"A New You"

A New You Psalm 1:1-6 Matthew 27:27-12 April 12, 2009

It had been three days since Jesus had been arrested in the dark of night, and taken away from his disciples. All of them had fled in fear. One of his closest disciples had told Jesus I have you back no matter what. Yet when it came time for a trial that was obviously a sham, this disciple by the name of Peter did not come forward when they asked the question are there any more witnesses.

As a matter of fact, when a girl asked him, shouldn’t you be up there with him, he said, “ no, I don’t even know the man.” He was challenged two other times and on the third time he starting cursing, swearing that he had never in his life been with the man.

At this point, a rooster crowed, and his mind flashed back to just a few days ago. He recalled that one day Jesus had told the group, all of you will desert me. He remembered telling Jesus with commitment in his voice, “Lord I can’t vouch for those guys, but I will never leave you. Jesus told him, before you hear the rooster crow twice you will deny knowing me.” That remembrance caused him to break down in tears and he ran out into the darkness. While he was somewhere hiding, the experience of Jesus being brutally beaten and murdered on the cross took place.

The sound of the rooster was still in his head three days later. If only he had another chance to make it right, he would. Have you ever been in that place of saying if only I could change things I’d go back and I’d do it. I would not have made that mistake, that choice, that decision. I would not have become the person I have become. I would be a new me.

Peter saw himself as a coward, a failure, a liar and a betrayer. On that Sunday morning, there he was in this room with the other disciples who were likewise feeling disappointed and discouraged. And then came the knock on the door. Had the authorities found them and were there to arrest them. What stood on the other side of that door. The pounding is louder and faster.

They hear”open the door let us in.” But it’s not the sound of a soldier or the sound of the voice of the police from the chief priest. As a matter of fact, it’s not the sound of a man’s voice at all. It’s a woman’ voice. It’s Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary who are out of breath. The first response of the disciples is probably that the women are being chased. They open the door to let them in too hide. But then Mary says, “The Lord we have seen the Lord.”

Peter says, ‘you’ve had a vision of Jesus” The other Mary says “no, not a vision. We actually have seen the Lord. When we got to tomb and looked inside, Jesus was not there. The clothes he were buried in, were right there where they should have been but he was not there.

One of the disciples say, “Oh no they stole his body. They’ll sure becoming for us next.”

Mary says no, “An angel told us that he had risen from the dead. The angel said for us to go and tell you. When we ran away from the tomb, Jesus met us on the way. We grabbed his feet, held on to him and worshipped Him. He told us to tell you to go to Galilee and he will meet you there.”

At this point, Peter realized the possibility of making things right in His life with Jesus. He did not care if the soldiers or the chief priests were looking for him. He jumped up and ran out the building, down the path breathing heavily thinking I’ve got to get to Jesus. When he arrived at the tomb he found it empty just as the women had said.

Later on that Sunday evening, when the disciples were gathered together, Jesus came right through the walls and appeared to them. They then forgot about Friday, and they rejoiced on Sunday. Peter knew then, there really was a chance for a new Peter to be developed. This scared, foul mouth cursing, traitor found that the power of God to raise Jesus Christ from the dead was available to change his life. He put his faith and his confidence in this resurrected Savior, and his life changed forever. He became one of the great leaders in the church. All of those disciples were changed because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That change took place on Sunday

Easter or better yet the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is proof that there can be a new you, whether you know nothing about God or whether you’ve been walking the Lord for a while. God wants to make a change in your life. Is there anybody here who could make a change for the better? This Easter don’t promise God anything great, just say “I’m going to make a change for the better.”