He's Alive; I'm Forgiven; Heaven's Gates Are Opened Wide

Think about what it meant to Peter to know 1) Jesus was truly alive & had risen from the dead. I mean hope, his hope, had died on Friday. Yes, John believed a miracle that Sunday morn but there is no indication that Peter did. This was the end of not just Jesus & all He had accomplished, but also probably for Peter too b/c the religious leaders would most likely want to get rid of all of the disciples in order to permanently rid themselves of this nuisance & Peter was 1 of the prominent ones.

So imagine the utter shock & stunning astonishment when Jesus appeared before him? And to fully comprehend that He really was risen & alive, this wasn’t some dream or hallucination. There He physically stood in front of him. There may not have been a happier person on the planet that day.

2) But secondly, not only was Jesus alive but He had forgiven Peter. We’re not specifically told what Jesus said to him, but I don’t think we out-of-line to think this in light of what Peter had done to Christ. But now to be assured in that meeting that he was forgiven, loved & accepted. When I get to Heaven, I would like to sit down & ask Peter to tell me about that meeting.

What a completely turnaround day resurrection day was for Peter! Now let’s think about ourselves using the words of the chorus.

? He’s Alive – This morning we gather early in a cemetery for only 1 reason – b/c Jesus is alive. He did rise from the dead. If that wasn’t true there would be good reason to question the sanity of a group of people being in a cemetery early in the morning. It would be pretty foolish & hopeless.

But we know He is alive from all the reports from history, from the changed lives of the disciples & other evidences but most of all we know He’s alive b/c as the hymns states: “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart” – it’s personal not just factual! And we also know b/c of our changed lives! And we have a personal relationship with Him to the extent that He walks with us & talks with us along life’s way. TF, we know, in the very center of our being that “we serve a risen Savior.” He’s alive!

? I’m Forgiven – Those are some of the sweetest, most treasured words a person can hear after they’ve committed some horrendous wrong-doing. IDK if you’ve ever done something truly wrong. I’m mean so often we try to justify & make excuses for what we’ve done. But I’m talking about a true, bonafide, no justifying wrong. And you’ve gone & asked that one you’ve wronged for forgiveness & they’ve given it to you. Pretty incredible feeling, isn’t it?

But in an infinitely greater way, to hear from the holy & almighty God:

• knowing there was no way to warrant, earn or deserve forgiveness.

• knowing that b/c of my wrongs, my soul was damned to an eternal hell.

• knowing that I had a debt against me that I literally could not pay, no matter how long it took.

Yet through the sacrifice of the Savior & my trust in what He did, to hear God say to me, “You’re forgiven, totally & completely forgiven.” How, how do you describe that? I’m forgiven!