"But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." Mark 16:6-7
Do you need a second chance today? On the first Easter morning, Peter
needed one. There in the Upper Room, he had insisted that he would never
deny Christ. But just as Jesus had predicted, Peter not only denied the
Lord, but he denied Him three times. The last glimpse Peter had of
Jesus before His crucifixion was in the glow of the fire in the high
priest's courtyard, where he actually made eye contact with Jesus. And
then he went out and wept bitterly.What
kind of look do you think Jesus gave Peter when their eyes met? Do you
think it was one of those I-told-you-so looks? Do you think it was one
of scorn, as if to say, "How could you betray Me?" I don't think it was
either one. I think it was a look of love, a look of compassion that
said, "I still love you, Peter." And I believe that is why Peter went
out and wept bitterly. He had failed the Lord so miserably. He probably
thought there was no hope for him. But then a
message went out from the empty tomb that Jesus had risen, followed by
these instructions, "Go, tell His disciples—and Peter. . . ." It was
not, "Go tell the disciples, including Peter, James, and John. . . ." It
was just Peter, because Peter needed a special word of encouragement.
Do
you need encouragement today? Maybe you have fallen short. You didn't
plan on it, but it happened. And like Peter, maybe you ended up with the
wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time, ultimately doing the
wrong thing.God gave Peter a second chance. And He will give you one, too—because Easter is for the person who needs a second chance.
By Greg Laurie
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