True Stories of a Christian
I have written the first account, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up [into heaven], having given command by the
Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he proved himself alive even after his suffering by many sure marks, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of
God.
Luke's Acts of the Apostles begins with these words. And he immediately makes it unmistakably clear that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is for him a proven
fact: "To them he proved himself alive even after his suffering by many sure marks, appearing to them during 40 days."
This is, of course, a statement of tremendous consequence. If it should be true that Jesus really rose from the dead and then appeared to the apostles for 40
days, we must really be dealing with the Son of God!
Otherwise it would be probably - in view of at present two billion Christians - the most effective lie of all times!
Did the eleven apostles and their inner circle conspire to invent the resurrection of Jesus and his 40-day appearance in order to turn a lost cause - the death of
their beloved Master - into a victory? Or did they become true witnesses of an almost unbelievable, world-historical event?
There can be no objective evidence in this matter. The first apostles, of course, knew exactly whether they were telling the truth or not. But we who are born later have to rely on our feelings
and reports.
However, the New Testament not only reports about the death and resurrection of Jesus, but a central message was also attached to it:
"I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
The promise of the New Testament is that one can come into a permanent connection with God through Jesus. A challenge that one can face or not.
There is - if one wants to believe the NT - a lot at stake. It is about extinction or eternal life, eternal being or non-being!
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