Grace calls us by name, especially after our greatest failures. This transformative truth emerges powerfully from Mark's Gospel as we examine the resurrection story where an angel delivers a message with two words that changed everything: "including Peter."
The significance of this moment can't be overstated. Peter, who appears first among the disciples when called by Jesus at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, is specifically mentioned again at the end—but with a crucial difference. Between these two mentions, Peter had monumentally failed, denying his relationship with Jesus three times with increasing intensity. It wasn't a minor slip-up but a catastrophic betrayal that should have disqualified him forever.
Yet in the resurrection message, Jesus deliberately singles out Peter by name. This wasn't just a general invitation back to relationship but a personalized call of restoration to the one disciple who might have believed he had forfeited his place. The message reverberates through time: no failure is final, no mistake too great, no betrayal beyond the reach of grace. When we place our own names in that resurrection instruction—"tell the disciples, including [your name]"—we discover the personal nature of Christ's forgiveness that transcends our worst moments. Today, embrace this profound truth: the risen Savior knows your story, calls your name, and invites you into full restoration regardless of where you've been or what you've done. How might your life change if you truly believed God's grace was this personal?
Struggle to Standing. Available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/ev3YUqw
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