They knew Him, do you?

God created the earth and put man in it.  God gave man instructions and provided all that man needed.  Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8 heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Adam knew the voice of God and His footsteps, by His walking style, Adam and Eve knew these): and Adam and his wife, hid themselves, from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Adam was with God for a while before Eve came into the garden physically. Remember, Eve was in Adam from his creation, Genesis 1:27 and 2:21-25.  Adam knew the voice of God and His footsteps like no one else. When God called Adam, he knew that was God. Have you heard the voice of the Lord?

In Luke 5:3-9, the Lord said unto Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” And Simon answering said, unto him, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. Have you heard the Lord’s voice lately in your life? You may wonder the importance of this event. Simon was a seasoned fisherman who had toiled all night and caught nothing. Here the Master asked him to cast his net for a draught or catch. It happened exactly as the Master said to him. How could anyone present forget that experience of ‘at thy word’? Listen to Simon in verse 8; when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” This was an experience never to be forgotten by Simon and those involved. Have you heard that voice?

John (apostle) John 21:5-7 reads, “Then Jesus saith unto them, children, have ye any meat?” They answered him, “no.” And he said unto them, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Then, that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, it is the Lord. Here again you see a pattern:  in the foregoing paragraph the Lord met the apostles and Peter in particular. They caught nothing all night and the Lord said, cast the net for a draught; and in this paragraph they caught nothing again. And the Lord said, cast the net to the right side of the ship and ye shall find.  These two incidences surely pointed to a pattern and that is, that of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can identify him by his pattern; only he speaks in such a manner and it comes to pass. You better know him by his pattern, like John. If you were there and heard, “cast the net and you will catch,” you will immediately know that something strange is about to happen: and it is our Lord Jesus Christ at work. Know that it is the Lord by the pattern. Now consider this next situation and think about what your reaction would have been if you were there. Have you noticed any of the Lord’s patterns or voice lately?

According to, John 20:1-17, Mary was another believer that was able to know her Lord by the voice He used when calling her. The believer was Mary Magdalene. After the death and burial of Jesus Christ, some of his followers thought it was all over. Some were sad and almost in hiding, were discouraged and not knowing what was next. Yet some remembered He talked about, the third day after his death of something unusual occurring. Mary was of the later group and even stayed around the sepulcher. She came the first day of the week, early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away. She ran to Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, told them what she noticed. They ran to the sepulcher and saw the linen clothes lie and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. The disciples went way again unto their own homes; for as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead.

Mary stayed back at the sepulcher after the disciples went back to their homes.  She wanted to know what happened to Jesus. She stood weeping at the sepulcher, and she saw two angels; who said unto her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She answered, inquiring where the body of Jesus was laid. In verse 14, “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.” She saw Jesus but did not recognize him. Jesus even asked who she was looking for. She supposed he was a gardener and asked, if he, the supposed gardener had borne him; to please tell her where he laid Him, so that she may take Him away. She believed that the third day carried a miracle.

Then the miraculous happened when Jesus in verse 16, said unto her, ‘Mary’. She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say Master. The power of recognition was at work here. When she first spoke with Jesus, she thought He was a gardener. He was veiled in appearance and voice that she saw and talked with Him but did not know it was Jesus. When He then spoke, calling her by her name certain revelations were made known. The ‘voice and the sound’ and Mary recognized it, by the peculiar sound; and she remembered and knew whose voice it was and called Him Master. Do you know Him by His voice? Are you familiar with the sound of the Master’s voice? Mary knew his voice and the sound of it. Do you fit in with the testimony of people like Mary Magdalene? Have you heard the voice lately?

In Luke 24: 13-32, two disciples on their way to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus Christ had a strange encounter. These disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus: And were reasoning about all that happened, about the death and expected resurrection of Jesus Christ. As they walked, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But they knew not it was Jesus because their eyes were held that they should not know him. He just walked along with them as if going beyond Emmaus. The disciples rehearsed all, concerning the ordeals Jesus went through up to not finding His body and much more. Jesus upbraided them for their attitudes and began to speak to them about the prophecies of the prophets.

 When they got to Emmaus it was dark, and they persuaded Him to pass the night with them and He agreed. While they were at the table to eat their supper verse 30-31, “He took bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave to them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.” It is very interesting to note that Jesus suddenly vanished out of their sight when their eyes were opened. It meant they then recognized Him. They walked and talked with Him all the way to Emmaus without identifying Him; until He took bread and blessed it and brake and gave to them. The only explanation here was that these two disciples were in one or more of the following to know is pattern:

1. These two disciples may have been present at the feeding of the four or five thousands.
2. These two disciples may have witnessed the last supper.
3. These two disciples may have heard from others who saw Jesus handle, bless and break bread before giving out to anyone. A recognizable style peculiar to Jesus Christ. 

This meant they saw or knew from someone the way that Jesus Christ handled, blessed and brake bread. He must have had a mannerism to handling bread, breaking it and giving or handing it out to people. This peculiar style helped these two disciples to have their eyes opened; to identify who had this style and He vanished. Does your work and walk with the Lord help you recognize Him in unusual situations like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus? Have you identified the Lord’s pattern lately?

007 – They knew Him, do you?