Convinced

Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? The women who had rushed back to tell the disciples, had seen the makeshift burial preparations on Friday; went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm Jesus. They waited until after the Sabbath to go back to the tomb. Why? They believed He was dead!

Two disciples had left Jerusalem and were walking to Emmaus. Why? They believed He was dead!

The women were puzzled by what they saw at the tomb. Why? They believed He was dead! The disciples thought their story was nonsense. Why? They believed He was dead!

In their grief they had forgotten that He had told them that the Son of Man would be crucified and that He would rise again the third day! They had seen Him die! They believed He was dead!

However, Peter, in spite of his grief and more importantly his devastating feelings of failure and shame, went home to investigate; to wonder about; to ponder deeply what had happened. He was convinced. Convinced about what? Convinced of the Resurrection! Jesus was alive!

That made all the difference. Because of Jesus’ statement that He would rise again on the third day, Peter could now believe that everything else Jesus said was true. Everything about kingdom, forgiveness, His presence with us as Shepherd-King, about call and destiny and eternity were true.

Eight weeks later we see the former coward preach a message that warranted a death sentence and three thousand embraced the Messiah that day. Why? How? Peter was convinced of the resurrection. Because of the truth of the resurrection his world and ours changed forever.

I impact my world to the degree that I am convinced of the resurrection. I walk in destiny to the degree that I walk in the truth and the power of the resurrection.

Are you convinced?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You and the power of Your Resurrection. Father, I believe in Your Son, help me in my places of unbelief and doubt. Amen.