This is Number 5 on my top 10 reasons for faith in Jesus.
The defining reason why Christians over the millennia have professed faith in Jesus is the resurrection. Without the resurrection there would be no Christian faith. Even though Jesus performed miracles and preached a revolutionary and very righteous message, without the resurrection Jesus would be viewed as perhaps just another Old Testament prophet, or just a good man as many humanists believe.
The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most irrefutable events in the Bible, and its impact on his followers and on world history are undeniable. Early in my journey from skeptic to believer I was presented with the evidence for the resurrection by Josh McDowell. Rather than creating my own list of proofs I will just refer to this page "Evidence for the Resurrection" for background.
To summarize, the disciples of Jesus were so convinced of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God that they were willing to suffer and die to obey him and spread the good news to the ends of the world. They did this not out of greed, nor were they converted at the point of a sword or spear.
To the contrary they resisted these forces and spread the gospel in the face of opposition from both their own culture and the rulers of the world. This is not the response expected from a group that had been scattered in fear while their Rabbi was captured, tortured and crucified by soldiers acting on the demands of an angry radicalized mob.
The resurrection of Jesus and the coming of his Holy Spirit changed the disciples into a fearless group of evangelists who changed the world. The truth of the resurrection means that Jesus lives forever as the Lord of all creation for all time.
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