A Trusting Peter

 

We’ve all heard the story about doubting Thomas, but he’s not the only one who doubted Christ’s resurrection. When the women return from the empty womb and tell the apostles, they don’t believe them – they find it an idle tale. Yet we have Peter, known for his impulsive words and denial of Christ, getting up and running to the tomb hoping to see if it’s true and amazed then he sees the empty linen cloths.

Hope became belief and the gospel Peter preaches in Acts 10. He tells how he and the apostles were witnesses of all Christ did in Jerusalem and Judea. He preaches not only about Christ’s crucifixion on a tree – the cross, but how God raised him up from the dead three days later. Peter and the chosen were witnesses of Christ’s appearances after the resurrection and were commanded to preach this gospel – this good news.

Yet, Peter and the apostles were not the first to proclaim the resurrection. It was the women who came and found the empty grave. They were the ones the original message through the angels came. They were the ones the angels reminded of what Christ had told them about how he would be crucified, but on the third day rise again. It was in remembering Christ’s words that they went to the eleven and told them the news. But the disciples didn’t remember and thus didn’t believe what they said.

Peter, however, may remember here, or just have great hope of what they’re saying is true since he runs to the tomb to see if it’s true.

Due to the preaching of these first witnesses and on to the ones who believed and taught them to us, we too, have been able to believe. We can claim along with Peter that because of Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead we have the gift of salvation. We are forgiven our sins and have life eternal – Hallelujah!