In verse 7 the angels give the women the specifics of the message. Read that with me. First of all we have to notice that they were to meet in Galilee not Jerusalem, because Jesus Kingdom is spiritual, not political. Why ‘and Peter,’ why is that detail important? Why does Jesus single Peter out above all the rest in this message? When was the last time Jesus and Peter saw each other? In the High Priest’s courtyard, as Peter was denying Him. When the trial was over, Peter had gone outside to weep. He was broken hearted over his betrayal, over the arrest of his teacher and best friend, he wept because everything he had trusted in for the last three years seemed to be in tatters. And he felt like it was his fault. Compare this with Judas. When Judas realized what he had done when he betrayed Jesus he went out and killed himself. There was no repentance.
So why ‘and Peter?’ Because Jesus wants to make sure that Peter knows he is still loved, he’s still part of the Kingdom. The Kingdom belongs to the repentant, the Kingdom belongs to those who know they mess up and whose only hope is in the mercy of Christ. Jesus wants Peter to know that He died for him, He died for those sins, He died to win Peter back. The Kingdom of God doesn’t belong to those who think they are perfect, but to those who know they are sinners. The resurrection changed Peter, it gave him another chance. Peter stands out at the end of Mark’s Gospel, just like he has all the way through. Peter never looks good in Mark, but Jesus always does, and at the end, Peter stands out to help us see what an amazing savior Jesus is.
Peter was given a second chance because of the resurrection. Just like the women show us that the Kingdom belongs to the humble and obedient, Peter shows us that the Kingdom belongs to the repentant.
So does the Kingdom belong to you? That’s the way Mark finishes his Gospel. It’s funny that the story just stops isn’t it? Almost like Mark turns and faces us, forcing us to make or minds up. Remember Jesus message at the start of this Gospel was ‘repent and believe in the Gospel.’ Mark wants to know, have we done that, have we repented? Do we believe? Are we being changed by the resurrection?
That’s why the story ends here, because Mark wants us to think about the empty tomb. He wants us to realize that our sins have been paid in full by Jesus death on the cross, and that we can have new life, today, because Jesus walked out of the tomb. This new life is supposed to be marked by faithful obedience, like the women, and by repentance like Peter. And because Jesus is alive, anything is possible. Because Jesus is alive, we can have the power to repent, to turn away from any sin, no matter how much power we feel like it has over us. Because Jesus is alive, we can have the power to obey, even when we feel like it’s impossible. Because Jesus is alive, we are free to give up our tiny dreams and follow God’s will four our lives, knowing that whatever it is, it will be richer, deeper and better.
Mark leaves us with a stunning truth that changes the world, and changes our lives. Jesus is alive, anything is possible.
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