by Carol Martin
She knew He was dead. She had watched the crucifixion. Mary followed Joseph of Arimathaea to the grave where He was laid. On the third day, she came with others to anoint the body with spices and found the stone had been rolled away. Mary supposed that someone had stolen His body and she wept. Oh, how she cried. And then, He spoke her name.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. John 20:16 (KJV)
In that moment, when Jesus spoke Mary’s name…she knew Him. She recognized His voice in an instant. It was unmistakable. His voice carried all the depth of the love that He felt for her. I have a feeling that we will all recognize His voice. We all have something deep inside of us that knows our Savior.
God spoke the names of many Bible saints, including Adam, Abraham and Sarah. He told Israel, “I have called thee by thy name and thou art mine.” When the Father spoke the names of these people, it must have staggered them. It didn’t stop when Bible times ended. God still speaks the names of His people and we need to be listening.
I feel like God is speaking to me…calling my name. He has lain on my heart that I must share with you my words and my heart. I know this, because I can’t get away from it, can’t get it out of my head. It’s not like anything else before. It’s not something that I asked for, or that I completely understand. He has spoken my name. And I must answer Him.
by Carol Martin