I will not leave you orphaned … John 14:18 

As Jesus was sharing this farewell conversation with his disciples, he knew that his hour was near. The time of trial and death was impending. And he was aware that with his passing, the disciples themselves would feel as orphans, as people who were without his presence in their lives. But Jesus tells them that that is not to be the case. As the Gospel of Matthew concludes, the risen Jesus proclaims, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (28:20). 

Sometimes when a dear parent dies, or a mentor or friend we have known and trusted and leaned upon for years, there is an emptiness that comes upon us. We experience this scar of being left behind, like orphans. But the promise of Jesus is that we are never left behind in God’s enduring grace. We entrust our loved ones into the loving arms of our Lord, and we trust that his presence is always with us even as he is always with the saints who have gone before us.
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,