AND PETER + Daily Devotional + Sunday, April 8, 2012

SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2012

Mark 16:7 “…and Peter…”

SCRIPTURE READING: MARK 16:1-10

¹And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

 ²And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

 ³And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

 ⁴And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

 ⁵And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

 ⁶And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

 ⁷But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

 ⁸And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

 ⁹Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

 ¹⁰And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

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REFLECTION: 

This is our 47^th and final LENTEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL.  Thank you for reading. We pray that all who have followed along with us have been encouraged to a deeper walk with Christ.

All of the Gospels recount the resurrection of Jesus.  Mark tells that the angel who announced Christ’s resurrection to the women who were first to the tomb, instructed them specifically, “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, that He is going into Galilee…”

I love those two words, “and Peter.”  Obviously Jesus loved Peter too.  He loved him in spite of the fact that he had run away with the rest of the disciples when the Jews came after Christ.  He loved him  even though he had denied the Lord three times. He loved Peter, and He loves us “unto the end.” 

1700 years later the Lord called for a slave trader named John Newton to meet Him.  Through a number of “coincidences,” the last being a great storm that nearly took his life, Newton accepted the Lord’s invitation.  We conclude with his touching testimony:

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,ui
And stopp’d my wild career:

I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood,
Who fix’d His languid eyes on me.
As near His Cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Can I forget that look:
It seem’d to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke:

My conscience felt and own’d the guilt,
And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,
And help’d to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!
But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain!

—A second look He gave, which said,
“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou may’st live.”

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,

My spirit now is fill’d
That I should such a life destroy,

Yet live by Him I kill’d! –

John Newton, 1725-1807

PRAYER: Our Father, We praise Thee for the Son of thy Love, For Jesus who died, and is now gone above! Hallelujah Thine the Glory, Hallelujah Amen!  What a joy it is to know that we “Serve a Risen Savior, He’s in the World today!”  We pray that as we rejoice in the risen Savior we would never forget the price of our redemption, the power of the resurrection, and promise of everlasting life.  May we always reflect the glory of thy presence in a world that needs to see Christ in us.  We anticipate with great joy that day when we, like Thomas, will touch the hand of our Savior and discover the print of a nail.  Oh what a day that will be! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.  “Our Father, &c.”