The hallmark of Christian living is the belief that Jesus is always present in the life of a believer. The Bible also reassures believers that they are not alone and that God always provides peace despite life’s challenges – even though He is not physically present. This raises some critical questions among many people: How do I know that Jesus is present in my life? Is Jesus with me?
According to the Bible, Jesus is always present in the life of a believer through the Holy Spirit. The Bible states that he lives in all Christians and empowers them to live God-honoring lives, as mentioned in Galatians 2:20. If you are a believer, it will follow that Jesus is with you always.
By the end of this article, you will have a greater appreciation of the subtle ways Jesus shows His presence in the lives of believers. This will also eliminate the perception that he seems distant from modern life and show that he can relate closely to many people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Does the Bible say Jesus is with us?
Yes, it does – not just once or in a few passages, but numerous scripture references in the Bible talk about Jesus always being present in the lives of believers. These are meant to encourage believers that God is present in both the challenging moments and the smooth times of life.
This promise was not just for a specific context or time but extended to all who follow Christ. He promised that he would grant believers his presence and anyone who is like them in the future, as he aims to protect them from evil, strengthen them through his grace, minister to them through His word, and encourage them through the presence of other believers.
How is Jesus with us when he went to Heaven?
To know the answer to this question, it is best to examine the scripture of Matthew 28:20 in its context and understand what its prior verses mean.
In this chapter, Jesus was spending his final time physically on earth with his disciples and tasked them with representing him on earth and spreading the gospel. This was not just a task for the disciples but continues to this day and even until the end of the age.
While this is a heavy task that Jesus tasks to his followers, he makes a promise to them – that he will be with them always. This does not mean he would be present physically, but he would express his presence through the Holy Spirit, whom he termed as the comforter in John 14:26. Through God’s Spirit, all believers know that God is present and in control of all things.
How to know if Jesus is with you
The assurance Jesus is both divine and human
The Bible states in John 1:14 that Jesus is the human form of God and lived among human beings to fulfill the restoration of the relationship between people and God. This knowledge changes many things, especially the assurance that Jesus is present in the life of every Christian, and his humanness allows for relatability, as stated in scriptures such as Hebrews 2:10-18.
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is present.
The promises that Jesus made to his disciples, and all believers after that, all revolve around his assurance that he will always be present through the Holy Spirit. Through this, Christians can see Jesus as their lifelong companion and that he will change them gradually and renew their souls.
Jesus assures believers of his presence when they break bread in his name.
In Luke 24, Jesus begins to appear to his disciples after his resurrection, but they fail to recognize him until he sits with them, prays for their bread, and breaks it. This made the disciples realize he was there with them, and their eyes were opened. In the same way, believers today can recognize the presence of Jesus when they receive the blessing of food or the Eucharist when fellowshipping with other Christians.
Bible verses that show Jesus is with you
John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be with you.
In this scripture, Jesus was talking to his disciples just before his death and resurrection and was seeking to encourage them to be strong in their faith because he was going to send another helper. This is among the strongest evidence in the Bible concerning the Trinity, as the Helper (the Holy Spirit) is with all believers and represents Jesus Christ on earth.
Jesus even outlines that he does not dwell with the world because the world does not understand who he is. Instead, he stays with believers to help them go through life, intercedes for them, and comforts them when they are in trouble or face difficulties.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
It was common for the Apostle Paul to outline in his letters to the churches that Christ lived in the hearts of those who accepted him, and he frequently prayed for their faith to grow due to this.
In this particular scripture, he talks about becoming united to Christ in his death and resurrection once he chose to believe and that the life of Christ resides in him despite his human weakness. This renewed life also empowers him to submit to Christ’s authority and grow in his faith – and the same applies to believers today.
Matthew 1:23
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us).
This is among the most famous passages in the Bible and is a narrative of the birth of Christ and the prophecies that related to his birth. God always promised that he would be with his people in new ways, and this was one of them – a promise that Jesus, the Son of God, would dwell with his people forever.
Jeremiah 31:33
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Even within the days of the Old Testament, God made repeated promises to his people that He would always be with them. In this case, he spoke through the prophet Jeremiah when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were in captivity, and the people were discouraged due to the turn of events that occurred to them.
God speaks through Jeremiah to encourage the Israelites, and all believers in general, that a new covenant would come, where God would live closely among his people.
Matthew 28:20
…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
In this passage, Jesus has resurrected from death, ministered to his disciples, and was just about to go to Heaven – and he tasked them with the “Great Commission.” Despite his physically going away from them, he promised them that they would not be alone and that he would send the Holy Spirit to be their comforter and Helper. In the same way today, Jesus promises believers that the Holy Spirit still lives with them.
Psalms 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
Despite the presence of God looking like an abstract concept, this verse serves to remind believers that God is always close to them, even when they have an unspoken fear of abandonment. If one believes in him, he will always be present when you call on his name, even when you cannot physically see or feel him.
References
John 14:16-17 – The Spirit of Truth is with us forever
What does it mean that Christ is in us?
10 beautiful and comforting verses to remind you that God is with us
Matthew 28:20 Meaning and commentary | Bible Study Tools
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.