When the divine Son of God humbled Himself to be born of a virgin and to walk among men, He voluntarily laid aside a measure of His divine power. According to Philippians 2:7, the Apostle Paul wrote of our Lord, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Yet, even in the days of His fleshly abode, we see stirring glimpses of His divine nature: His omnipotence in commanding the wind and sea, His omniscience in knowing the hearts of His disciples and enemies, and His eternality in His identifying Himself as the eternal I AM.

The manifestation of the omnipresence of Christ, the eternal Son of God, is another attribute that was willingly limited by our Lord during those thirty-three years when He took on flesh and was made “like unto his brethren” (Hebrews 2:17). He made Himself subject to our human frailties and carried our infirmities in fulfillment of Isaiah 53. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with our griefs. The omnipresent Son of God Who fills Heaven and earth limited Himself to walking the dusty roads of Galilee. When Jesus went to Jerusalem, He walked there. When Jesus wanted to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples rowed Him over.

Here and there we see glimpses of and references to the omnipresence of our Lord Jesus. Consider these instances where His omnipresence was on display:

Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree.

Very early in His ministry, when Jesus was still in the process of calling His twelve apostles, He had an unusual conversation with a man from the village of Cana. The man, Nathanael, was a friend of Philip of Bethsaida. Philip had told Nathanael about the Lord Jesus.

When Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) expressed doubt about anything good coming from the nearby village of Nazareth, Philip invited his friend to meet Jesus. Our Lord greeted Nathanael with this declaration, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47).

Astonished, Nathanael inquired how the Lord knew him. Jesus replied, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee” (John 1:48).

Jesus did not merely say, “I knew thee.” That would be omniscience. He answered, “I saw thee.” This implies omnipresence—that Jesus, the Son of God, had the power to see Nathanael prior to meeting him in person.

Confronted with the divine nature of Christ, Nathanael asserted, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:49).

Have you ever realized the implications of the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, with no further limitations of His divine attributes, sees you at all times? He sees you just as surely as He saw Nathanael under the fig tree. Jesus is alive. He is active. He is present to see and hear everything!

Jesus went to the disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.

We see a glimpse of the omnipresence of our Lord again in the stirring account of His walking upon the water. We know from the Gospel records that when the disciples set out across the lake, Jesus was up on a mountain praying. Whether through the Holy Spirit upon Him, a word from His Father to Whom He was praying, or within His Own spirit, Jesus was with the men through every stroke of their oars amidst the crashing waves. Divine omnipresence was at work. In the middle of the night, in the midst of the dangerous storm, Jesus came to them, walking on the water!

Out of the many square miles of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked on the water to the exact spot where the boat was. When the astonished disciples cried out in terror, fearful that they were seeing a ghost, Jesus spoke those memorable words of assurance: “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

After Peter also stepped from the boat and walked for a few moments on the water, our Lord was instantly at the very spot to reach out His hand to save the sinking disciple and then bring him safely back to the boat. No wonder that the disciples had the same response as Nathanael had. “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).

This series of remarkable miracles implies omniscience—that Jesus knew all things. The miracle also shows Christ’s omnipotence: Jesus can do all things. But in this specific instance, we also see Christ’s omnipresence. Not one square foot of that wide, wave-tossed lake where the disciples were was outside of Christ’s awareness and presence. What a mighty Lord we serve!

Jesus promised that where two or three of his disciples were assembled, He would be with them.

Soon after His transfiguration, Jesus was discussing how His disciples should handle offenses that would rise among believers. Matthew 18 has become the great pattern for church discipline—the manner in which God’s people ought to deal with offenses among believers. At the end of this important discussion, Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

This remarkable promise testifies to the omnipresence of our Lord and was fulfilled over and over after His Resurrection and Ascension. For example, according to Luke 24:15, when the two disciples journeyed on the road to Emmaus, Jesus came near and walked with them. Meanwhile, as the disciples assembled behind locked doors that same evening for fear of the Jews, Jesus suddenly stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36). In both instances, Jesus appeared and then vanished before their eyes, defying the limitations of time and space.

No longer under any of the limitations He had placed Himself under while on earth, Jesus is able to be with all believers simultaneously. He is the omnipresent Lord! Wherever you are in the world, when you assemble with like-minded believers, Jesus will be there to fulfill His gracious promise: “There am I in the midst of them.” And whenever you are alone, remember His promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

When you pray for a missionary on the other side of the world, Jesus is there with that one at the very moment that you are praying, even though many time zones may separate you from the missionary. When family members or friends in a faraway place are suffering, our Lord is at their side, comforting them at the very same moment when He is prompting you to pray. And whenever you are lonely or hurting, you can know that Jesus is at your side to hear your cries and to respond with grace to meet your deepest need.