If one of Christ’s chosen ones is persecuted by the enemies of the cross; if one of the Lord’s servants is distressed having not observed all His commandments and becomes spiritually weak; if problems both within and without confuse him and he can not find a way out, Christ says to him, “Open the eyes of your heart: Lo, I am with you, you are not alone. I am present with you. I shall not leave you alone, I am living. I love you and care for you. I shall establish your faith even at your death. Have confidence and faith in me for I have overcome the world.”
Observe the wonderful promise of Christ to His disciples, “I am with you.” Not “I will be,” but “I am.” Just as God sent Moses by this name, so Christ sent his apostles by this name – “I am” – for he is God, to whom past, present, and future, are the same (Revelation 1:8). Jesus was about to physically leave His disciples, and this grieved them. But He assures them of His spiritual presence which was better for them than His bodily presence. “I am with you” said Christ, and not “against you.” He is always on your side upholding you.
One of the followers of Jesus Christ saw in his dream traces of footprints of two persons in the sand of the desert. He asked his Lord what it meant. Jesus answered, “I accompanied you and walked with you in the wilderness of life. I was with you all the time.” However, when the dreamer reached a dangerous and rugged place, the footprints of one of the two travelers disappeared, so he asked his Lord, “Why did you leave me in the hardest stage of my life?” His Redeemer smiled and said to him, “I did not leave you, but I carried you on my shoulders, and the footprints you saw are my steps when I carried you.”
As such, the Savior confirms to you how faithful He will be to you and to all His servants. He is with His followers who search for those going astray to bring them the gospel of salvation and deliver them from their sins and from the wrath of judgment in the name and power of Christ.
Christ confirms His promise to be with us. He will accompany us all the days of our life. He will not forget you or leave you night or day, winter or summer. He will be with you in your childhood, youth, and old age. He will not leave you even if you sin. He calls you to confess with David, “You restore my soul; you lead me in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:3-4).
Christ had spoken about the end of the age. He has warned us about the Antichrist who will come after wars, earthquakes, and pestilences (Matthew 24:4-14, John 2:22-25, 4:1-5). He commands His followers, “Take heed that no one deceives you. Abide in me, and I in you, and no one shall snatch you out of My hand.” Our Savior will come again, when persecutions and distresses reach their highest point, to save His beloved from the domination of the evil one. When Christ comes again, time and life on earth as we know it shall end. The spiritual kingdom of heaven shall appear in the power of the King of Glory who is the slain Lamb of God. It will receive His purified followers to become the family of His heavenly Father.
The great commission is characterized by the small word “all,” which was mentioned four times. Christ confirms to us that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. Therefore we should disciple all the nations and baptize them in the name of God “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”, teaching the believers to observe all that Jesus commanded us. We are never to become desperate for He is with us always, even to the end of the age. If you observe, keep, and cling to that word “all” in the end of the gospel of Christ according to the evangelist Matthew, you will live in great peace.