When He Spoke Her Name ....

Another Resurrection Day has come and is nearly gone.  Like Christmas, Easter is an occasion that I hope Christians celebrate in their hearts every day.  But I must confess that often I'm guilty of referring to these precious, holy days as "the holidays."   I'm sure congregants in churches all over the world today were reminded of the details of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord.  Our wonderful pastor shared a message of hope, joy, and purpose as the gifts we were afforded by what happened in Jerusalem that week so long ago.  As he described the scene at the tomb that morning of the third day, with the women coming to anoint the body of Jesus, I tried to imagine just what that must have really been like.   The women were in shock to find the massive stone rolled away from the entrance to the grave and, when they ran inside to look ... He was gone!

 

Stumbling back outside in shock and grief, they came across a man.  Mistaking Him for the caretaker they asked what had happened to Jesus.   They were standing right in front of their Messiah ... face to face with their risen Lord.  Mary looked Him right in the eyes and begged Him to tell her where they had taken Jesus.  She stared into His face and didn't know who He was.

 

But when He spoke her name ....

 

What must that moment have been like for her?  We know she knew instantly who He was ... fell at His feet in worship.  To have Him speak my name.  My name.  My own name on the lips of my Savior.   And then it dawned on me.

He speaks my name!

 

He stands at the right hand of the Father, constantly interceding for us all .... bringing us to the attention of Jehovah God ... and calling each one of us by name.   My name ... and yours ... is on His lips day and night, never ending.  My name ... spoken with amazing love and tenderness by the One who paid all my debts and covered my shortcomings with His blood.   I am awed and humbled as I find myself weeping in worship at His feet.  And for those who have not met this man called Jesus ... He speaks your name as well.  Calling you to find the peace, joy and hope that comes with being a child of the Most High God.   Mary looked right into the face of God and did not know who He was.

 

But when He spoke her name ...