Friday... You can be sure of this.

Matthew 28:20b (NLT), "And be sure of this: I am with you always."

Friday... You can be sure of this.

It can be so hard sometimes to say, "Goodbye." Especially if you are not sure if you are ever going to see them again. 

Now Jesus was saying goodbye to his disciples. He had been with them for three years but he was about to leave them. They had just been through a very difficult time. They had seen him killed on a cross and then after three days he had appeared to them and that was unbelievable. And now here he was about to leave them.  

And here is what Matthew, who was one of them, writes in 28:20b (NLT). Just as Jesus was about to leave he says to them, and it was something that was to stay with them. They weren't sure how they were going to make it without Jesus. This was a tough time for them and this is what he said to them and he says to us, "And be sure of this: I am with you always." But you are leaving us. "And be sure of this: I am with you always." And then he is gone.

Yes, Jesus had been killed Friday on a cross and these woman, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had gone on Sunday morning to visit the tomb and instead of Jesus' body they found an angel. Now verses 5-6 (MSG) says, "The angel spoke to the woman." Now they were looking for Jesus and they found an angel and the angel spoke to them. I'm sure there was a lot of different emotions with that. But the angel had some news. 

The angel said, "There is nothing to fear here. I know you are looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed." As I said, there were a lot of different emotions here. 

And then verse 7, "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.'" Now this was a different emotion. 

Life throws us a lot of different emotions, doesn't it? And Jesus knows all that you are going through and he knows what you need. And he says there is one thing that you can be sure of.

Now for this to happen in there lives and also in our life, Jesus had to do away with his human side. When he was walking here on earth he could only be one place at a time so he had to do away with his human side. That was one of the things that Friday was all about. 

Verses 16-17 says, "Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally." And that is where a lot of people are today. They are not sure. But again you can be sure.

Maybe that is where you are. You have someone who has left you and it really hurts. We carry a lot of emotions with us. But we can be sure of one thing and Jesus knows what to say to us today.

Yes, he had to die so he could say this. Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) says, "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the ages.'"

And you can be sure of that. He died so we could live and so he could be with us always. Yes, you can be sure this. No matter what you are going through he will be with you always. Now it is important for you to give your life to him and to obey his commands so you can reap the benefit of his being with you always even to the end of the ages. Yes, that is why he died so we could always be with him even to the end of the ages.

Yes, you can be sure of this, you will never be alone. But you must ask him to come into your life to reap the benefit of his death and resurrection. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning