On this day-after-Easter I recall my favorite Resurrection day passage (and one of my all time favorites period):
"Mark 16 1And when the Sabbath passed, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, [†]although it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, the place where they laid Him. 7But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment were gripping them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."
Two words leap off the page - "and Peter"
A few days prior Peter had nastily denied he knew Jesus....three times.
Can't imagine how Peter felt after that horrific action.
But Jesus knew.
And apparently the other disciples knew about Peter's denial.
So the passage reveals the "young man" (an angel) telling the women that Jesus who had been crucified was no longer dead!
The angel then instructs them, "But go, tell His disciples and Peter..."
The angel, speaking for God, did not want the other disciples or Peter to think he was no longer in their ranks. The angel specifically included "and Peter" to ensure the women did not exclude Peter.
No clue what Peter felt like after denying the Lord...heartache? Disgust? Fury?
Nor do I know what Peter felt when the women told him of the resurrection.
But I do know what I feel like when I've failed the Lord.
And I know something about the "and Jack" that comes wrapped with the forgiveness promised in 1 John 1.9.
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