Evening star., 1927-05-07

Peter never forgot the mysterious
look that Jesus gave him at His trial.
1t sent him forth weeping into the
narrow street Of Jerusalem that dark
night. 1t called him back to leader
ship with the apostles after CHRIST
condemnation and crucifixion. During
those hours of despair Peter tried to
comfort his broken-hearted associates
by telling them of how the Master
look had penetrated his own soul and
called him back to share with them
their sorrow over their blasted hopes
and aspirations. 1t caused Peter and
John to start Immediately for the tomb
when Mary Magdalene had returned
and reported that 1t was empty.
1t is evident that the women were
not expecting the resurrection, from
Mary's statement. John was the first
to reach the burial place. His youth
gave him greater speed than Peter.
who had run with all his might. If he
thought Of his denial or of the blasted
hopes Of the apostolic band, he did
not aylow 1t to retard his approach to
the sepulchre. John was reyerently
looking within, trying to solve the
meaning of the linen that had, ac-
cording to the practice of the time,
been wrapped about the Lords body
at His burial, containing myrrh and
aloes, that weighed about a hun
dred pounds, when Peter arrived to
make a personal investigation of the
empty tomb. The linens appearance
suggested that He had slipped out Of
the clothes.
Empty Tomb Investigated.
Peter entered the tomb to make a
careful examination Of all the details
in an endeavor to discover the mean
ing Of the strange event. He looked
and considered the meaning of the
winding sheet of linen, which had not
been stripped from the body Of the
Lord. The presence of the winding
sheet and of the folded napkin that
had, according to the practice of the
time, been placed over the Masters
face at His burial, and that he noticed
was carefully folded up and placed in
another place, proved concluSively
that the tomb had not been robbed,
for they would have taken the linen
along with them. These two disci-
pies knew Jesus the best of all men,
and they saw in the arrangement of
the linen a suggestion of His methods.
Although they as yet knew not the
Scripture, that He must rise from the
Holy Spirit a new faith daWned upon
them, that Christ was the Master Of
death. 1t filled them with joy, and
the meaning of some of His teachings
and the Scriptures commenced to
dawn upon them. Peter probably COM
menced to hope that he might see the
risen Lord and obtain a. complete
reconciliation and restoration as a re-
suit of his repentance for having
denied Him. 1t may have been this
fact that prompted the risen Lord to
send word to the apostles and Peter
that He was risen from the dead.
The Pull of the Past.
No record has come to us concern
ing the appearance of Jesus to Peter
when the reconciliation was gixen to
Peter and he was restored through
divine grace to the Lords service.
Persistent Peter commenced his sue.
cess where others end, in failure. He
failed more than once. He had an
appointment to. meet the risen Lord
in Galilee, where Christ had per-
formed His greatest works and en-
joyed His most fruitful ministry.
There in the old paths Peter and his
associates felt the pull OF the past,
Just as we have felt 1t whenever we
seek to enter upon a new field of
service. John tells us the story of
how the seven disciples were infiu-
enced by Peter to go fishing when
Christ had an appointment to meet
thsn. They toilsa all nisRt and