EASTER, FOR PETER

Various Scriptures

by Rev. Richard Jones

UNEXPECTED FAILURE
Luke 22:54-62 (ESV)
54  Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55  And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56  Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57  But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58  And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59  And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60  But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62  And he went out and wept bitterly.

UNEXPECTED SIGHT
John 20:1-10 (ESV)
1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3  So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4  Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5  And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7  and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8  Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9  for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10  Then the disciples went back to their homes.

UNEXPECTED VISIT
Luke 24:33-34 (ESV)
33  And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
34  saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 (ESV)
3  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5  and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6  Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

UNEXPECTED COMMISSION
John 21:15-17 (ESV)
15  When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16  He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17  He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

UNEXPECTED POWER
Acts 4:5-13 (ESV)
5  On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6  with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7  And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9  if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)
3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,