Including Peter     

Read: Mark 16:1-7 NLT – The Resurrection – Saturday evening, – Bible Gateway

“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” Mark 16:7 NLT

Can you recall the feeling you had when you were left out of something? You volunteer for a good-will project, put in the effort to make it successful and when the day comes to begin the project you are not selected to participate. It made not have been anything you have done to be left off the project, but for some reason you were not chosen to participate. Hurt feelings are sure to arise.

But, what about if you had done something irresponsible to give your organization a bad name that precipitated in you not being included? You would still feel hurt, but also sad remorse for what could have been, but wasn’t. You no longer have any  control over the situation. The good-will project will go on without you.

Peter, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, had done something which he thought eliminated him from any future good-will project. He denied three times that he even knew his master, Jesus. Remembering what Jesus said that before the evening was over he would deny Him three times, Peter went out and wept bitterly after he did exactly what Jesus said he would do. For sure Peter gave Jesus a bad reputation by being associated with a liar. Any chance to work on His behalf would seem to be lost. But that was not the case.

On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave the three women came to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty except for an angel sitting on the right side. The women were frighten and did not know what to say so the angel encouraged them by saying, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.” (Mk.16:6 nlt) Then the angel told them to go tell the disciples, ‘including Peter,’ to go meet Jesus in Galilee. Peter was not going to be left off the team. By God’s grace and forgiveness Peter was restored to do a great work for Christ.