We Are Not Alone; Jesus Is with Us Always
(John 16:32 NKJV) “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
In his opening words of this passage, Jesus states a true and characteristic—but very disappointing—prediction about the level of devotion of his friends (at that time): “You will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone.” This speaks of human nature and the reality of life on this planet. Even though it would be nice to have your friends with you and supporting you in your greatest times of testing and trial, they will probably desert you too. Thankfully, Jesus didn’t have his eyes on them for his security and comfort. We too can learn how to draw inner strength, moral power, and identity anchorage the way he did.
Jesus clarified for us where his inner peace, strength, and security were anchored: “Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” This is not simply a glib statement to put on a brave face after friends abandon you or fail to support you in the way you need; this is Jesus’s confession of exactly how his inner life worked. His Father really was the love of his life—his closest companion, confidant, his security, and his identity anchor point.
Jesus’s Father was with him right up until it was necessary to release him to death on the cross. Temporarily, Jesus was separated from his Father so we will never have to be:
(Matthew 27:46 NKJV) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
For us, being severed from God is a horrifying thought. Thankfully—as a result of his death, separation from Father, his burial and resurrection—Jesus can now say with absolute guarantee to us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”:
(Hebrews 13:5 NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
He is with you always. Friends and family, even good friends and those closest to you, may abandon you, or even attack you in your hour of deepest testing; but Jesus is always with you. The following passage gives us a good pattern for him being with us, and manifesting himself to us:
(Luke 24:13–15 NKJV) Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. (14) And they talked together of all these things which had happened. (15) So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.
Jesus will join in conversations about him. He does this by his Spirit, who is continually guiding us into all truth, and because he is the living Word of God. When the word is discussed and confessed under the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit, it comes to life; that is, Jesus is right there in the conversation as the living Word of God (See also: Mat. 18:20).
(Luke 24:16 NKJV) But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
Jesus is with us, but not always recognizable or in full manifestation. We simply must accept by faith that he truly is with us always. Let’s follow this passage to the end so we can learn how this works:
(Luke 24:17–24 NKJV) And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (18) Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” (19) And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, (20) “and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. (21) “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. (22) “Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. (23) “When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. (24) “And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”
These devoted followers of Jesus simply thought they were having a Bible discussion with a stranger, a new person—a visitor to their fellowship. They simply didn’t realize how much Jesus was into this; he was right there in the middle of this scenario. Then he began to pour out revelation to them:
(Luke 24:25–27 NKJV) Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! (26) “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (27) And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Next, unknowingly their conversation with this unique “stranger” was actually a prayer to the resurrected Jesus that we can all imitate:
(Luke 24:28–29 NKJV) Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. (29) But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
The two disciples prayed for Jesus to abide in their home, and to be present in their home meeting; he did:
(Luke 24:30–31 NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (31) Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
This is an amazing revelation; these genuine disciples didn’t recognize Jesus being with them in their follow up and befriending a new person, or in their Bible discussions; but they had their eyes opened to this true spiritual reality during their communion time: “He was known to them in the breaking of bread.” They overflowed with joyous celebration when they realized that Jesus really was with them in all of this. Plus, they disclose more of the detail of how it all unfolded:
(Luke 24:32 NKJV) And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
Heart burning revelation from God’s word was pure evidence of Jesus being with them in their new person follow-up, Christian fellowship, and Bible discussions. Wow! That is a powerful truth and a great encouragement for us to know he is always with us, and that he is ready to pour heart-burning revelation into us all as we interact with and around his word. He speaks to us through it. What did they do in response? They overflowed in life-giving ministry!
(Luke 24:33–35 NKJV) So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, (34) saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (35) And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
Then, as Jesus’s followers were gathered and proclaiming his resurrection; suddenly, they had an encounter of Jesus with them in an even more powerful way:
(Luke 24:36 NKJV) Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
Jesus really is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he was present and in manifestation while they were preaching the gospel, he will be for us when we preach it too. We may not always see him physically like they did, but we can be sure he is present, active, and doing for our audiences what he did for theirs:
(Luke 24:45 NKJV) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Today, I believe these amazing passages encourage us to keep our hope, security, and identity anchored in Jesus; he will never ever leave or abandon us. What’s more, let’s develop our faith in his abiding presence—always believing that he is present with us, and that he is operating in heart-warming revelation and mind-opening understanding as we preach the gospel, follow-up new people, meet together, discuss his word, and partake of his covenant meal, the communion emblems.