(Can you imagine the mood in Jerusalem after Jesus died?  Especially if you were one of His followers?  All 12 disciples deserted Jesus the night He was betrayed.  That was the last interaction they had with Him.  Peter went on to deny Jesus three times, and when the rooster crowed, he wept bitterly.  I bet there was a lot of weeping.  From everyone who loved Him. 

That is why the story of the resurrection still holds power today.  None of the disciples knew Jesus was coming back.  Even though He told them face to face, they could not comprehend it yet.  That Sunday morning three women visited Jesus’ grave: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and their friend, Salome.  Upon discovering the empty tomb, they ran and told Peter and John.

I chose to park on Peter.  What would be going through that man’s head as he experienced this day?  Would his guilt over denying Jesus be crushing his spirit?  Or would the fact that he had a second chance to see his teacher to make amends override those feelings?  That is where we pick up the narrative.)

I couldn’t believe I did it.  He had told me I would deny Him, but no!  How could I deny the Son of God?  My teacher.  My Savior.  My everything. 

When your life is on the line, things change.  None of the disciples were with me.  We had all scattered away like scared mice.  The chill of the evening air led me to a courtyard where others were warming themselves.  That was when a servant girl recognized me as one of Jesus’ disciples.

When she called me out, the words came out of my mouth before I even had the chance to think.  No, I didn’t know Him.  Later another recognized me.  Same story.  Finally, it happened a third time.  This time I was adamant.

“Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” (Luke 22:60)

The moment the last word escaped my lips, a hideous noise pierced the darkness.  It was the crowing of a rooster.  It jolted my entire being, and I immediately flashed back to the moment Jesus flat out told me this would happen.

I couldn’t contain myself.  I ran off into the darkness, threw myself onto my knees, and wept like a baby.  The tears wouldn’t stop.  All I could say was that I was sorry.  Over and over again.

I didn’t sleep at all that night.  Even though I wasn’t there, I knew what was happening.  The Romans were going to crucify my Lord.  As the dawn arrived, I could only imagine what torture He was enduring.  But I couldn’t witness it.  Guilt crushed my soul. 

I spent the entire day hiding out, but I was going through my own torture.  Faintly, just faintly, I could hear the shouts and commotion coming from the city.  I wept until there were no more tears left inside me. 

It was as if I had failed Him.

I was totally on autopilot.  Hiding in complete shame.  Around 3:00 pm a rumble jolted me from my funk.  The ground shook, and I ran outside to see what was happening.  The sky was as black as the night.  Winds swirled.  The entire town was in commotion, and when someone said the dead were rising from the grave, I had seen and heard enough.

I went back into hiding.

The next day was the Sabbath.  There was nothing I could do but sleep.  Depression sank in.  When I awoke, I knew I had to find John.  Our paths crossed mid-afternoon, and we went straight back into hiding.  Had we shown our faces, WE might have been crucified. 

Neither of us really knew what to say.  We both had abandoned Him when our feet were held to the fire.  We were all guilty.  All we could do was whisper.  I found out that John had witnessed the crucifixion.  He shared every bloody detail. 

It was almost impossible to rest.  When the day ended, I couldn’t sleep.  I tossed and turned all night.  John did as well.  I might have eeked out a couple hours, but nothing could replace the feeling of what happened next.

John and I were talking quietly when the door flung open.  It was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome.  Mary Magdalene was talking so fast, we could barely understand her words.  When she said Jesus had risen, we both sprinted to the grave.

Nothing was ever like the running we did that morning.  It must have been my lack of sleep and depressed mood that led John to beat me there.  We couldn’t believe our eyes.  The grave was empty!  We left to tell the other disciples.

One by one they emerged from hiding.  Everyone but Thomas was there.  We locked the door in fear of the Romans finding us.  There was so much rumor, so much speculation.  Hope flooded our hearts.  We wanted to believe this was all true, but we still hadn’t seen Him yet.

Until all of a sudden He was there!

“Peace be with you,” He said. (John 20:19)

How did He get in???  The door was locked!  Well, I mean, He is Jesus.  I am pretty sure the Son of God can do as He pleases.  We marveled at the scars on His hands and feet.  He told us He was sending us out to spread His legacy.  Are you kidding me?  After seeing that, how could I not?

He left as quickly as He came.  It just wasn’t enough time with Him!  I wanted to talk to Him.  Ask Him questions.  Pick His brain.  All He did was tell us to receive the Holy Spirit and that we had this new power to forgive sins. 

Forgive sins?

I had to begin with my own sin.  After all, I had denied Him.  Three times to be exact.  I had to wrestle with that for some time, but a peace that only Jesus could give seemed to overwhelm my body.  It was as if He was saying that I, Peter, was forgiven! 

All this was so foreign to me, but I embraced it.  And it sure as heck beat the depressed feeling I was fighting over the past few days.  The serenity of that moment stuck with me, and I began to hear Jesus’ soothing voice speak truth to me.

Peter, your sins are forgiven.  That is why I went to the cross.  Not just for you, but for the world.  It is what My Father wanted. 

It was so hard to wrap my head around.  This grace was so foreign to me, but I had no choice.  I had to embrace it.  Not only that but tell the WORLD about it! 

I better let it sink in first.  I need to savor it.  Experience it.  Live it.  I need to let this feeling overwhelm my entire being as it is doing now. 

There is absolutely nothing like it.

Bible study: Read John 20 and journal about or discuss the following questions …

1. God chose three women to discover the empty tomb.  How does this add to the validity of the story of the resurrection considering women were not revered as they are now?
2. What mixture of feelings was Mary Magdalene feeling when she saw Jesus outside of the tomb for the first time?
3. If you were to fill in the gaps of what is told about Jesus’ first visit to His disciples that night, what do you think happened? (John 20:19-23) What was said?  Were any questions asked?  How long did Jesus stay?
4. Why do you think Thomas didn’t believe until he saw Jesus?  Would you believe without seeing?  Do you believe now even though Jesus is not here to tell us things face to face?  Why?
5. Verse 30 says the disciples saw Jesus perform many other miracles not recorded.  What do you think some of these miracles were? 

Song application: “The Cross” by Anne Wilson and Chris Tomlin

You’ve been tryin’ hard to bear the weight of all your shame
And if there’s a God up there, you’re sure He forgot your name
When your steps are getting heavy, and hope looks all but lost
Just bring it all to the cross

Who told you grace can’t reach the messed up ones like you?
Has the devil made you believe the lies he tells are true?
When you’re sure that you’re the one who’s wandered too far off
It’s not too late
Just come home to the cross

Come and see a Savior’s love that would die to make you new
Nothing you have ever done, can change what mercy’s done for you
And if you ever wonder if you’re worth so great a cost
Look up and see the cross

Video application: This is my favorite Good Friday video.  Since today is Good Friday, I hope you take the time to enjoy it.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the magic of Easter!  Let us celebrate this day not just for family or Easter candy but even more for the love you showed us through your Son.  I praise you for the power He showed for conquering the grave.  Amen.