Why are we Christians? Because Jesus called us, just as He called the Apostle Peter. Our souls follow Him because the pleasures of this earth grow dim in comparison. Together, we love each other. Christ is our life. This, my friends, is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and what a wonderful ministry it is. Jesus Christ calls us and holds us.
“always”
Christ is with us every single day. Some days are wonderful—worshiping together at church or celebrating with family. On those days, it’s easy to believe in the promise, isn’t it? But then there are the difficult days, when everything seems too much. Days when people are unkind, when we feel lonely, afraid, or unwell. Days of tears, shame, or guilt. Jesus is with us on those days too. We need this promise. We need a source of courage and comfort. Even as Christians.
“even to the end of the age”
People often talk about the end of the world, but Jesus talks about the end of the age. The world isn’t going to end; it’s going to be remade and renewed. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will live in them. Jesus is with us every single day until that time comes.
The world can be a scary place. Watching the news can be frightening, and the uncertainty can be overwhelming. Sometimes, I just want to bury my head in a book and not even know what’s going on. We never know what’s going to happen in life.
That’s why I cling to this promise. The world is unpredictable, but this I know for sure: “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen. This promise is certain.
“Amen”
Matthew ends with “Amen,” meaning “IT IS TRUE!” Every promise Jesus gives us in the Bible is ours. Now, I can sleep tonight.
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