"But go, tell his disciples and Peter, " He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him," " just as he told you." These are the words spoken by an angel to Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James, and Salome. The women had come to anoint the body of Jesus, they were not expecting to find a resurrected body. When I became aware of the, "and Peter," part of this scripture, my heart began to race. With everything going on in Jesus' life, without missing one beat He once again confirmed that He was instructing the angel to speak on his behalf. By instructing the women to go tell His disciples and making a point to say ,"and Peter." Jesus knew that Peter was feeling horrible. Here you have a man like Peter, who was already chosen to be the rock that God was going to build his church upon, prideful, stubborn, determined, loyal, and self sufficient. This man Peter who promised Jesus that he would never, ever deny him. Who made a promise to Jesus, and probably meant ever word of it. But then, at the very first crow of the cock, until the third crow of the cock, Peter denied ever knowing Jesus, three times. Yet Jesus purposely mentions Peter by his name, to emphasize that He had forgiven him. It was such a personal thing to let Peter know, that Jesus Christ had forgiven him. This revelation was so empowering, and yet so indescribable that I feel like it pierces my heart and soul just talking about it here. To think our God would have gotten on that cross even if I was the only one here to save.
I find myself too many times in that, "and Peter," situation. where I beat myself up, and put on those old records, you know the ones that tell me how unimportant and insignificant I am. But now I know better, I know that God will allow those, "and Peter", times to allow me to rely on Him and not my own self worth. To see that I am perfectly and wonderfully made and that the closer I get to him the more He is able to use me for the purpose that I was created for. The more I live my life according to that purpose, the more beautiful I become, inside and out. When He speaks to me and I began hearing what He has to say about me through His word, I no longer have to play those old records, but rather I now have a new song. A song that is filled with a bright future and wonderful plans, enormous imagination and hope.
