By Adrian Rogers

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:13-17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Paul isn’t saying, “If Jesus is still in the grave, then we’re mistaken.” He’s saying, “If Jesus is still in the grave, then we’re telling a lie.”

It’s one thing to be mistaken; it’s another to be a false witness.

Now you have to ask: Were the disciples liars when they said Christ was risen? If so, why would they lie? What did they have to gain?

All of them except John died as martyrs. They were tortured, persecuted, stoned, crushed, humiliated, burned at the stake. They were killed by lions.

Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. People tell lies to get out of trouble, not into trouble. A person might live for a lie, but few will willingly die for a lie.

The disciples said, “Listen! We’ve seen Him! We’ve touched Him! We’ve handled Him!” Tradition says Simon Peter was crucified upside down. Was he a con man? Was the apostle John a crook? Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament—was he a known perjurer, deceiver, and false witness? These men would die for a lie?

Of course not. Jesus has indeed risen as they said!

ACTION POINT:

If someone were to ask, “What proof is there that Jesus really rose from the dead?”—what would you answer? Are you prepared with a well-thought-out, logical answer?

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