P1030659 – We Love God!

1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead (Mk. 8:31; cf. Mt. 17:22, Lk. 9:22). 2. The tomb was empty on Easter (Luke 24:3). 3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Lk. 24:21; Jn. 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Ac. 2:24; 3:15; 4:2). 4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim (1 Cor. 15:6). 5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim. 6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection (Ac. 9). 7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers. 8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses (Jn. 16:13).

John Piper