Mark 16:6-7 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
You know that feeling when you’re reading the same Bible story again for the thousandth time and suddenly something new sticks out? I’ve heard this described as the lullaby effect — when we’ve heard the same chunk of scripture so many times that we forget to really listen, thinking we know it forwards and backwards.
This recently happened to me while reading Mark’s story of the resurrection. Before we go any further, pause for a moment and read Mark 16:1-8 with your family.
Is there anything that stood out to you? The title probably gives mine away. Did you notice those two little words in verse 7? “…and Peter…”.
It’s kind of weird, right? Those two words sticking out like two sore thumbs in the middle of the speech to the women. Why do you think Peter gets singled out?
Now, take a moment now and turn back to Mark 14. Read verses 66-72 together with your family.
I’m not sure if we can even fathom the emotions Peter must have been going through in the days leading up to and following Jesus’ death on the cross. The inner despair he must have felt, not only over the death of his rabbi, but over his own betrayal of Jesus in the darkest hour. I can imagine Peter lying sleepless in the middle of the night, grinding his teeth as tears fill his eyes, trying and failing to get past the fact that he turned his back on Jesus.
There is a dark side of these two words, to be sure. On one hand, the fact that Peter is singled out from “the disciples” seems to indicate a schism, a change, a state in which Peter has somehow set himself apart. Or in other words, the message directly acknowledges the betrayal that took place right before the rooster crowed.
But those two words also embody the very hope of the resurrection. Because the good news isn’t just for the disciples. It’s for the disciples AND Peter. It’s as if one of the very first declarations on Easter morning has to be that the son who turned his back on the Father is forgiven.
I won’t claim to know all the ins and outs of New Testament Greek, but one translation has Mark 16:7 saying “Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, …” and I couldn’t love that more. Not just is Peter singled out in love, he is included. Even after his betrayal, he’s still counted as a disciple.
Ultimately, I think these two words get at the good news Easter brings to all of us. Because when we think about it, we’ve all been just like Peter — if not worse — time and time again. But Jesus came to this earth, died, and rose again, so that he could say “and you.”
Put your name in there. You — you! — are included in the family of God. Jesus came for you! To live for you, to die for you, to rise again for you. To show you what real love looks like, to bring you back into the family after your darkest hour, and to equip you with His Spirit to bring that same love to the broken world we find all around us.
Discussion Questions
- What are some times in your life when you’ve been like Peter? When your words, actions, or heart betrayed the name of Jesus?
- (Parents, this may be a good time to lead and model to your kids the power of naming things with specificity.)
- Take a moment to consider just how much Jesus loves us, even after all the times we’ve let Him down. What sort of impact does that kind of love have on you?
- What are some specific ways you can bring that same love of Jesus to the world around you this week? How can your family support one another in doing that?
Prayer: God, thank you for loving us so much that you came to this earth and made us part of your family, even after we betrayed you. Help us to live in the fullness of your love for us, bringing glory to You as we share the hope of Easter with our family, our friends, and our community. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
