Upon hearing the report of the women who had visited the tomb early Sunday morning, and of hearing about their encounter with two men who appeared to be angels, and about how the tomb was empty, and about how they were reminded of Jesus words telling them all that He would be crucified and then rise again on the Third day, “Peter got up and ran to the tomb” (vs. 12). I suppose he just had to see for himself. What was going on in his mind during those minutes we can only surmise, but I’m sure it had something to do with hope. After all he had failed miserably on Thursday night and Friday, and he was in state of frustration, and most likely carried more guilt and grief than any of us can imagine. Perhaps he ran to the tomb hoping against hope that maybe, in some strange and miraculous and mysterious way, Jesus really could be alive.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all tell the story of post resurrection events a bit differently but all of them hold to one certainty, that those who had loved Jesus in His life were stunned and in awe, and maybe even a little bit of bewilderment as they went through the process of sorting everything out. On the one hand, it was just impossible. On the other hand, there was the empty tomb. On the one hand, maybe someone had broken into the tomb and stole the body. On the other hand, the people who were the first witnesses were credible people so why would they lie? It would take Jesus revealing Himself to be alive over a fifty-day period before it would all sink it. But when it did all sink in, wow – what a dramatic turn of events that set into motion a movement that is still picking up steam some two thousand years later.
One of the first spokesmen for the resurrected Lord was no one other than Peter. Who would have thought it? From failure to triumph, Peter rose up, under the power of the Holy Spirit, and became the man Jesus knew he could be. And, it all began to come together for Peter as he stooped and looked inside the empty tomb and saw only “the linen wrappings” that had been placed around the dead body of Jesus. The body was gone and Luke says that Peter “went away to his home, marveling at what had happened” (vs. 12).
The resurrection of Jesus changed the course of Peter’s life. After Pentecost we’ll see just how transformed Peter was. Yet, that is his story. What about us? How has the resurrection impacted you and me? In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul called the church to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The life of Peter, and Paul, reveals to us that transformation really can happen in our world.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Edmon L. Budry, 1884, Translate by Richard B. Hoyle, 1923)
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