Because He Lives

John 20:19-23

He was dead, and with him died all of their dreams, all of their hopes everything they believed in. They had given everything to him, their past, their present even their future and up until three days ago it seemed like a pretty good bargain. All he had wanted was everything, and they gave it. All he had asked was that they believe and oh how they had believed. And why not they had seen the impossible, they hadn’t just thought the impossible, that’s easy what was it the Queen of Hearts told Alice, “Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” They had seen the impossible, they had seen blind men see, they had seen lame men walk, they had seen dead men live. They believed with all their hearts, but not any more, now their beliefs were as dead as their master was.

And there was nothing to do but to go home, to leave Jerusalem, to leave their hopes to leave their dreams and just go home. They might as well try and recover their yesterdays because their tomorrows were as dead as Jesus was.

They had seen him beaten, they seen him crucified, they had seen him killed and they had seen him buried and they knew the dream was as dead as the dreamer. Unless, unless it was true what Mary had seen, she had seen an empty tomb, she had seen empty grave clothes and she had seen Jesus. And if that was the case than he wasn’t dead, he was alive. And if he was alive than everything was going to be all right. The video that we showed at the beginning of the service may have been disturbing, but then again crucifixion is disturbing. But Easters not about his crucifixion it’s about his resurrection, Easters not about his death it’s about his life. It’s not about mourning it’s about celebrating. The first Easter morning 2000 years ago must have begun much like our service did this morning, with Jesus followers remembering what had happened, remembering the horror of Friday, remembering that their friend was dead and their dreams were shattered. But then the cry rang out he’s alive, he’s alive. And then, it happened, as quickly as turning on the lights, they weren’t mourning his being dead they were celebrating his being alive. It wasn’t defeat it was victory. Because he wasn’t dead he was alive.

But what did that really mean, other than the obvious that he wasn’t dead?

Because He Lives Peter Was Forgiven You remember Peter don’t you? Peter who was one of the twelve. Peter who was one of the inner circle. Peter who was one of Jesus’ closest friends. Peter who walked on water, Peter who offered to die for Jesus. Peter who grabbed a sword in the garden and tried to fight off those sent to arrest his friend. Peter who denied he even knew Christ, not once, not twice but three times.

Jesus had been arrested and his followers scattered, all but two of them disappeared. John and Peter followed Christ, but not together. We don’t really know if John was challenged about knowing Christ, and if he was we don’t what his response was. But we do know what happened in the case of Peter.

Biblical Scholars tell us that the Book of Mark was probably the first gospel written. The same scholars tell us that even though it was written by a young man named John Mark, that he was probably just acting as a secretary for someone else. Someone who had been an eye witness to everything that Christ had done. And that somebody was in all probability Peter.

With that is mind let read Peter’s account in Mark 14:67-72 Meanwhile, Peter was below in the courtyard. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and then said, “You were one of those with Jesus, the Nazarene.”

Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.

The servant girl saw him standing there and began telling the others, “That man is definitely one of them!” Peter denied it again.

A little later some other bystanders began saying to Peter, “You must be one of them because you are from Galilee.”

Peter said, “I swear by God, I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and cried.

Come on Peter, what is going on? This is Jesus, the same Jesus that called you from being a fisherman and turned you into a fisher of men. The same Jesus that walked on the water, feed the hungry, healed your mother in law and raised Lazarus from the dead.