“This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:32.
If the apostles had not been convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, they would not have been transformed from a band of cowards into bold witnesses willing to suffer and die for the message they proclaimed. An unbeliever once admitted to me that something must have happened to convince the apostles that Jesus had conquered death. But the man was so committed to the idea that a resurrection from the dead is impossible that he refused to accept it. That response, though, is illogical. The apostle Paul asked people who had a similar attitude, “Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8). Why indeed! Believing the gospel is a reasonable step of faith. It is a hearty “Amen!” to Peter’s triumphant declaration, “This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses!”