The Resurrection is Personal
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)
Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome brought spices to Jesus’s tomb in order to anoint his body. As they approached the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb’s entrance. There, an angel of the Lord spoke to them.
The tomb was empty. Jesus has risen.
Peter was specifically mentioned by the angel. Peter was a devout follower of Jesus. He followed Jesus for three years, and truly “fished for men.” Peter promised Jesus that he would always follow him. But as the crucifixion approached, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. And that’s just what Peter did. He denied Jesus three times, pleading, “I don’t know the man.” Peter and the disciples scattered when Jesus was apprehended. Instead of following Jesus by his side, they followed him from a distance.
Are we following Jesus from a distance? Have we made promises to Jesus that we didn’t keep?
We can all relate to Simon Peter. Simon Peter ran away and wept. He couldn't get his mind off of failure; off of Friday. We’ve often made promises to Jesus we didn’t keep. We’ve often failed in the “fridays” of our lives.
Jesus rose from the grave with power and authority. The same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in you and me. Jesus rose from the grave so we could rise out of our past, out of our sin, and out of our failure. It can be easy to drift back in our faith when we have failed. But in Jesus we have the power to overcome sin and shame. Jesus bore our shame and our guilt on the cross so we don't have to live with it.
When Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus asked Simon Peter if he loved him. Peter said “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. Jesus was giving Simon Peter an opportunity to redeem himself. Jesus wasn’t asking because He didn't know the answer. Jesus was asking because Peter didn’t know if he knew the answer himself.
Jesus’s sacrifice was personal. He lived a righteous life and offered that perfect life for you and me. Jesus not only died for the whole world. He died for you and me. Even though we may have “fridays” in our lives, Jesus has given us “sundays.” Jesus has given us redemption.
Prayer: Jesus, we invite you into our lives to be our Lord and our Savior. Help us to be in constant reminder that we have resurrection power within us, Father. Help us to bury our guilt and shame. Help us to realize our distance and come closer to you. Jesus, we ask that you give us opportunities to speak to others about your sacrifice for us. Amen.