Where is Jesus?

He's not in His tomb.  That much is certain.

He appeared to His disciples - even 500 at the same time.  We know He is alive.

But where is He?  Yeah, He has ascended into heaven.  He has taken His rightful place in the power seat of the Almighty.  He Himself - the God-man - is the power of God.  But where is He?

The answer is likely to open your eyes.  It is likely to make scales drop from them, as though you have been unable to see clearly until you hear it.

Here's where to start.  The disciples were together in a locked room.  The deadbolt was across the door because they were afraid of being arrested by the authorities and punished for being followers of the dead Messiah who was crucified.

But then - Jesus came and stood in their midst.  Now the Greek here is shocking.  It makes strikingly clear that Jesus had always been there.  He was already in the room with them.  But He revealed this to their eyes.  He was there - but now they could see that He was there.  It absolutely terrified them.

Jesus, the man, is no longer bound by the typical human constraints.  He held back from using the fullness of His power during His ministry.  But now, He holds nothing back.  St. Paul says, "In Him all things hold together."  He writes, "He who descended is the One who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things." 

Jesus is everywhere.  He fills all things.  But not just as God - He already filled all things as God.  Now, the Lord Jesus fills all things as MAN.  The new humanity.  He descended and ascended in order to make Man new in His own person.  And He fills all things as a man.

What does this mean?  It means Jesus is with you.  Right now.  He is standing in the room with you as surely as He stood with His disciples that Easter evening.  He is by your side.  Watching over you.  Protecting you.  Caring for you.  And no, He does not show you - like He did with His disciples - He does not reveal Himself to you.  He doesn't need to.  But He is there.  You are always in the powerful presence of your loving Saviour, and that is never going to change.

This means big things for us Christians.  It makes prayer so much more special.  Speak to Him there.  It makes living a Christian life, so much more possible.  Jesus stands by your side.  It means you have certainty that when you look upon the altar and hear the Words of our Lord in His Holy Supper, that you are hearing Him, there in the room, promising you directly that He is giving you His body and blood.  And so He is. 

You are forgiven.  You are free and safe and alive in Him.  And He is not going anywhere.  He will be with you to the end of the age.  Speak to Him in prayer.  Study His Word everyday.  For the day is coming soon when you will finally see Him face to face.