Where Is Jesus To Be Found?

The church has always taught that Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection. Where then is He? In heaven? Yes. And everywhere else. But where may I find Him so that I too may speak with Him and hear Him speak to me? The specific answer to that question is where two or three are gathered together in Jesus' name. Let me explain.

As Jesus prepared to ascend to His rightful throne in heaven, He emphasized an important truth about Himself. He is both true Man, the Son of Man and He is LORD, the God who revealed Himself across the centuries to His people Israel. His is the Name revealed to Moses,

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" - Exd 3:14 ESV

A footnote translation reads: I am what I am, or I will be what I will be.

This is the Name of Jesus Christ. He is the ONE who revealed Himself to Moses and gave him the Name. This is the consistent witness of all true believers. As the Apostle Paul writes about true worshippers,

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Phl 2:9-11 ESV

To gather together in Jesus' name is therefore to gather together to worship, to praise and to pray to Him. Even before His ascension the LORD Jesus promised,

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." - Mat 18:20 ESV

Where is Jesus found? In His body, the assembly of the believers, the church among whom His Name is held sacred. There He is, teaching, warning, comforting, consoling and guiding. It need not be a great assembly of thousands—although it may well be. It can be two or three gathered to worship and praise. There He meets us. There He comes to speak to us through the mouths of our brothers and sisters. There is the power that only He can exert. There He speaks the word of forgiveness to the penitent. As Jesus said after His resurrection,

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." - Jhn 20:22-23 ESV

We all may at times have personal difficulties with the way our fellow Christians act. Even after baptism we believers retain our old Adam, our sinful natures. And we give into that nature. Indeed our life in Christ is a constant struggle, as Paul writes,

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. - Rom 7:18-20 ESV

And yet when we are assembled together in Jesus' Name He is among us, speaking His Word. The world around us does not see Him. But we do. And we rejoice in His Presence. He is what He is and He will be what He will be.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. - Prov. 18:10