D. Scott Meadows

“Lo, I am with you alway.” —Matthew 28.2

26 DECEMBER PM, MORNING AND EVENING BY C. H. SPURGEON

The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks [Rev 2.1]; his promise is, “Lo, I am with you alway.” He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread [John 21.9]. Not carnally [physically], but still in real truth, Jesus is with us.

And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, “Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me” [Song 6.5]. Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments [Psa 45.8], causes the sick and the faint to grow strong. Let there be but a moment’s leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom [John 13.23; 21.20], and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labour, and capable of every suffering.

If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord’s service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things.

His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ’s desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favored with his company.

Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people.

On Matthew 28.20

The last verse of the gospel of Matthew, this reassures Jesus’ disciples of His presence with them throughout this present age until the day He returns in power and glory. Such reassurance is greatly needed because of the greatness of His charge to us known as the Great Commission in the previous verse—to disciple the nations of the world. This divine mission, entrusted to Christ’s Church as a whole, would prove the most difficult, daring, and dangerous challenge possible, given the opposition, both human and demonic, to its fulfillment.

Spurgeon is right to interpret the Lord’s promise as His spiritual presence, not physical. In this particular context, however, it relates especially to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Christ with us insures the true Church will be faithful in gospel stewardship, in gospel proclamation, and in actually making disciples of all the nations of the world throughout this present age. As arranged in this study, his third paragraph comes nearest to this idea.

Spurgeon’s second, fourth, and fifth paragraphs are different. These speak of Jesus’ presence as something a believer might experience to a greater or lesser degree. When He is nearer, we are more overcome with love (2nd). The likelihood of this experience of Christ drawing nearer increases with our deliberate devotion to Him (4th). This paragraph claims that His spiritual presence with us depends on our prayers and tears (5th).

Is this consistent with the text Spurgeon chose as the basis for this devotional message? Did Jesus there attach any conditions, as these proposed by Spurgeon, to His abiding presence with His Church? Manifestly, no. Such terms that we must fulfill to enjoy the benefit of this promise from Christ would surely undermine our confidence that we actually have the benefit of it. Indeed, Spurgeon’s statement that Jesus “is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake” (1st paragraph) seems flatly contradicted by his remark, “if he doth not come” (5th paragraph).

Would it not have been better to say that because Christ is true to His Word, His Church continues in every age and place to experience His gracious love, to have every power developed to do His will, and to be progressively conformed to His lovely image? Such grace surely is an incentive toward everything Spurgeon urges us to do—to increase devotion to Christ, to serve Him with all we are and have, to grow spiritually, and to pray for our increased blessings on account of His gracious presence. It has the added advantage of not undermining our confidence that He is with us.

The structure of this devotional message
I. Christ promises to be with us
II. Christ’s presence, if we have it, inflames our love
III. Christ’s presence, if we have it, increases our power and grace
IV. Christ’s presence is experienced more by those most like Him
V. Christ’s presence is experienced more by earnest seekers for it

Especially important truths
1. “God with us” is the basis for confidence about our holy work. It is our solace in suffering and our vibrant hope of final salvation. This promise of the divine presence and favor is, substantially, the everlasting gospel (Lev 26.11, 12; Matt 1.23; Rev 21.3).
2. Believers obey the Lord’s commandments from gratitude for His grace (Rom 12.1). Let us be more thankful and obedient to Him. Ω