Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like if Jesus hadn’t died on the cross and risen from the dead? Author and apologist Michael Brown has, and it isn’t a pleasant thought for mankind.
Naysayers and nonbelievers continue to refute the Resurrection and its validity, but Brown says it’s a story that man could not have concocted in his wildest imagination.
“You don’t create stories like this. It happens based on reality,” Brown told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “None of [Jesus’ disciples] say they actually saw him physically rise. And it’s only when they see him that they know it’s true. Then from there, they are willing to lay their lives down.
“This changes Easter for a lot of people even though they think they really understand it. There are still differences in our theology on the Resurrection. You and I believe that He rose from the dead. Witnesses say they saw it. So, 2,000 years-plus down the road, why do we still have these debates?
“People ask, ‘Why should I believe it?’ Well, this book is going to tell you why you should believe it. I’ve said it for many years: You don’t die for a lie. If the disciples made up the idea that He rose and concocted it, then why did they die for it later on?
“Jesus demonstrates that He’s alive today by working in our lives. The one that set me free instantly from two years of heavy drug use is the risen Jesus, the one who’s working around the world as we speak. If Jesus didn’t rise, then nobody would know His name today. He would have just been some obscure, ancient, alleged miracle-worker who died. But the fact is, hundreds of millions of people have come to worship God through Him. Islam doesn’t talk about Muhammad rising because he didn’t. Buddhism doesn’t talk about Buddha rising because he didn’t. Only one rose—Jesus, Yeshua, Messiah of Israel, Savior of the world.”
For more of Dr. Brown’s thoughts on the Resurrection, listen to the entire podcast.