Holy Week Portraits: Peter (part 2)

Peter stepped out of the empty tomb and wandered away from the entrance. No one had stolen the body. There was no way anyone could remove the face linens like that. So what had happened? He stumbled around for a while, heading in no particular direction. He didn’t know where to go or what to do. His mind kept running through the facts over and over again, but he came to no new conclusions. After maybe an hour, he realized he was meandering toward Bethany. He wasn't on a road, exactly, but he wasn’t far from it. He sat down on a rock and put his head in his hands. His stomach growled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything today. That was what he and John had been preparing to do before Mary had arrived. Where were John and Mary? He glanced around, but there was no one in sight, just empty wilderness. He put his head back in his hands again. How he wished he could go back and do it all over again. How he wished he could take back the words at the house of the high priest. John had told him his sin was forgivable, that all he had to do was repent and make the appropriate sacrifice. What kind of sacrifice did one make for denying the Son of God? He doubted anything would be enough. “Do you still not understand?” said a voice. Peter looked up. A man stood there who he did not recognize. There was still no one else in sight. “Are you speaking to me?” The man nodded and sat on another rock. “What is the purpose of the coming of Messiah?” The question caught Peter off guard. He thought for a moment, “To save the Jews from their oppression.” “That is a narrow view but not totally incorrect,” the man said. “The oppression you are thinking of is that of the Romans. That was never the intention of Messiah. The oppression of earthly kings is nothing compared to the oppression of sin. You feel this oppression yourself, wondering how you can ever be free.” Peter stared at the man, dumbfounded. How had he known? Was this a prophet? The man continued, “The prophet Isaiah said, ‘See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ “Do you know anyone who fulfills this scripture?” the man asked. The events of the last few days flooded Peter’s mind. Jesus being beaten and crucified yet remaining silent. The two thieves executed with him hurled curses and insults during their torment, and they had wailed. Jesus had said only a few, deliberate things. Isaiah had said Messiah would be the blood sacrifice needed to satisfy God’s wrath once and for all against His people. Peter remembered hearing that the temple curtain separating the Holy of Holies had torn the moment Jesus had died. It all started to make sense. Sacrifices wouldn’t be necessary anymore. Jesus had paid for it. And yet he wondered. Had it really worked? Isaiah had also made it sound like Jesus wouldn’t stay in the grave. Peter started. Jesus wasn’t in the grave. They had seen the empty tomb with their own eyes. “Peter,” the man said, and Peter looked up at him. His eyes widened, as if seeing for the first time. It was Jesus. Sitting on the rock in front of him. Real, alive, back from the dead. His mind stopped working for a long moment, and he just sat there with his mouth open and eyes wide. Suddenly he threw Himself at Jesus feet and began to weep. At first it was a trickle, then it flooded out of him like a torrent. “I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry.” Peter didn’t know how long he lay there at his Lord’s feet. All he remembered afterward was Jesus’ gentle hand upon his back as he wept. When the tears started to taper off, Peter felt Jesus’ other hand lift his chin. “Rise, Peter.” Peter stood, hesitant still to meet Jesus’ eyes. “My blood has made a way.” There was an air of finality and commanding in Jesus’ voice as he said this. “It is finished. You are forgiven.” Peter met his eyes, hope swelling in his chest. “What has happened was established before the foundation of the world for the glory of my Father and for your good. Now it is time to move on. The Father and I have much work for you to do. Go back to Bethany and witness to the rest what you have seen. I will meet you all in Galilee soon.” Peter nodded, turned, and began running for Bethany. The world was bright again. He was alive inside. Jesus had risen from the dead. Everyone needed to know.