I am inspired, sisters and brothers, by the stories in the bible between Jesus' resurrection and his ascension into heaven. There were several times when the disciples did not recognize Jesus in their midst. Mary Magdalene didn't recognize him immediately at the tomb. She thought he was the gardener. The disciples on the road to Emmaus didn't recognize him. The thought he was a stranger. And in John 21:1-14, the disciples did not recognize Jesus on the shore of Galilee after a failed night of fishing without a catch. Jesus shouted out to the disappointed disciples telling them, "Throw your nets on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some(v6)." They did as he said and caught more fish than they could haul in. John the beloved disciple recognized Jesus first telling Peter, "It is the LORD! (v7)
We had best recognize, my sisters and brothers, the very presence of the LORD in our lives!!! He lives, moves and has his being in the earth today through the Holy Spirit! I pray that when Jesus shows up in your crisis, on the way to your destination, in your disappoint, on your the job, in your community and at your church that you can, as John did, recognize him in the midst. We can recognize Jesus by strengthening our relation with him. But not only that. My prayer is that we know his voice and can distinguish HIS VOICE from ALL the voices and chatter out there! May we be willing to obey our risen Savior and receive what he has for us! Jesus saves!
