The Shekinah: God’s Presence In the Life of Jesus

Although the word Shekinah does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, Jewish tradition describes it as something deeply biblical: the tangible nearness of God. Coming from the Hebrew root sh-k-n, “to dwell” or “to abide,” Shekinah points to the mystery of God —not far off, but among humanity.

Early rabbinic writings describe the Shekinah as the indwelling presence of God that accompanies Israel through history. Neither a separate being nor feminine deity, but rather an expression conveying God’s closeness, compassion, and guidance.

In the Tabernacle

One central example comes from the wilderness years: when Moses finished the Tabernacle, a luminous cloud descended, filled the tent, and rested above the ark. This glory stayed with Israel as a visible sign that God had taken up residence among them as the Shekinah:

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34-35

Shekinah – God’s Presence in the Life of Jesus

Shekinah describes the God who cannot be contained, yet who chooses to dwell among God’s people, an idea that becomes especially compelling when considering moments in the life of Jesus. The New Testament also reaches for the language of divine presence—light, glory, cloud, voice—to describe certain events. While it is not a one-to-one borrowing from the rabbinic idea, the resonance is unmistakable.

Here are five moments in the gospel story where we might gently say: the Shekinah rests here too.

1. The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel tells Mary that God will “overshadow” her. The ancient church heard in this word an echo of the cloud that overshadowed the Tent of Meeting. The God who once filled the Tabernacle with glory now draws near to a humble young woman. In this overshadowing, Christians see the Shekinah as coming to  dwell with us on earth in a new way.

2. The Boy Jesus Among the Teachers

At twelve, Jesus remains in the Temple— site of sacrifice and teaching and the earthly location of God’s Presence, successor to the cloud-filled Tabernacle of Exodus where the Shekinah dwelled in the Holy of Holies. When Jesus sits among the teachers, listening and asking questions, the Shekinah is there, dwelling in the Holy of Holies of his ‘Father’s house,’ (Luke 2). The astonishment of Jesus’ teachers suggests that divine wisdom is stirring in their midst, permeating and illuminating the courts of the Temple.

3. The Baptism in the Jordan

As Jesus rises from the water following his baptism, the heavens open, and the Spirit descends like a dove. A voice from Heaven affirms him as ‘beloved’. The Shekinah is a vivid light from above, the Spirit descending, God’s nearness visible and audible and a public sign that Jesus’ ministry is beginning within the embrace of God’s dwelling presence.

4. Gethsemane

In the garden, just before his arrest, Jesus prays in anguish. The radiant Shekinah in Jewish tradition is also God’s presence comforting the sorrowing. In the nighttime shadows of Gethsemane, there is no visible light, only intimacy: the Son held in the Father’s quiet nearness as he faces betrayal. Here the Shekinah is the God-with-us who does not abandon us in our fear.

5. The Resurrection

At dawn that Sunday, the women encounter the stone rolled away and a world transformed. Gospel writers reach for the language of lightning and dazzling garments, images of glory. These are signs that the Presence that once filled the Tabernacle now fills the garden. The Shekinah has moved out of any confines and into creation, marking the victory of life.

God’s Presence in the Life of Jesus and in Ours

Tracing the Shekinah through these moments is the unfolding of a story of divine companionship. From the ancient Tabernacle of Moses’s time and through Mary’s quiet encounter in her room to the empty tomb, God’s Presence dwells with humanity—steadily, graciously, and always drawing us toward life.

Following the Shekinah through these moments is the unfolding of a continuous thread, tracing God’s presence dwelling amongst us—from cloud and fire in the wilderness to the radiance that surrounds Jesus’ life, including at the Transfiguration when an audible voice from a bright cloud confirmed:

A bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5

The same Presence that once filled the Tabernacle meets humanity in the life of Jesus.

The Shekinah has not withdrawn. It has drawn nearer still.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

(Immanuel is Hebrew for “God with us.”)

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