 This morning we're going to be looking at verses one through twelve in Luke chapter twenty-four and as is my normal way of teaching I'll give a few things as a bit of a background reminder maybe some details that can help us to to understand what's taking place in this passage but obviously we're looking at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So beginning at verse one Luke chapter twenty-four reading to verse twelve now on the first day of the week very early in the morning they and certain other women with them came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared but when they found the stone rolled away from the tomb then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus and it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this that behold two men stood by them in shining garments then as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth they said to them why do you seek the living among the dead he's not here but his risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee saying the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again and they remembered his words then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles and the words seemed to them like idle tales and they did not believe them but Peter arose and ran to the tomb stooping down he saw the linen cloths lined by themselves and he departed marveling to himself at what had happened so as we begin let me lay a foundation even as I mentioned earlier before let me begin by saying that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith because if the resurrection of Jesus Christ is removed our faith is worthless our entire foundation of faith would fall like a house of cards our preaching would be worthless those who believe he was resurrected would be trusting in empty promises those declaring his resurrection our bearing false witness and those who believe he was resurrected are still in their sins that's what Paul said when he was writing to the Corinthian church in his first letter to them in first Corinthians 15 verses 13 through 17 he said it like this he said if there's no resurrection of the dead then Christ is not risen and if Christ is not risen then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain yes and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise and if Christ is not risen your faith is futile you are still in your sins so everything that we are everything that we do is built on Jesus' death burial and resurrection and if you remove that then the church is reduced to a social club now over the centuries Christians have made tremendous sacrifices for the faith the emotional and physical suffering for Jesus has been costly there's an online magazine called Christian Today and it reported that 70 million martyrs have have died since Jesus over half of the total died in the 20th century under fascist or communist regimes millions it reports have suffered martyrdom and millions have lost everything now Paul was someone who had lived in comfort but he was also someone who is familiar with poverty and he came to know that he could be content by being in Jesus Christ in Philippians 3 verse 8 this is what he said he said what is more I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things I consider them garbage that I might gain Christ so with this in mind Paul made it clear that everything rests on the resurrection in 1st Corinthians 15 he went on to say in verse 19 if only for this life we have hope in Christ we are of all people most to be pitied so we believe we believe that Jesus was resurrected and our lives are built on this and throughout his ministry Jesus made it very clear that he would be resurrected from the very beginning he had stated he would die and be resurrected all the way back in John chapter 2 verses 19 and 20 Jesus said destroy this temple in three days I will raise it up the Jews said it's taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days but he was speaking of the temple of his body in the gospel of Matthew chapter 16 17 20 and 26 in those chapters Jesus gave details concerning what would happen he said he's going to be betrayed that he'd be judged he be crucified he would die and finally that he'd be resurrected and his resurrection validates the truthfulness of his claims he also said he was the son of God and when he did that he was claiming divinity in John 8 58 Jesus said before Abraham was I am so his resurrection proves his claim is true that's what Paul said in Romans 1 verse 4 when he said that Jesus was declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead our being completely forgiven of our sins rests on his resurrection in Romans 4 25 Jesus was delivered for offenses was raised again for our justification our very salvation depends on his resurrection in Romans 10 verse 9 if you confess your with your mouth the Lord Jesus believe in your heart God raised him from the dead you will be saved and finally our our own resurrection rests on whether he was raised from the dead Romans 8 11 says if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you so his resurrection is central to everything that Jesus taught concerning himself his entire ministry rests on whether or not he was raised from the dead because if he was not raised from the dead he's a liar if he's claiming that it's going to be raised from the dead and he really knows he's not he's a lunatic but if he is raised from the dead he's the Lord those are your three choices either he's a liar a lunatic or he's the Lord his resurrection demonstrates to us that he is a Lord and because of that Satan works to undermine the fact of his resurrection and that's what we're looking at today we're looking at Jesus who has been crucified who has died who has been buried now there was a man by the name of Joseph Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea had gone to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor and had asked for the body of Jesus Jesus had died and he's asking for the body he was a rich council member he had become a secret disciple and because he was rich he had gained access to Pilate he gained permission and that was unusual for him to ask such a thing because normally only relatives would claim bodies so by doing this Joseph actually placed himself in danger but he did it anyway he had a friend his name was Nicodemus Nicodemus was also a disciple a secret disciple and he and Nicodemus had placed Jesus in a tomb we're familiar with Joseph with Joseph just by his mention but we're more familiar with Nicodemus Nicodemus is the one who came to Jesus by night in earlier days I used to call him Nick at night but that doesn't go over anymore because you have to be old and know what that meant but Nicodemus came by night we know the story he had come for whatever reason we're not sure why he came late at night he simply did he might have been busy there might have been various things he's might have wanted to keep this a secret kind of rendezvous with Christ we don't know but we do know he came by night and we do know that he spoke to Christ and he said master we know that you were a teacher come from God for no man can do the works that you do unless God is with him and so when he said that what he was doing is he is acknowledging that Jesus has been the topic of conversation and obviously a topic of conversation amongst those whom Nicodemus was familiar with therefore they were more than likely other Pharisees or religious leaders we know that you are a teacher come from God we've already talked about this we've looked at you we've heard your words but the works that you're doing the things that you're doing those are not energized by Satan we know that you are a teacher come from God no man can do the works that you do unless God is with him and so he's opening himself up this secret man well this is before he's actually a faithful man in Christ but he's opening up and he's asking questions of of Jesus and Jesus then begins and I'll just collapse this into a couple of phrases Jesus says unless someone is born again he cannot see he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven how is a man going to enter in his mother's womb a second time Nicodemus asks him and be born a second time what do you talk about born again and Jesus begins to speak about the wind how it blows where it desires and all of that you see the results but you don't know anything really about it and this is all very confusing to Nicodemus when Jesus is tying in the spirit and how the spirit moves in all and that's why Jesus says to him when Nicodemus says how can this be so can a man enter his mother's womb and be born another time you're a teacher of Israel when he says you're a teacher of Israel literally he's saying you are the teacher of Israel and you don't know these things so Jesus spoke to him and said to him you're not going to go to heaven if you're not born again now there are those who refer to us we who are Christians evangelical Christians and they call us born againers and I've had conversations in the past with people who say well I'm a Christian but I'm not a born born againer and and the problem is is the only Christian there is is the born againer because that's what Jesus said you know he said unless you're born again you will not enter the kingdom of heaven and Peter when he was writing one of his epistles said that we've been born again not a perishable seed but by imperishable he said by the word of God which lives and abides forever and so when we receive the gospel the message of Christ that speaks concerning the reason he died the fact that he died but the reason he was resurrected how that he has come in order to set us free from bondage how he has come in order to forgive us of our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we take that into our heart when we understand that and receive Christ then we're born again that's what Christ wants to do he wants to give us new life that's why we we celebrate resurrection Sunday why because Jesus Christ lives and because he lives we live also in him that's how it works that's how you're born again you come to faith in Christ well this man Joseph and and Nicodemus came in and took the body of Christ in and buried it you see Jesus his body had been taken down and as his body as his body had been taken down there were women who saw where he was buried in chapter 23 verse 55 it says the women who had come with him from Galilee followed after and they observed the tomb and how his body was laid then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment so it was early it's early Sunday morning and the women returned to the tomb to finish the burial Mark tells us in chapter 16 verse 2 it's very early he says in the morning John in his gospel chapter 20 verse 2 says Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark now that's interesting in many ways including something that the prophet Malachi who wrote the last book of the Old Testament the book of Malachi it's interesting because of something he said in Malachi 4 verse 2 he said but to you who fear my name the son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings the term son of righteousness is another way of speaking of Messiah he was saying Messiah will provide healing through the forgiveness of sin and his resurrection is proof that he'll do so in Matthew 28 verse 1 it says as the first day of the week began to dawn so Jesus the son of righteousness rose before the Easter day son now there are certain women it says in verse 1 on the first day of the week very early in the morning they insert another women with them came to the tomb bring in the spices which they had prepared put yourself in their place for a moment they were in deep mourning there's an incredibly deep grief at his death so in their depth of sorrow they have forgotten his promise this reveals that they really didn't place faith or remember they didn't listen closely to what he had taught because as you read your Bible you see the Jesus prepared his disciples throughout his ministry for this one day he knew they'd be overwhelmed with what they'd go through so he taught them he said I'm gonna die but I will be raised to life he would most surely die but he said I will be raised and he wanted them to to know and believe that death didn't have the final victory so many times when we've gone to funerals and we've seen a loved one who has died and been buried so many times we can be in such grief and and mourning that we forget what the word of God says as it relates to resurrection when my father went home to be with the Lord we were having some a time of visitation in there was his casket and the rest of us were kind of sitting in the room talking and I still remember my my wife my kids and all we were there with my brother and sisters and as we were there I remember how all of us were talking and and then I stood up and I walked up to the to the casket to the coffin and I was just just looking at the body of my father and it made me kind of like inside it was just an odd moment when I thought you know this is so like like us when he was still alive we always were talking and he was always quiet and so as I was there just looking at him I still remember a thought that came to my to my mind do you believe in the resurrection you can be brought to that point I've been preaching resurrection for many years why does the word of God teaches it but that moment when you're looking into the the face of someone that meant everything to you that that you loved with all of your heart and you and there's no response there's there's no life in that and that body that that question can be asked of you do you believe do you believe and I still remember looking at the face of my father having those thoughts and just the Lord to me and just a moment conversation how I said to him yes I do I do believe I do believe in the resurrection because of Jesus Christ you see death has a sobering effect on us they were able to grasp the part about him dying they were eyewitnesses of his death they saw Jesus suffer you know he had been taken in and beaten first in front of so the priest and some of his his men and then he is taken to Pontius Pilate and Pontius Pilate's men had had brutalized him they had they had taken a crown of thorns and had pressed it into his brow they had put a royal robe on him they had bowed their knee they handed him a staff and they said hail king and they had mocked him they took this cat anine tails and they had lacerated his back so that it was like hamburger there was blood everywhere he he was weak from the loss of blood then they put his clothing back on him and he walked out he went through the the Damascus gate and and turn off to go up to the to the place of crucifixion and and he was so weak and they saw this he was so weak he could could no longer carry that cross beam on his own and so Simon came to help him and Simon of Cyrene carried the cross with him and they watched that they saw that they saw when Jesus was crucified how they placed him on that cross and and how he had moaned when when the when that post had dropped into the into that hole that they had dug for it and and and they heard him as he spoke father forgive them they know not what they do today you shall be with me in paradise they thirst the things that he was saying they had heard all of that and and they they saw the people who were who were walking by the passes by who had hurled insults they they they saw that with the soldiers and the priests and and they experienced the the hours of darkness they they shook with that earthquake they heard them say it is finished and they heard them say father into your hands I commit my spirit father into your hands I commit my spirit I've shared this many times with those of you who are part of our fellowship how that the children during the time of Christ would have closing prayers and their night prayers and one of the things they would say in their night prayers was quoting the Psalm father into thy hands I keep my spirit and and Jesus very likely as a child all through his childhood had placed his head on on his pillow at night and he had said father into thy hands I commit my spirit as part of his evening prayers and and this time he said that and he placed his head on on the cross that became his pillow and they watched him as he died he dismissed his spirit they saw it when when Nicodemus when they took the the body down and and they watched when he was placed in this borrowed tomb Joseph of Arimat Thea's tomb and they thought that even though he was given a royal burial that it wasn't enough so they went to get more things to give him a better burial and that's why they're there so when they had heard it is finished when they had heard into thy hands I commit my spirit for for them the light of the world went out because they watched him die and as far as they could see death was victorious life had been defeated the message of resurrection was too deep for them they knew the first part of the book of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 7 where it says the grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the Lord blows on them but they forgot the second part but the word of our God stands forever Jesus multiple times had said he'd be resurrected in mark 831 he began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things be rejected by the elders and the chief priests the scribes be killed and after three days rise again so they believe he's still in that tomb and they came expecting to find a heavy stone blocking their entrance the stone would have weighed up to three tons it would have sealed it securely so mark tells us in chapter 16 verse 3 they're talking amongst themselves and they asked the question who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us but verse 2 tells us here in Luke they found the stone rolled away from the tomb when it says they found the stone rolled away the words rolled away speaks of it being out of the groove there was a groove that it would roll down it was out of that groove as if a mighty force had hurled it away and that was completely unexpected so the question is answered for them when they arrive at the tomb you see God was aware of what they would need and he took care of it beforehand Isaiah 65 24 even before they call I will answer while they're still speaking I will hear God already knows what he's going to do some of you some of us have been in the situations where we're saying to ourselves I don't know what I'm going to do I don't know what I'm gonna do I've racked my brains I don't know what to do this is our 42nd celebration of Easter as a ministry 42 years and I can remember amen and I can remember that we when we first began we had been renting a small building in Ontario and they kicked us out of the church because they thought we were a cult because we celebrate Christmas and it turns out they were a cult I didn't know it yeah so they kicked us out they said you have to be out then at the end of January and we had a church of 60 people we didn't have any finances we you know we weren't able to afford anything and so what happened is we started looking around the city of Ontario to find a place that we could go and rent couldn't find it see we were paying $150 a month and the only place we could find wanted $1,050 and there's no we we didn't have that money and so I had my guys as well as me myself going out looking we couldn't find anything and so the day was coming that we were going to be kicked out and and I remember I was studying for a Bible study and the Lord began to minister to me because the night before which was a Wednesday night I had been thinking Lord what are we gonna do I actually you know I was on my face before the Lord in in my bedroom just weeping saying God I don't know where to go what are we gonna do and I went to the Wednesday night Bible study that night and and they the one of the lady saw me and she said you look like death warmed over we need to pray for you and so I said thanks I really appreciate your kindness okay let's pray and so afterwards I had gone home now a couple days before I had written a letter to Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and I shared with him a few things and I said I'd like to be part of the Calvary Chapel family and I had done that twice before not to Chuck but to others and and I had been told no we're not gonna welcome you into the family and there are there are already a couple churches in your area and so they said no and so I waited on the Lord for a month and a half two months and I wrote again and this time was to Chuck and and so I had sent a letter to him and now it's you know I'm going to bed after the Bible study I go home go to bed and believe it or not many of you won't but this is true I was laying in in bed and I heard a voice within my heart say you're going to need a place that will seat 200 people on Easter Sunday and I remember saying yeah that's right which is weird because we had 60 people and we're getting kicked out in a couple weeks but I go that's right so the next day I was preparing a Bible study unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and I had a bite alone but if it dies it brings forth much fruit John 12 24 and I remember saying Jesus I am dead I feel dead and when I was saying that as the words were leaving my mouth I heard the voice of the Lord a second time and this time he said your letter is here so I went because the mailman came and left the mail in the mailbox I took it and brought it and it was a stack of bills and I put it down I said I'm gonna have to get rid of Marie she's not paying my bills I put it down and and I found a an envelope that said Calvary Chapel Coast to Mason and I put it to the side went through the other things and prayed and said Lord if you would not have us to be Calvary Chapel then then I'm fine with that and I opened it up and it said welcome to the family and we have that letter in the hallway part of it is there see so all this time I didn't know what the Lord was going to do but he already was at work he already was preparing and I discovered early on that he loves you more than I ever will and he loves the church more than I ever could and he wanted to take care of his children and he was grateful to us to give us a place as he's done all these 42 years he has shown his faithfulness to us because he loves you and he prepares a place for you and so they didn't understand what was taking place but even before they call I'll answer the Lord it said they're saying who's going to roll away the stone well the stone had been rolled away before they came Matthew 28 verse 2 says behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it well verse 3 says they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus it's interesting how Luke records what they found as well as what they did not find they found the stone rolled away but they didn't find the body of Jesus well verse 4 it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this behold two men stood by them in shining garments then as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth they said to them boo no they didn't I'm sorry why do you seek the living among the dead he's not here he's risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee what a great question why do you seek the living amongst the dead now these men are identified as angels in in Matthew 28 verse 2 when they first enter the tomb these angels are seated according to Mark 16 verse 5 but now the standing the garments are shining they have the appearance of men and I want to make that point real quick not of babies or women very often you'll see pictures of these little fat baby angels no they had the appearance of men not babies and now women well what happens verse 5 says they were afraid bowed their faces to the earth and then they said to them why do you seek the living among the dead he's not here he's risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee saying the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified in the third day rise again and they remembered his words in the presence of these glorious beings the natural response is fear and they say Jesus Jesus isn't dead why are you looking for his body now here's something I'll say this briefly but it's true the founders of world religions have one thing in common all of them are dead the one that we worship is alive Jesus Christ is alive all the founders of the world religions have one thing in common they're all dead and why are you seeking the dead amongst the living amongst the dead and then he says in verse 6 he says he's not here he's risen remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee saying the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men be crucified their day rise again then it says they remembered his words he reminds them resurrection is something you've been taught they had taught this in Caesarea Philippi in Caesarea Philippi which is in the northern portion of Israel just south of what is called Dan or the Dan Nature Reserve there's this place called Caesarea Philippi we've gone there many times and it's a place where they they speak of Peter's great confession of faith Jesus was there with his men this was a place where a lot of people would come and they would actually it was like a resort and Jesus took his men up into that area and while he was there he asked him a question he said whom do the man whom do men say that I the Son of Man am and so they begin to answer well some say John some say Elijah some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets in other words who has been influencing you and what is the the word in the on the street about who I am well something that you that you are one of these men John because Herod I thought that that Jesus was John resurrected so John Elijah one of the prophets Jeremiah prophet or at least a prophet that's what they're saying about you why did he ask that question because we are all influenced by what others say about him so what are they saying about me well this is what they're saying but what do you say you see it's not what my mom said about Jesus it's not what my dad said about Jesus not with the Sunday School teacher said about Jesus it's not what my born-again friend husband wife says about Jesus what do you say who is he and that's when Simon Peter said you are the Christ the Son of the Living God blessed are you Simon by Jonah flesh and blood is not revealed listen to you but my father has this is supernatural revelation that came from the father no man convinced you of this my father convinced you of this see that's how you're saved again God doesn't have any grandchildren you only have sons and daughters the only way you enter into the kingdom is by being born again and so what do you say about him you are the Christ the Son of the Living God and so he's reminding him do you remember what he had said in Luke 9 verse 22 the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders the chief priests and scribes be killed be raised the third day so he comforts them by reminding them of the words of Christ he has risen as he said it is trusting in God's word because God cannot lie and it is trusting in God's word that gives you peace Psalm 119 verse 50 this is my comfort in my affliction for your word has given me life Psalm 130 verse 5 I wait for the Lord my soul waits and in his word I hope so verse 8 says they remembered his words Jesus taught them he would be resurrected and now it makes sense his word brings comfort well in verse 9 they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the 11 and to all the rest it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles and the word seemed to them like idle tales and they didn't believe them but Peter rose and ran to the tomb and stooping down he saw the linen cloths lined by themselves and he departed marveling puzzled marveling to himself at what had happened so I want to build on something close with this they went to tell the apostles as well as the other followers of Jesus but the apostles didn't believe them the words were nonsensical but Peter verse 12 Peter arose and ran to the tomb and stooping down the scripture tells us he saw the linen cloths lined by themselves and departed marveling to himself at what had happened now John 20 records how Peter and John had both run to the empty tomb John outran Peter he arrived first at the tomb and he saw the linen cloths John tells us he saw this but at first he didn't enter into the tomb in verses 6 and 7 of John 20 Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lined there and the handkerchief that had been around his head not lying with the linen cloths but folded together in a place by itself well when they saw that verse 8 says of John 20 the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also he saw and believed now this is what's interesting this is what I want to develop for a minute both ran to the tomb both saw the linen cloths lined there and both saw that the tomb was empty but in John's gospel only John is mentioned as having believed now why is that why is it that John believed and Peter did not Peter walks away puzzled he walks away marveling to himself at what had happened why is that because Peter was dealing with the guilt of his sin of denying Jesus Christ it is likely that the shadow of sin had clouded his spiritual sight it is Peter who had said to Jesus though all forsake you I never will I will die for you and Jesus said will you really Peter line telling you you're gonna betray me tonight you'll deny me three times I never will though they all do I won't and I believe that he really believed that because when Jesus was in the garden at Gethsemane and Judas came with the officers to arrest Jesus it was the apostle Peter who pulled out his sword and tried to take the head of Malchus one of the servants to take his head off his shoulders and Jesus had to heal him because his ear had been cut and Jesus had to heal him and he told Peter put away your sword Peter wanted to he would have died because I think it's easier to die as a brave martyr than it is to live for Jesus day by day in faith and so Peter with all the rest for a sook him and flat and the guilt was ever before him he said I'd die for you he said everybody else will betray I never will Simon Simon Satan has desired to obtain you so he may sift you even as wheat is sifted but I have prayed for you and when you are converted strengthen your brethren Simon Satan asked for you the way he asked for Job and he asked that he might sift you even as wheat is sifted you're gonna go through it in a way that you never have but you're gonna be converted you're gonna return and after you do so strengthen your brethren and the reason I know you're going to be converted is I have prayed for you see Jesus wasn't surprised at his denial Peter may have been shamed felt the sin and Psalm 40 verse 12 it says for troubles without numbers surround me my sins have overtaken me I cannot see they are more than the hairs of my head my heart fails within me I wonder how many of us understand that I think what a number of us do my sins number greater than the hairs of my head I have so many sins I can't even count them and my sins have clouded my vision I only see one thing and that's that I'm far away from you sin clouds your vision I wonder how many in this room are listening today how many of you started out well but didn't finish well how many went forward at an invitation and we're so excited and telling everybody about Jesus and within a year or two three years later you're back at the old thing what you used to do and ashamed you were raised in a Christian home you know the things you're able to recite those things but you don't know the Lord and the only thing you really can see is just in it clouds your vision we had people coming up today and they were holding their cardboard testimonies at one time they were this but God opened their eyes and now they're this God does that and it comes through Jesus Christ and unless you ask for forgiveness you're gonna remain in your sin you can be too depressed you can be laden with sorrow you can be filled with grief and sadness over what you've done that's what happened to a king by the name of David when he when he lay with another man's wife a woman by the name of Bathsheba and he wrote a poem about it a Psalm Psalm 32 he said in verses 3 and 4 when I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer you see failing to recognize what we've done is called sin we remain in bondage and the only way to experience freedom is to confess it the word confess in the Greek is is a simple word homo ligue it means to simply agree with say the same words to confess this to agree with God God says this is sin you agree with them that's called confession I'm agreeing with you this is a sin it is my sin and I'm sorry and Psalm 32 verses 3 and 4 when I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long day and night your hand was heavy upon me my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer again what happens when verse viva says I acknowledged my sin to you did not cover up my iniquity I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin Peter had forgotten that God loved him and Peter had forgotten that God forgives that doesn't give us permission to continue in sin that gives us the grace and strength to confess and forsake it Peter had forgotten that the scripture says if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin into cleanses from all unrighteous not unrighteousness not just some but all every single thing everything you've ever done everything in the future that you may still do is covered by the blood of Christ it doesn't give me permission to go out in continuance in God forbid but it awakens me to the reality of God's mercy and grace and the power that he supplies by his holy spirit and then he gives me a family that encourages me to live for Jesus Christ and my life is transformed because of that and that's what Peter needed to know you see John and Peter saw the exact same thing they saw an empty tomb they saw the same thing but with a different point of view John walked away believing Peter walked away confused he didn't clearly know what happened but soon he would Jesus was alive he would forgive his sin he would heal those broken bones and would use him mightily and armed with that message he would spend the rest of his life telling people about Jesus until the day came where tradition holds that he was crucified upside down he said in first Peter 1 8 though you have not seen him you love him and even though you do not see him now you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy