What Jesus Means by I Am with You Always in Matthew 28:20
Short answer
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises his continuing presence to the people he sends, saying he is with them always, even unto the end of the age. The promise follows his claim to all power and his command to go and teach all nations, so it attaches to the mission. Christians read the promise in several ways: through the Holy Spirit, through Christ's presence in the gathered church, through the sacraments, or through his personal presence with each believer.
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises to stay present with the people he sends, saying he is with them always, even unto the end of the age. The promise closes Matthew's Gospel, so it is the last thing Jesus says in the book. The verse is short.
At Find A Prayer, we write original prayers for specific moments. Below, the verse is read in its context, its main words are defined, and several ways Christians understand Christ's presence are set side by side. The last section turns the promise into something a reader can pray.
What Jesus Promises in Matthew 28:20
Jesus promises his continuing presence to the people he sends. The promise appears in Matthew 28:20, where he says, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. The KJV uses the older word alway, and many modern Bibles say always instead, with the same meaning.
The promise sits inside a larger statement. Jesus first says that all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth. Then he gives the command to go and teach.
The presence promise comes last, so it attaches to the mission. Read this way, the promise is tied to a task. It is spoken to people who have work to do, and it tells them that Jesus stays with them while they do it.
The Verse in Context
Matthew 28:18-20 forms the close of Matthew's Gospel. Verse 18 opens with a claim: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Verse 19 gives the command: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
The instruction continues with teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Verse 20 begins with the word lo. The promise follows right away.
Three moves appear in order: authority, sending, and presence. The authority comes first, then the mission, then the promise of presence.
God with Us Opens and Closes Matthew
Matthew 1:23 gives the Gospel a name for Jesus that carries its main theme. It reads: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. The Gospel begins with God with us and ends with I am with you alway. Read together, the two verses frame the whole book around one theme.
God stays close to his people from the first chapter to the last. Matthew 18:20 adds another line: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. That verse links the presence of Jesus to people who gather in his name, and a later section draws on it.
What Alway and the End of the World Mean
The KJV says alway. Many modern translations say always. The phrase the end of the world needs a closer look.
The KJV uses the word world, but the Greek word behind it is the word for age. Many modern translations render it as the end of the age. Read that way, the promise runs until the age reaches its end.
Put simply, Jesus says he will be with the people he sends until the age reaches its end. The promise is not limited to the eleven disciples.
How Christians Understand Christ's Presence
The verse does not say how Christ is present. Christians in several traditions have read the promise in different ways, and the four readings below are a range, not a ranking. Some readers connect the promise to the Holy Spirit.
On this reading, the presence Jesus promises reaches believers through the Spirit who works in them. Others see Christ present in the gathered church. Matthew 18:20 fits that reading closely, since it places Jesus in the midst of two or three gathered in his name.
Catholic and Orthodox readers often emphasize the sacraments as a place where the promise is met. A fourth group reads the verse as Christ's personal presence with each believer, one person at a time. A reader can hold more than one of these at once, and the verse itself names none of them.
Who the Promise Is For
The verse is usually read as a promise to all believers who share the mission. Some readers stress the verse's first audience instead. They point out that Jesus spoke these words to the eleven disciples, and they read the promise with that group in view before applying it more widely. This reading does not cancel the wider one.
It asks the reader to notice who first heard the words. Hebrews 13:5 uses similar language: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. On the common reading, a reader who is teaching, baptizing, or telling others about Jesus is inside the promise.
Holding the Promise on a Hard Day
When God feels far away, start with the words, not the feeling. Read Matthew 28:20 aloud, slowly, and stop after the word always. Then say the rest of it in your own voice. Joshua 1:9 gives a similar instruction: Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.
Isaiah 41:10 says Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed. Both verses pair a command with the presence of God. Then pray the promise back to God in your own words. Name the feeling in one plain sentence, ask for the presence the verse describes, and keep the prayer short.
The prayers on this site offer words for hard moments. Read Matthew 28:18-20 tonight, then read the companion page on the commands in the same verse.
Key Bible verses
- And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. — Matthew 28:18-20
- Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. — Matthew 1:23
- For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. — Matthew 18:20
- Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. — Joshua 1:9
Frequently asked questions
What does I am with you always mean in Matthew 28:20?
It means Jesus promises his continuing presence to the people he sends. The verse says I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. The promise follows his claim to all power and his command to go and teach all nations.
Is Matthew 28:20 a promise for all Christians?
The verse is usually read as a promise to all believers who share the mission Jesus gives, not only to the eleven disciples. Some readers stress that the first audience was the eleven, and they read the promise with that group in view first.
What does the end of the age mean in Matthew 28:20?
It names the close of the age. The KJV says the end of the world, but the Greek word behind world is the word for age, and many modern translations render it that way.
How is Jesus with us always?
Christians read the promise in several ways. Some point to the Holy Spirit, some to Christ's presence in the gathered church, and some to the sacraments, which Catholic and Orthodox readers often emphasize. Others see his personal presence with each believer. The verse does not name one method.
What is the connection between Matthew 1:23 and Matthew 28:20?
Matthew 1:23 opens the Gospel with the name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Matthew 28:20 closes the Gospel with the promise I am with you alway. The two verses place God's presence at the start and the end of the book.
What should I do when God feels far away?
Start with the words of the verse, read them aloud, then speak your feeling to God in one plain sentence. Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 41:10 pair a command with the presence of God, so they can be prayed alongside Matthew 28:20. The prayers on this site offer words for hard moments.