In the four Gospels’ accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, Mark includes an interesting detail. The women arrive at the empty tomb and are met by angels who fill them in on what has happened.
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Mark 16:5-7, NIV
The angel tells the women to report to the disciples what they’ve seen, and follows it up with a specific request to tell Peter. Why was Peter singled out for this special mention? No doubt he had been feeling particularly bad that weekend—perhaps more so than the other followers of Christ. While Peter also grieved the loss, he carried the extra burden of shame for his 3 denials before Jesus went to the cross.
This special mention may show that God wanted to restore hope to Peter, making sure that he was one of the first to know that the resurrection was true. It certainly looks like the news had a greater impact on him than some of the other disciples. While some initially hemmed and hawed at the women’s account of the empty tomb, Peter bolted out the door and ran to see it for himself. Putting ourselves in Peter’s shoes might help us to understand his reaction—knowing that we’d injured someone we love without the opportunity to make it right before they died. After feeling so rotten, Peter learns that Jesus is alive again and his joy is uncontained! I think the special angel shout-out to Peter was to reassure him that forgiveness and his restored relationship with Christ was forthcoming. Indeed, God is in the restoration business and longs to bring home family members who have strayed.
But this is just one sub-story within the larger resurrection narrative of redemption. For those who’ve never been part of God’s family, Easter introduces hope to a hopeless world. Our sin was atoned for when Jesus died in our place, and death was conquered when he rose from the grave. As a result, all who put their trust in Jesus need never fear death again.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15, NIV
The resurrection of Jesus assures believers that one day we also will be raised to life.
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27, NIV
On this Easter Sunday, if you find yourself outside of God’s house looking in, please know that he longs to bring you into the fold of his family. Like Peter and millions of other believers, you too can know that your sins are forgiven and death no longer has power over you. Jesus is just a prayer away.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9, NIV
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9, NIV
Confess + Believe = Salvation. God does not make it complicated.
If you’d like to know more, there are some great resources and answers to your questions at these websites:
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: https://billygraham.org/
Greg Laurie/Harvest Christian Fellowship: https://harvest.org/know-god/
On the journey toward Home,
