He has risen! He has risen indeed!
It's Easter Morning and Mike and I enjoyed an amazing California sunrise from our patio. We live in what I like to gratefully call, Our Garden of Eden. We sit between the Tuolumne River and the main irrigation canal. In this fertile crescent below us lies fruit of almost every kind, and beyond us are the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. Truly we are blessed but particularly this morning as we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I'm coming off a particularly bad week of both physical and emotional sickness. I'm not sure which came first but both existed and had me in bed. As Mike and I read the four accounts of the resurrection, I was struck by Mark's version in Mark 15 especially verse 7 where the angel instructed the ladies to go and tell the disciple and Peter that Jesus had risen and was to meet them in Galilee.
I love Peter, precious co-dependent, live out loud, hoof and mouth disease,get-it-done, isolating, shame-filled Peter. I'm confident that God uses his example in other people's lives but I'm pretty sure, Peter's flawed self was exposed for me. I am the Romans 8:28 for him.
My thought was . . . Is Jesus still so keenly aware of the guilt and shame we carry around like He was aware of Peter's.? I know and believe that God has forgiven me of my sins, all of them, past present and future. NO DOUBT! But the shame and the hurting of other in my sinful choices, how can that go away? How did it go away for Peter?
I truly believe Roman 8:28, and try to practice Philippians 4:8, still the shame for my sin exists. Peter must have wanted to leave the country . . . find a different place, change his name after the third time the cock crowed just four days before. Was he even at the crucifixion? I haven't researched that yet, but if he were there my gut says he was hiding, not hanging with the others. Even if he was there with them physically, I have to believe he was there cloaked in his shame and guilt. He was a believer, a follower, one of Jesus' closest friends and yet he had betrayed him publicly. Denied it all. Through this flawed, bigger than life individual God let me see Peter's successes after his shameful, public failure.
What power changed him from isolating, co-dependent Peter to the powerhouse apostle and leader of the church he became?
God showed me today at our private sunrise time; He reinforced it as Pastor Rick Countryman nailed it this morning and then in His gentleness, loved me in a text from my oldest daughter, Leslie.
In Mark's account of the resurrection, the angel singles out Peter, then the resurrected Savior appears to Peter alone, both speak to God's concern for hurting people who just can not forgive themselves. Those whose grief over their sin strangles them. But Matthew's account in chapter 28:17 at the transfiguration, I think, say this . . ."All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth." (Jesus speaking). This power was not new to Jesus. It's the power he divested himself of to live on this earth as a man. It's the power He laid down for my sin, my guilt, my shame, willingly dying for my sin . . . resurrection power - the forces of Hell can't stop it power, even now . . even for me. That's the power Peter lived out his life with. He knows he was forgiven, love and gifted by God. Though Romans 8:28 was not written at the time, Peter trusted that "God would make all things right if He surrendered to God's will." (Serenity Prayer) Peter trusted that power. I think if you were able to ask Peter today about his public denial of Jesus he would hang his head, but it wouldn't be for long. I believe he'd raise it slowly with tears in his eyes and say "Thank God I'm forgiven because of what my Savior Jesus did for me. I'm accepted and approved because of Christ resurrection power and it is because of the power I can forgive myself."
Thank you Peter for living large and loud . . . warts and all, so that today Romans 8:28 and Matthew 28:17 are mine, lived out through the example of Christ in you, Peter, my hope of glory and the power for me to live out loud.
Immediately after I penned these words in my journal a text message arrive from my oldest daughter that read "Happy Easter all! I hope u are all enjoying celebrating the Lord's glory and victory over death to save us from our sins. Love u all!" I can truly say, that Jesus cares deeply about the shame and guilt we carry around today just like he did for Peter.
He is risen . . . He is risen indeed!
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I sent that text message after David and I went to our Easter service at Wicks Lane Baptist. The pastor said that he had known a Ukranian woman in the States who, at Easter, would say to people "He is risen" and that the appropriate reply is "He is risen indeed." When you texted me back that morning with that very phrase it was neat to read, and so very very true. I love you Mom & Michael and am so greatful that I have a believing family in whom I can share my sorrows, woes, and great joys.
ReplyDeleteThank you my precious! We love you both actually all three very deeply and are grateful to have children who seek the Lord, who are making the faith they were raised with their own. You will know one day very soon what that mean to a mom.
ReplyDeleteLove you oddles and goobs and bunches!