“Even if the disciples claimed that Jesus rose from the dead, they were probably lying to make it look like their master was not a failure.”
Write down your individual response to the statement above.
What do the disciples claim about Jesus in these passages?
Matthew 28:5-7
Jesus, who was crucified, has risen!
Mark 16:6-7
Jesus, who was crucified, has risen!
Luke 24:1-8
Jesus, who was crucified, has risen!
John 20:10-18
Jesus, who was crucified, has risen!
We can also look at the letters of the apostle Paul to see what the disciples claimed. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.
What is a creed?
A creed is a statement of what one believes.
Paul includes what many consider an early Christian creed in this section. It is likely that this creed was around about 5 years after the crucifixion. What indicates that verses 3-5 were likely something Paul learned from other Christians?
What I received” marks this as something taught to Paul to be taught to others.
The structure of this passage with its parallelism, repeated “that…” and repeated “according to the Scriptures” marks it as a creed to be memorized and passed on.
Looking at 1st Corinthians 15:1-11, how could Paul’s audience check to see whether Paul was telling the truth?
Ask Peter, James, the other disciples or one of the over 500 other witnesses of Christ’s resurrection.
We looked at the sermons in Acts in the first lesson. The apostles made the resurrection a centerpiece of their sermons. They certainly proclaimed that Jesus rose from the dead.
Now for the next question. They claimed it, but did they believe it or were they just making up a story?
Describe the disciples before and soon after Jesus’ resurrection from the following passages.
Matthew 26:55-56
The disciples were not ready to fight for or die with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. They ran when Jesus was arrested.
Matthew 26:69-75
Peter is scared to claim that he even knew Jesus much less that he was a believer.
John 20:19, 26
The disciples were scared and locked themselves in a room to keep the Jewish leaders away from them.
Now describe the disciples after Jesus rose and appeared to them.
Acts 2:14-24
Peter stands up among a crowd and proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, that the Jews killed the Messiah, and that Jesus rose from the dead. No fear.
Acts 12:1-2
James becomes a martyr. He is killed for his unwillingness to deny Christ.
Acts 7:59-60
Stephen becomes the first of many to die because they proclaim Jesus as the Messiah who died and was raised to life.
The Scriptures tell us of many times that the apostles suffered for proclaiming Christ crucified and risen. Church history and tradition tell us that most of the disciples were martyred (John wasn’t martyred but was exiled). They believed what they were claiming about Christ rising from the dead.
What would the disciples have done in the face of certain death if they had made up the resurrection of Jesus?
They would have changed their story to save their lives. Instead they knew they could not change their story because they witnessed Jesus alive after he had been dead.
It is clear that the disciples claimed and believed that Jesus rose from the dead. They were willing to die rather than deny this fact. How are they different from Muslim terrorists who blow themselves up believing that they are doing their god’s work and will go to paradise?
Agree or Disagree?
I prove my faith to be correct by being willing to die instead of recanting my beliefs.