Weekly Devotion
April 27, 2025

He Knows My Name

On Easter Sunday I felt it was a privilege to refer to my older brother Phillip and his work. He had a lot of influence on my discipleship into Jesus. He also taught me about critical thinking and how important that is to the issues we face today. Thus I know how meaningful it was to him to “hear God’s voice” saying, “The resurrection is real, Phillip!”

The fact that Word named Phillip is significant to me. It’s so important to us to be named, and to be known by name.We are each called by the resurrected Christ who knows us by name!

In John 20, Mary of Magdala stood weeping outside the tomb. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.

Mary was the first preacher in John’s gospel, not because she recognized Jesus, but because he knew her, and called her by her name. In the moment of revelation and connection, there was a calling to this woman on the outside of her society, who had no status except that Jesus saw her, and knew who she was, and whose she was.

From a burial garden in 35AD to Turin, Italy in 2010AD (that is, from Mary to my brother Phillip) is a long time. And yet, Jesus called them both by name. And he still does today!

Jesus sees you. The Christ knows you. The Christ knows you even when you don’t know the Christ or recognize him! You are known. You are seen. You are loved.

And you are called into the work of the Living God; you are baptized into the work of the Holy Spirit, which is no less than the healing of the world (2 Corinthians 5 “God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation”). You’re not preaching the first sermon. That’s happened already, but you’ve got sermons to preach!!

We’ve been ordained, just like Mary, by the One who knows all about us. I’m inviting you to look in the mirror: see yourself and recognize yourself as deputized by the Living God, because he knows your name! Amen.

Thanks for ideas from Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, pastor of Collegiate Church, New York City.
- David Wiebe