Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
While reading, my spirit was quickened by the fact that Isaiah immediately knew that the one before him was none other than “the Lord.” It appears from the word that Isaiah has chosen to use for Lord, that it emphasizes the idea of possession; “my Lord.” It is an emphasis on God’s sovereign power to reign and rule! Isaiah is not confused as to whom he is standing before; it is his Sovereign Lord, the controller of his life! The thought that began to resonate within my heart was; “Would I know Him?” At first glance, you may think that this is a very absurd question, but there are numerous places in the Word of God where the children of God failed to be aware of His presence. I want to magnify two specific cases that revolve around His bodily resurrection.
John 20:13-15 “And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” There before Mary was the risen Lord and she failed to realize that the one before her was the very one she was looking for! That immediately changed when she heard His Word; “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (John 20:16). Those that belong to God know and respond to His voice; “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
John 21:3-5 “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.” The disciples, lead by Simon Peter, had cast aside their calling to return to the vocation of fishing. Having toiled all night and taken nothing, Jesus appears on the shore, but He is recognized by none at present. All that changed when they saw His works; “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. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord” (John 21:6-7). In those three and one half years they had been privileged to see the many mighty works that He had wrought and the full net was evident that He was once again near.
As I travel about in numerous religious circles; I often hear someone declare that Jesus is present. Unlike Isaiah, I have trouble discerning the presence of “my Lord.” The message is void of His Word and the meeting is void of His works; yet the majority claims to have seen Him, or at less their erratic behavior declares that they have! Like the Apostle Paul, it’s my desire; “That I may know him” (Philippians 3:10); yet there are times when I find myself confused by the professions and performances of others and I wonder if I would know Him.