Peter Series

Men of the Bible X

When we left Peter the last time, he was dejected and all hope seems to have been dashed.

Jesus was crucified on Friday morning and has been dead for three days. And Peter as far as we can tell from the scriptures has been hiding in the upper room this whole time.

Sunday morning arrived like any other Sunday, the day after Sabbath except that the women Jesus was the closest to came to the tomb to complete the burial procedure for their master.

Matthew, Mark and Luke record very little that applies to Peter but they do give us some hints. We should not be surprised that not much is said of Peter, after all he did deny knowing the Lord.

Matthew deals with the apostles as a group. The angel tells Mary to go and tell the disciples and she does. The next thing recorded is Jesus giving the disciples the great commission

Mark gives us a bit more. The angel tells Mary Mark 16:6-7 (NASB) 6 And he said* to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen;

He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.

7 "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.' "

The singling out of Peter here is important. It means God is not quite done with Peter yet. Yes he denied the Lord, but clearly he has been repenting and praying ever since the Lord looked him in the eye that evening. Go tell his disciples AND PETER.

Again the Great Commission is given and the disciples are told to spread the gospel throughout the world.

The women at the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Silome, Mary the mother of James, Joanna and other women not named. They are given the good news that Jesus is risen and quickly go tell the disciples although the disciples thought this was nonsense.

EXCEPT PETER!

Mark tells us that upon hearing this news Luke 24:12 (NASB)

12 Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw* the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

We’ll get back to those linen wrappings in a minute but Peter obviously saw something and marveled at what had happened. But what happened? Was the body stolen? Had Jesus been revived? Could Mary be right that he had risen from the dead?

The word thaumazo, here translated as marveling means to be amazed, astonished, filled with wonder or astonishment.

While Luke does not record Jesus appearing to Peter, after Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus, they return to Jerusalem and find the 11 and begin telling them they had met the Lord along the way. And they tell the two me, we know, he has appeared to Peter.

Those are the accounts from the synoptic gospels and the information as to Peter is a bit sparse. John on the other hand has far more to say and really shows something about Peter that I find both touching and amazing.

John’s gospel tells us that Mary ran specifically to Peter and John to tell them the Lord had risen. I am sure the other apostles were there but John makes the point she went to Peter and John.

While Mark told us Peter ran to the tomb, John gives more information. John, here called the disciple Jesus loved and Peter ran to the tomb.

John 20:4-5 (NASB)

4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first;

5 and stooping and looking in, he saw* the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

Whether by respect of timidity we are not told but John did not enter the tomb. But again the mention of linen wrappings.

John 20:6-7 (NASB)

6 And so Simon Peter also came*, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw* the linen wrappings lying there,

7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

Ah, that’s the Peter we all know and love. He just rushes in to see exactly what is going on. Again we have the linen wrappings mentioned. You would think these people had never witnessed a burial before. Why so much attention on these wrapping and does it really matter that the face cloth was on the other side of the room, all by itself?

John 20:8-10 (NASB)

8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.