MATTHEW 28:20

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

To Ponder:

After the manger and the miracles, after the cross and the resurrection, after everything—this is the promises, Jesus spoke: "I am with you always."

Where is Jesus after Christmas? The answer is stunning: He is with you!. Right now. Today. Tomorrow. In every season, every circumstance, every moment until the end of the age.

After Christmas, we pack away the decorations and the nativity scenes—and without meaning to, we might kind of “pack away” Jesus too, as if he only shows up for the Christmas season. But that’s never what Christmas was about. It wasn’t a quick visit from God—it was the start of him being with us for good. Emmanuel means “God with us,” and that name doesn’t run out on December 26. Jesus doesn’t say, “I was with you at Christmas,” or “I’ll be with you when life gets tough.” He says, “I am with you always.” That means all the time—on your best days and your hardest ones, when you feel close to him and when you don’t, when your faith feels strong and when it’s hanging by a thread. He’s there. Once the holidays are over, we go back to work, to chores, to everyday life. And it can feel like the “holy” part is over too. But it’s not. Jesus’ promise breaks through that lie. There’s never a moment or place where he’s not present. The same Jesus who came at Christmas still walks with you today.

So, the question isn’t “Where is Jesus after Christmas?” He’s already answered that—he’s with you, always. The real question is, will you notice him?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for your promise that echoes across the centuries into this very moment: "I am with you always." Forgive us for living as though you were absent, as though your presence were something we only experience in special moments or sacred spaces. Open our eyes to see you in the everyday—in our morning routines, our work, our relationships, our struggles, our joys. Help us to practice your presence, to cultivate awareness of the truth that you are here, now, always. May the wonder of Christmas—Emmanuel, God with us—become the wonder of every single day. We are not alone. You are with us. Let that truth transform how we live. In your name we pray, Amen.

Today's Devotion written by Pr Nich Kitchen, LifeWay Epping