You can read it yourself, follow along, or just listen.
“Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name.”
Acts 5:41
Before Jesus rose from the dead, His followers were afraid.
When Jesus was arrested, they ran away.
Peter even said he did not know Jesus.
They were hiding behind locked doors.
They thought everything was over.
But after Jesus appeared to them alive, something changed.
Bible Explorers stop and ask an important question.
Why did the disciples suddenly become so brave?
They began telling everyone that Jesus was alive.
They preached openly.
They were warned to stop.
They were arrested.
Some were beaten.
Some were put in prison.
And many were killed for their faith.
People will sometimes die for something they believe is true.
But people do not die for something they know is false.
The disciples would have known if they had made the story up.
They would have known if the body was hidden.
They would have known if it was a lie.
Yet they never changed their story.
Not when threatened.
Not when punished.
Not even when facing death.
They had nothing to gain.
No money.
No power.
No safety.
What they gained was suffering.
And yet they kept saying the same thing.
We saw Jesus alive.
Their fear turned into courage.
Their sadness turned into joy.
Their silence turned into boldness.
Something real had happened.
The resurrection explains it.
The disciples were not brave because they tried harder.
They were brave because they knew Jesus had defeated death.
If death was beaten, there was nothing left to fear.
The courage of the disciples is one of the strongest signs that Jesus truly rose from the dead.
Think About It
• Why do you think fear can change when someone knows the truth?
• Why wouldn’t people die for something they knew was fake?
• What changed the disciples so completely?
• How does the resurrection give people courage today?
• What does this tell you about Jesus?
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