Resurrection Sunday

Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011

It's All About Life
Mark 16:-7

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Dear friends,

Today each of us says it with great joy, “It's Jesus, Peter, and me; and it's all about life!” During Lent we've seen Peter's sin filled life, but today we see Peter being welcomed back to life.

Early this Easter morning three women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. But instead of a cold dead body, they find a angel who tells them that Jesus isn't in the tomb. He's risen! Go tell Peter!

The message singled out—of all people—Peter. After Peter's track record of disobeying Jesus and even denying Jesus, we would expect the angels to tell the women to tell everybody, except Peter.

But this is the Gospel. There's life after sin because it was all for Peter. The cross was for Peter. Jesus' death was for Peter. The resurrection was for Peter. Now there is forgiveness for Peter.

After Peter denied Jesus, he must have felt dead. But to hear the words of the angels as the faithful women reported what they heard, Peter must have felt the weight of death lift. Then as he investigated the empty tomb, the hope of life continued to grow. And then Peter saw Him in the flesh. His certain death was stopped by Jesus' death on the cross... and then Jesus came back from the dead to tell him that he was forgiven. Certain death became certain life!

One last time we are see ourselves in Peter. Certainly in our sin. But just as certainly in the forgiveness of our sin. Because Christ physically rose from the the dead, our certain death also became certain life! Easter is all about life.

This is why we cry out this Easter with Peter: He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!