Mk.16:5-7 – And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. But he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

All of us have our favorite verse in the scriptures, mine seems to change every week. Not for Peter! His favorite verse was not even a whole verse it was just two words , “and Peter”. In order to catch the whole importance of this phrase there is something we must know, the gospel of Mark is actually the gospel of Peter. Mark was Peter’s traveling companion and wrote most of his gospel from listening to the fisherman’s stories. Surely he got this phrase from Peter himself, how could Peter ever forget it. We have to remember the emotional state Peter was in that resurrection morning. He had denied the Lord three times just three days before, how could Peter ever regain everything he had lost. He had let the Lord down at the most critical moment. That’s why when Peter heard the words of the angel, “go tell the disciples and Peter” he was overwhelmed with joy. Forgiveness was given and received, Peter was still in the Lord’s plans. Here is how Barclay describes this.

“But the most precious thing in this passage is in two words which are in no other gospel. ‘Go,’ said the messenger. ‘Tell his disciples and Peter.’ How that message must have cheered Peter’s heart when he received it! He must have been tortured with the memory of his disloyalty, and suddenly there came a special message for him. It was characteristic of Jesus that he thought not of the wrong Peter had done him but of the remorse he was undergoing. Jesus was far more eager to comfort the penitent sinner than to punish the sin.“

Peter was overcome with joy when he realized Jesus was alive and he had been forgiven. That was Peter’s message until the day he also gave his life for the Lord. That is the word for you today, “Jesus is alive and your sins have been forgiven’. This is the beginning of a brand new day for all of us.