The resurrection of Jesus gives Christians a wonderful hope. Jesus promised, “Because I live you also will live.” After his resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days and gave them many convincing proofs that he was alive. He taught them about God’s kingdom and told them the Holy Spirit would come to them. When the Holy Spirit came, he empowered the disciples to proclaim the Good News about forgiveness through Jesus and many people put their trust in him.
The risen Jesus also restored the Apostle Peter who had seriously failed his Lord on the night Jesus was condemned. Peter had confidently said that, even if all the other disciples failed Jesus, he never would. But Jesus told him that before the next day dawned Peter would deny he even knew his Lord three times. When Peter did deny Jesus, he was heartbroken and wept bitterly. His courage had failed him, and he had sinned against his Lord. One morning after the resurrection Jesus appeared to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee and spoke personally to Peter. Three times he asked Peter if he really loved him and three times Peter said he did. Jesus told Peter to take care of his people. Peter was fully forgiven and fully restored to the service of his Lord.
Sinful failure is something of which we are all guilty, not occasionally but every day of our lives. Serious sins leave a deep scar and continue to trouble us. Our Western society tells us that breaking God’s laws is not serious, but our God-given conscience tells us it is. Breaking God’s moral law is always serious. However, our permissive society is very unforgiving. If our sins become public knowledge and come into a category of which our society disapproves, we are finished for ever, there is no way back.
That’s why the grace of God is so wonderful. John Newton had lived a very sinful life and was deeply involved in the slave trade. One stormy night in a ship on the Atlantic Ocean John thought he might die. God met with him and turned his life around. He was a totally changed man and wrote a hymn about his experience: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come: ‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”