II Corinthians 11:22-27 (NIV – Focus verse 25)
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.
This is the Apostle Paul’s testimony, but many other first-century Christians were tortured for their faith. Church historians tell us that Peter was crucified upside down. Why would they risk their lives to preach the message of a resurrected Jesus if it was untrue? The disciples, who had fled in fear when soldiers arrived at the garden to apprehend Jesus, acted out of confident faith after the resurrection. They knew the truth. They had seen Him alive. Their faith is another reason we can be confident that the resurrection was a reality.