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Day Four
In Mark’s account of the Resurrection there is an interesting detail. After the women arrive at the tomb and find it empty, they encounter a young man dressed in white who tells them about the miracle that has taken place:
“Don’t be alarmed. 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 16:6-7 (NIV)
It’s the wording of the instruction that is fascinating to me: “Go, tell his disciples, and Peter.”
And Peter. What’s up with that? Why mention Peter?
Of course, from our perspective we know something unique must be happening for Peter. We know the full story of what took place after Jesus was arrested, when Peter denied three times that he even knew the carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus predicted it, his prediction came true, and now Peter must be struggling with an indescribable level of guilt and shame. So the fact that Peter gets singled out in the command given to the women is very interesting.
You can almost imagine the scene when they return to the disciples:
“You won’t believe what’s happened! The tomb of Jesus is empty! And a young man, probably an angel of God, told us to come back here and tell you that Jesus has risen from the grave!”
Murmurs of excitement, disbelief, and confusion sweep through the room, and then the women continue:
“And he specifically mentioned you, Peter!”
What would Peter have made of that? I like to think that he saw it as an invitation, that it was a word of good news that extended to everyone, even him. If the angel wanted Peter to know Jesus was alive, then there still was hope for him to find forgiveness for his denial.
Which, of course, is exactly what happened. John records it in his gospel:
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’
Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’
The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’
Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’”—John 21:15-19 (NIV)
For each of the three times Peter denied Christ, he is given an opportunity to declare his love for Jesus. And as Jesus concludes his restoration of Peter, he issues the same invitation that began Peter’s life as a disciple: “Follow me!”
We can’t know everything Peter wrestled with in the days between the angel’s announcement and this shoreline encounter (but the fact that he literally leaps into the water at the chance to see the risen Lord gives us a clue as to his hopes), but there’s no doubt this story is a powerful example of the redemptive power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Peter may have denied Christ, but even that does not disqualify him from service in the kingdom. Whatever fear, whatever shame, whatever uncertainty Peter might have struggled with following his failure, it melts away as Jesus looks on him with compassion and forgiveness and says, “You are my disciple. You are the one who will feed my lambs.”
Friends, this is good news: we are not defined by the times we have turned from God, as long as we are willing to respond to the one standing on the shore of our souls, beckoning us to come and be restored. It is there that we are reminded who we really are: his beloved, his disciples, his servants, and his friends.
It is an astounding gift of this season of resurrection—we, too, are raised to new life. We who were dead in our sins have been forgiven and transformed. We are not who we were before.
I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am
Read the rest of the lyrics here
Questions for Reflection
1) Are you able to imagine the inner journey Peter took following his denial of Christ, maybe even identify with it? How has Jesus met you in your guilt and shame and restored you? Spend some time offering to God your gratitude that your sins and failures do not define you.
2) After denying Jesus around a fire in the courtyard of the high priest, Peter is now restored around a fire built by the Lord to offer sustenance. How has Jesus offered strength and spiritual food to you in your times of desperation and need? Imagine Jesus has built a fire and invited you to come sit with him—what would you desire to hear from him today? What would you desire to say to him today?
3) While we may desire to root our identity in what God says about us, there are other voices that say things about us that are not consistent with God’s word. What lies about your identity are you most prone to believe? Spend some time sitting with the truth of who you are in Christ, reflecting on these promises from scripture:
You are loved.—1 John 3:3
You are accepted.—Ephesians 1:6
You are a child of God.—John 1:12
You are Jesus' friend.—John 15:14
You are a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him.—Romans 8:17
You are united with God and one spirit with Him.—1 Corinthians 6:17
You are a temple of God. His Spirit and his life lives in you.—1 Corinthians 6:19
You are a member of Christ's body.—1 Corinthians 12:27
You are redeemed and forgiven.—Colossians 1:14
You are complete in Jesus Christ.—Colossians 2:10
You are free from condemnation.—Romans 8:1
You are a new creation.—2 Corinthians 5:17
You are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved.—Colossians 3:12
4) Spend some time contemplating this quote. Do you agree? How does it speak to you?
“If there's anything more exhausting than running from your enemies, it must be running from your true identity in God.”—Laura Story
5) Read and reflect on this passage of Scripture. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”—Galatians 2:20 (ESV)