I Have Seen The Lord

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:18

Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus followers, possessed a love for Jesus that superseded fear. She stood with the others and witnessed the beating of Jesus, his crucifixion, the earthquake and the dead resurrect and walk around town and no doubt was in shock. The events of the day had been mind boggling but while the others went back to their homes petrified over these events, Mary returned to the tomb.

I’m not sure what really led her to get up early and go to the tomb in the dark for Jerusalem’s landscape is very hostile. There were no street lights to guide her way and the desert terrain is hilly and filled with rocks but she pressed her way in the dark to the tomb. There has always been crime so she had to know that robbers or worst could be lurking in the dark…still she had to get to the place where she knew her Beloved was laid to rest.

I began to think about that for a moment. She was so desperately in love with Him that nothing could keep her from him; not even the place of the dead. To what extent will we press to seek Jesus? We are so boggled down with everyday living that we may give Him a thought before we lay our heads down on our pillow at night but for the most part our busy lifestyles; noise, TVs. Cell phones, entertainment, internet, meetings, family and work consume much of our time. We visit Him when we are in distress or it is convenient although we know in our hearts that we need to “come away with Him,” more often. When we are hungry enough for His presence, we will seek Him with everything in us and press our way through any situation to just be close to Him.

Jesus rewarded this woman’s efforts as she sought Him despite her circumstances of shock, walking in darkness, being associated with Him and being a woman wandering around in the tombs. Peter and John went back to their homes, but she remained at the tomb…crying…weeping…heartbroken…in love with her Lord. She was unaware that she was about to engage in conversation with angels. One angel asked, “Why are you crying?” Good question for many of us in the Church have made an art of crying. We cry for many reasons but not always for Jesus. We cry because of learned behavior, emotional issues, we cry if our song is played, we cry because our lives are hard… but she cried for her Lord and Savior. She desperately desired Him even in His death for she had no idea that he had been resurrected.

Jesus rewards those who seek Him for the Word say, “seek me and you will find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Her heart was in the right place and she was rewarded by the sweetest thing we can ever hear on this earth and that is God calling our name. Jesus, said, “Mary”, and she turned toward him in a face to face encounter. How her heart must had melted to mush and she obviously wanted to hug Him for He told her not to touch him for he had not ascended to the Father but what joy this woman encountered seeing the promise fulfilled.

So often God moves through the least expected ones or the one least qualified in our minds and blesses them. We often think because someone has a title, or powerful, in the ministry, or very educated that God is impressed with them but God sees the heart that seeks Him. He sees the one who is thirsty for Him and longs to be with Him. So many times it is the women of the Church who loves Him hard. So, we see God, who is not a chauvinist working through women to fulfill a purpose because their heart is turned to Him. God announced in the Garden of Eden that there would be enmity between the woman and Satan. To this day most intercessors and those who do spiritual warfare are women. Barak sought the prophetess Deborah to go to war with Him against Sisera and she prophesized to him that the battle would be won by the hand of a woman and the prophesy was fulfilled.

Yes, Jesus gave Mary a message to give to the disciples and He manifested Himself to them as well but He met her first with two of His angels in reward of her seeking Him with a face to face encounter. I'm sure Jesus was blessed that she loved Him enough to seek Him early and it was His pleasure to reveal Himself to her. What an awesome reward to be validated by God for when we truly have an encounter with Him nothing else matters. Seek the Lord and He will meet you when you seek Him with all your heart. Mary had no doubt about whom she served and I am sure there was no double mindedness in her life for she “saw” the Lord.

The gentle calling of a name speaks volumes to a person in distress. When God calls our name He has purpose behind it. It is like a spiritual sticky note that God sends to us saying, “I love you.” Listen to God’s still, quiet voice in your life. For many of us, we will have Heavenly encounters with the Lord this year. Turn down the volume of the radio or CD player sometime and meditate on Jesus and His Word. Don’t be so quick to get up off your knees when prayer is over. Be still and listen…He will be calling your name.