Fact a Day: April 9th

Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection (Harvest House, 1996) p. 18-19

Why is the testimony of the people who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection compelling evidence? 
Part 1—Many disciples and all of the apostles testified that they were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.

In their early preaching, all the apostles repeatedly stressed the eyewitness nature of the resurrection to both Jew and Gentile, believer and skeptic alike: “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32); “The one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15); “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death . . . and we are witnesses of these things” (Acts 5:30,32).

The apostle John stressed that, “He who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true” (John 19:35). He also wrote, “This is the disciple who bears witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true” (John 21:24).

The Apostle Peter emphasizes that, “We did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).