CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE/Was Peter Beyond Forgiveness? - Conclusion

 Because he was with his spiritual brothers, Peter got o hear the shocking news that Jesus' body was not in the tomb. Peter and John ran to the tomb where Jesus had been buried, and the entrance had been sealed. John, likely a younger man, arrived first. Finding the entrance of the tomb opened, he hesitated. Not Peter. Though he was winded, he went straight in. It was empty! - JOHN 20:3-9.

Did Peter believe that Jesus had been resurrected? Not at first, even though faithful women reported that angels appeared to them to announce that Jesus had risen from the dead. (Luke 23:55-24:11) But by the end of that day, all traces of sadness and doubt in Peter's heart had melted away. Jesus lived, now a mighty spirit! He appeared to all his apostles. He did something else firs, though, something private. The apostles said that day: "For a fact the Lord was raise up and he appeared to Simon!" (Luke 24:34) Similarly, the apostle Peter later wrote about a remarkable day when Jesus "appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." (1 Corinthians15:5) Cephas and Simon are other names for Peter. Jesus appeared to him that day-evidently when Peter was alone. 

The details of that touching reunion are left unrecorded in the Bible. They remained between Jesus and Peter. We can only imagine how moved Peter was to see his beloved Lord alive again and to have an opportunity to express his sorrow and repentance. More than anything in the world, Peter wanted forgiveness. Who can doubt that Jesus extended it, and in abundance at that?  Christians today who fall into sin need to remember Peter's case. Never should we assume that we are beyond the reach of divine forgiveness. Jesus perfectly reflects his Father, who "will forgive in a large way. - ISAIAH 55:7. 

Next time: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE/Further Proof of Forgiveness. 

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