Bible Verse Lookup

To conclude, Matthew creates a powerful scene. In just five verses, he summarizes the core of his Christology and ecclesiology. The Gospel ends as it began. At the start, we are told the name Immanuel—God with us—in the history of the chosen people (Is 7:14). Now, we are assured that Isaiah’s prophecy has become a lasting reality: “I will be with you always” (20). The mission of the disciples is as broad as the world and as enduring as the passage of time until the end of history. From this point on, the Christian community is the memory of the crucified and risen Lord, despite the scandal his infamous death on the cross caused for the Jewish people. It is also a community called to witness: they must testify to the crucified and risen Lord. Only through this concrete following can the community understand the meaning of the mission and the person of Jesus. 
The Church of Jesus is fundamentally a missionary community. The words of the risen Lord, “go” (19), “set out on your journey,” encourage it to continually reach beyond itself, beyond its internal problems and concerns, to open up to a new horizon: that of every person who does not know the joy of feeling like a son or daughter of God and brothers and sisters to one another. In this mission, they can rely on the constant presence of Jesus, who will always be with them: “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (20).