Simon Peter - Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5

On that first day of Christ’s resurrection, he appears to many people and there are fairly extensive accounts of most of the appearances, but there is one appearance where there is almost no information and it’s almost told as a footnote in Luke 23:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. Luke records Christ’s disciples telling an apparent stranger on the road to Emmaus, “the Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” Paul testifies to the Corinthians  that Christ “rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.” It makes complete sense that Christ would appear to have a personal talk with the man he had chosen to lead his church after he was not on earth anymore to do it. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and surely Peter was as important as her personally to Jesus, but then if we consider that Peter would lead the church and there were still so many aspects of the gospel that he didn’t know and understand, then of course Jesus would want to make sure that he was good to go.

Another thing to remember is that the last time Peter saw Jesus was when he had denied him the third time and the rooster crowed and Jesus looked over at Peter and they both remembered, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. It’s only been a couple of days since that happened, and even Peter was not expecting Jesus to be dead less than 24 hours after the last supper. It had probably been an incredibly wild last few days and now with the women saying that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb and that they saw angels, Peter must have been pulsing with emotion. He might have felt shame and regret for denying that he knew the Savior. He might have felt rage and anger that his master was murdered by the Romans. He surely felt confusion because this is not the ending that he expected for the Savior’s mortal ministry. He might have felt overwhelmed knowing that he was going to take over the church leadership and still not knowing what was going on himself. And above all he must have been immersed in deep grief for the loss of the man that he had spent the last 3 years following and believing in and defending and learning from. There would have been a huge, gaping hope in Peter’s heart where the Savior once dwelled physically.
The IM teaches, “On the day of the Savior’s Resurrection, a sacred meeting occurred between the Lord and Peter, His chief Apostle. This meeting is mentioned only in Luke 24:34 and in 1 Corinthians 15:5, but these references give no details about what took place. Elder Bruce R. McConkie described what may have occurred during the meeting: ‘We feel free to supposed (that this appearance) was one in which the tears of Peter’s denial in the court of Caiaphas were dried; one in which he was assured that though Satan desired to sift him as wheat, yet because Jesus had prayed for him, the noble Peter would yet come off triumphant; one in which a blessed bond of unity, of love, and of peace was established between the Master and his servant.’”