Question:

After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the angel said to the women, “But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him” (Mark 16:7).

Does mentioning Peter by name mean that he was distinguished from the rest of the disciples?

Answer:

The Lord indeed intended to show special concern for Peter, because he was in a state of anxiety about himself and his destiny after his denial, blasphemy, and cursing.

When he said that he “did not know the Man,” if the Lord had applied to him His own words, “Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew 10:33), Peter would have perished.

Therefore, Peter was mentioned by name as a form of consolation to him because of his denial and sin. Perhaps he was so ashamed before the Lord that he could not face Him unless he received a special invitation from Him.

Do you not agree with me that Adam, after his sin, hid himself from the face of God and was afraid to meet Him? And when God called him, he answered, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10).

Peter was in the same situation and needed a special invitation by name.

The matter, then, is not one of leadership or preference, but rather a consolation offered to a poor soul…

An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine – Year Two, Issue Ten, December 1966.

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