Mark 16:6 “He is not here, he has risen.”
I’d read the opening verses of Mark 16 hundreds of times, but only recently has their full impact hit me deep in my spirit.
Read the opening five verses to learn about the women’s shock at discovering the stone shifted to the side. Then savour the angel’s wonderful words, “He is not here, he is risen.” If you are like me, then you pause at verse 6 because that is one of the most profound statements in the whole Bible. But we must read on because the next verse is equally profound:
Mark 16:7 “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.”
Tell me now if that isn’t a secret treasure.
What a phrase. It seemed as though all of heaven had witnessed Peter’s fall and wanted to assist him in getting back up. “Make sure Peter knows he is included, please. Inform him that one flop is not equal to one failure.”
It makes sense why it is called the “gospel of the second chance.”
There aren’t many second chances in the modern world. Just ask the little league player who was cut, the employee who received a termination notice, or the mother of three who was fired and replaced by a teenager.
There are seldom second chances. It’s more common to say these days, “It’s now or never,” or “Three strikes, and you’re out,” or “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
Jesus provides a direct remedy for our masochistic obsession.
Yes, you can get another chance.
Ask Peter, please. The holy messenger delivered the message from the celestial Throne Room loud and clear. “Tell Peter that he gets to bat again, please.”
You don’t get a second chance too often. Peter had to be aware of that. He was so excited to see Jesus the next time that he hardly had time to put on his britches before diving into the chilly Sea of Galilee. They claim that it was also sufficient for this rural Galilean to bring the message of a second chance all the way to Rome, where they assassinated him.
If you’ve ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know.
It’s not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance, much less someone who will give you a second chance every day.
But in Jesus, Peter found both.