Preaching the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was not easy. Peter insisted that the man the authorities killed had been vindicated by God and was now alive in a very extraordinary way. Peter showed that the crucifixion of Jesus was all part of the divine plan. Those who had killed him were shown to be foolish indeed. Sometimes what appears to us as a disaster or something very negative actually turns out to contain blessings. God uses even the mess created by human stupidity and evil to accomplish his will. We need to be patient and to avoid making hasty judgments or decisions. God is always at work.

The overjoyed but frightened women running from the empty tomb ran into Jesus, who gave them a message to proclaim. The authorities saw the empty tomb and insisted that the disciples of Jesus had stolen his body. People can witness the same thing and come to very different conclusions. The empty tomb is not enough; we must have an open and expectant heart and mind in order to believe. Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations. To do that, we must be true disciples ourselves. Otherwise, we are merely exporting a religious institution. The risen Christ must be evident in the minds, hearts, and deeds of the believing community.