He’s gone. The, the tomb….the stone’s rolled away! Jesus….He’s not there….I’ve just run the whole way back…. I had to tell you. This is mad. Completely crazy.
You’re all looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have. Just… give me a second. Before I say anything else, you need to know who’s talking to you.
I denied Him. Three times. A servant girl – a servant girl (!) – asked me if I was with Him, and I lied straight to her face. Me. Simon Peter. The one who swore blind I’d die for Him. I was supposed to be the strong one. The rock. What a joke. I’m a coward. Plain and simple. So when I tell you what I saw this morning, remember it’s coming from the man who failed Him the worst. The man who had no right to even go near that tomb. But I ran there anyway. Hoping… not really believing.
Let me start from the beginning….
Me and Andrew were mending our fishing nets after a useless night. Nothing. Not one fish. Then Jesus turns up with this huge crowd. Next thing I know, He’s climbing into our boat, telling us to push out a bit so He can teach the people. I wasn’t really listening to the words. I was just watching Him. The way He spoke – straight, no fancy stuff like the Pharisees. Like He could see right into you. When He finished, He said to us, “Push out into deep water. Let down the nets.” I nearly laughed in His face. We’d been out all night! We’re the fishermen, not him! But there was something in His voice… you just didn’t argue. So we did it. The nets went down… and they filled right up with fish. Straight away. So heavy we couldn’t lift them. We had to shout for James and John. Both boats nearly sank under all those fish.
I dropped to my knees right there in the middle of it all and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I’m a sinful man.” I didn’t even know why I said it. I just knew I shouldn’t be anywhere near Him. He smiled at me. “Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on you’re going to fish for people.”
That was it. We left everything. Nets, boats, the biggest catch we’d ever seen, still flapping on the beach. We just followed Him. Three years….things I’ll never forget…
I saw Him tell a storm to shut up – “Peace. Be still.” – and the sea went dead calm. I was more scared after that than when the boat was nearly sinking. I watched Him feed thousands with a kid’s lunch. Five loaves, two fish. Leftovers in twelve baskets. Blind men seeing. Lame men walking. Lazarus coming out of his grave like it was nothing. Death itself seemed scared of Him!
Then….a couple of nights ago… everything went wrong.
We were in the Upper room. Passover. He takes the bread: “This is my body.” The wine: “This is my blood.” Then He says, “Tonight, every one of you is going to run away from me.” I jumped up. “Not me! Even if all the rest of them go, I won’t. I’d rather die!” He looked at me. That look. “Simon, before the cock crows, you’ll deny me three times.” I didn’t believe Him….I should have.
Gethsemane. He asked us to pray. We fell asleep. Three times. The mob came. Judas kissed Him. I pulled my sword and cut off a bloke’s ear. Jesus healed him – right there, while they were arresting Him. Then they took Him away. And we slunk off into the night. I circled back and followed from a safe distance. Hid by the fire in the courtyard. A girl looks at me. “You were with Him.” “I don’t know what you’re on about.” Twice more. Then the cock crowed. Jesus turned… and looked straight at me across the yard. No words. Just that look. I went outside and cried like a baby. Proper sobbing. I’d lost everything. Not long after that, they killed him…
Three days we hid in this room. Terrified. Going over and over it all. Everything that had happened. Every word. Every action. And every time I closed my eyes I saw that look from Jesus.
Then this morning – Mary comes running in, half out of her mind. “The stone’s gone! He’s not in the tomb!” I ran. John’s faster, he got there first, but I barged straight in. Empty. Not smashed up. Not robbed. The grave clothes were folded. Neat. Like He’d just got up, tidied them, and walked out. And I stood there… and I knew. He is risen!
The angel told the women: “Go tell the disciples… and Peter.” And Peter. He said my name. Even after what I did. He knew I was hiding here, eaten up with shame… and He still said my name. He’s not finished with me.
I followed Jesus for three years before I really got who He was. I was there. I saw the miracles. But still I was the coward who denied Him. But he’s not finished with me. He’s not finished with you either. You’ve heard it from me today – I stood in that empty tomb this morning…..He’s not finished with any of us. So listen.
Don’t hide your faith like I did. The pressure’s there – keep it quiet, don’t mention Jesus at school, or work….people might think you’re weird. I crumbled at one question from a servant girl. Don’t be like me. The world needs people who’ve seen an empty tomb and can’t keep their mouths shut. Tell one person today. “Something amazing has happened. Come and see.”
Then – be real with people. Find a proper community. Be honest. Let them see the mess – the coward in you, the doubter. Jesus didn’t pick heroes. He picked fishermen and tax collectors. He picked failures. He picked me.
And then – let Him deal with your past. Some of you think you’re too far gone. Too much shame. Too many mistakes. I denied Him three times – publicly – the night before He died… And on the morning He rose, He called my name anyway. Nothing you’ve done is bigger than the love of the One who folded His grave clothes and walked out of that tomb.
So come on! We can’t stay hiding in here. This changes everything.
Jesus is alive….He’s alive!!
This is the monologue preached on Easter Sunday morning by Ross Wilson, Associate Minister at St Nic’s, Nottingham
You can watch the sermon here.
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Lovely. Thank you.
It is fashionable to tell a well-known story in a modern format
e.g. Shakespear.
The Resurrection is indeed the epicentre of the Gospel, it is what carried the early church through great opposition, persecution
and phenomenal expansion.
The “story” of “resurrection” was not unusual in pagan
mythologies.
So, what made the difference for the Church?
The POWER {my emphasis} of Resurrection Life which is central to Apostolic Doctrine.
One may have a form of Godliness which denies the power,
One can take some comfort that in the resurrection story that there can be a resurrection of even our deaths which seems in many quarters to be the main take-away.[even of AI]
The main point of our consideration is that Resurrection Life, the Power of His resurrection, is essentially in its nature a Throne union with the Lord, and that that is to have a practical outworking in a spiritual way now. Ultimately it will have a literal outworking universally. Our business at present is to learn how to reign in life by the One Man, Jesus Christ.
[Austin – Sparks]
I recommend his retelling of the story through Mary Magdalene and the profound implications for the Church
at Austin sparks net. Knowing God in Christ Chapter 6 – Christ Known in Resurrection Life.
For a deeper dive into Resurrection Power and Life see his
“The Spirit’s Law of Life” Chapter 1 – Resurrection Life.
too appreciate the extraordinary depth of Apostolic Doctrine and “experience ” the message of Easter.
Shalom
Oh yes ! the POWER of the resurrection…..not only Jesus -and obviously I do not write “only’ in any demeaning way here – but the power of the resurrection was such as to open the sealed graves of people and restore them to live once more…to walk around and be a part of society once again. How darned
powerful is that !
Indeed Lyn!
The thing about diving deeper is, as any diver might testify, that the deeper you go one discovers fantastical creatures living in the darkest most barren places under the most immense pressures on earth yet they generate light from within! Not commonly seen in the earth.
The thing is there are no possibilities at all until we recognise this fact, that the Resurrection is the supreme thing in the universe; it is the fulcrum of Apostolic Doctrine long ago much abandoned.
One can opt to live in the shallows perhaps due to fear or doubt or unbelief or shear apathy.
Some have remarked to me that we need a New Reformation.
For me I would suggest a rediscovery of the Apostolic power of Resurrection Life and the Church being a truly Apostolic Church.
It is the gift of wisdom and revelation Eph 1:17
Shalom.
Here is different application, and emphasis, from John and Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus (with one slight aside, which will more than ruffle a few feathers but shouldn’t detract from the whole).
https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/mary-knew-her-masters-voice
Our two morning services were based on 1 Peter 1:3-9 with a grounding reference to Mary’s encounter in John.
But, it was not in the modern story telling fashion that was much lauded and taught a couple of decades ago, that Alan mentions.
But, like any service, you have to be there for the responses, which few of us would in reality find out. God’s working in human hearts and minds isn’t always immediately evident.
Though there are preachers like ML Jones, who were revivalist, preaching with a view for immediate responses, on- the- spot. I think that was Keller’s aim as well.
They were not ‘ men of power for the hour’ which gripped parts of the church a few years ago.
But to be revived. is to be resurrected from the dead.