Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Mark’s Gospel is known for being abrupt, at least at times. Our passage this week fits that pattern. If you consult a study Bible you may see that many of the earliest manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel actually end at the end of verse eight. That’s about as abrupt an ending as you get, since it would leave us with a resurrected Lord and no mention of anything else. That’s one of the reasons many scholars think the longer ending of Mark is “the original.”
When the women arrived early in the morning on the first day of the week, they found that Jesus had arisen before they came to the tomb. What’s more, not only did the women find Jesus gone, but they were given a reminder that the Lord was not finished with his disciples, especially with Peter. The disciples would meet up with Jesus in Galilee, where he would give them some instructions.
Why did Mark report that the angel specifically said to tell Peter? Early Christian historians say that Mark worked alongside Peter in ministry, particularly in Rome, prior to Peter’s execution. This means Mark got much of his information used in the Gospel from Peter. It was important to Peter that Jesus would give a message that included Peter. Peter, after all, had denied Jesus three times while Jesus was on trial. Mark doesn’t tell us about the restoration of Peter, but John does, in the 21st chapter of John’s Gospel. Jesus visited specifically with Peter, speaking wth him about repentance and restoration. Despite Peter’s failure, Jesus had a work for him to do.
This should bring hope to all of us, as we have all failed Jesus in one way or another. Despite our failures, Jesus calls all his people to repentance and restoration, that we may serve the Lord with gladness. Our sin doesn’t throw us out. It calls us to repentance. And we know that repentance works specifically because the very same Jesus we see dying for us on a Friday, rises from the dead for us on a Sunday. He calls us to a new walk, in his peace, his forgiveness, and his rest, as he rose from the dead on the day of rest. We have rest from our sin and shame. He takes that away too.
It may seem an abrupt move. It is an abrupt move. In the midst of our sin and turmoil, Jesus has died for us, rose from the dead, and got about the business of forgiveness, even before the women could get to the tomb with their gifts. Before you and I can come to him with our gifts for him, he is already at work to restore us to the right relationship with God the Father. Thanks be to God.
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