If you discovered proof for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, what would you do?

If He didn't rise, then Christianity is false. The Apostle Paul himself admitted as much: "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins...[and] we should be pitied more than anyone" (1 Corinthians 15:17-19).

But if Jesus rose from the dead, then Christianity is true.

He is God. I am His creation. I have broken His law. And I have been invited to believe in Him and be forgiven of all my mistakes.

So, did Jesus rise? It's the most important question in the universe.

Let's examine the eyewitness evidence.

Within three years of the death of Jesus, the church in Jerusalem had formulated the first Christian creed. This creed was a statement of faith that not only affirmed the most essential beliefs of the early Christian community, but also gave evidence in support of those beliefs. Judea in A.D. 35 was just as skeptical of a resurrection claim as our society is today. The Christians in Jerusalem knew that if people were going to believe that a man crucified and buried right outside their own city had risen from the dead, they would need to hear from the eyewitnesses.

Thankfully, this creed has been preserved for us and was recorded by the a key figure in the rapid expansion of the early church, the Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, written less than twenty years after the creed was formulated.

Here's what it says: "For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles."

The creed provides us with valuable historical evidence of the early Christian community's belief that Jesus not only died on the cross for our sins, but that he rose from the dead. This belief was not based solely on faith, but also on eyewitness testimony. While the first half of the creed summarizes the gospel message, the second half cites specific instances of post-resurrection appearances by Jesus to the twelve disciples, a crowd of over five hundred believers, and James.

This evidence was essential in convincing early skeptics of the validity of the Christian message, and it remains a critical component of Christian apologetics today. Apologetics seeks to provide a rational defense of the Christian faith, and the creed's emphasis on eyewitness testimony has been a key element of this defense since the genesis of Christianity itself. By citing the testimony of multiple witnesses, the creed reinforces the credibility of the Christian message and its central claim that Jesus is indeed risen from the dead.

Jesus's disciples were perfectly positioned to know whether the resurrection story was true. Their eyewitness testimony of Jesus's post-resurrection appearances played a key role in the expansion of the early church. Either they lied and were responsible for fabricating and spreading the false message of a mythical resurrection, or they really did see Him with their own eyes, eat breakfast with Him, and even touch the wounds He sustained in His death.

But how can we determine the truth of their claims? The historical record reveals that each of Jesus's remaining disciples died for their belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the risen Savior.

Famously, Peter was crucified upside down because he considered himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. As Andrew was crucified, he strained to use every last breath to proclaim the gospel to anyone who could hear him. "Doubting Thomas" was speared to death in India because of his fearless preaching of the gospel. James, son of Zebedee, was executed. Upon his death, he gave such a powerful witness of the gospel of Christ that his own accuser converted to faith in Jesus.

History records the death of each of the 11 remaining disciples, and all but John died as martyrs, unwilling to recant of their belief that they witnessed firsthand the resurrected Christ. Even John was not exempt of persecution for his faith, as he died in exile as punishment for his declaration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

If these men knew the resurrection was false, why would they die for something they knew to be a lie?

Some say that the disciples lied. Others say they exaggerated. Still others think they hallucinated. But the most rational explanation is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The disciples' unwavering willingness to die for their testimony provides compelling evidence that they did indeed see the risen Christ with their own eyes.

According to the creed, the resurrected Jesus appeared to over five hundred people at one time. In the area surrounding Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified and then buried, there were 500 people who claimed to be eyewitnesses of the risen Christ. Why would the church in its infancy include this in their creed if it were not true? It would be far too easily refuted. Yet within a few years of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, Christians regularly reminded each other through the creed that although they faced persecution for their faith in Jesus, there were 500 individuals walking around with firsthand evidence that Christianity is true.

Jesus's appearances to the twelve provide quality eyewitness evidence. His appearance to a crowd of five hundred provides a quantity of evidence. By including both the twelve and the five hundred as eyewitnesses, the creed has established both a quality and a quantity of evidence. The case for a true, historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is growing stronger, but there remains one more eyewitness to consider: James, the brother of Jesus.

What would it take to convince you that your brother is God?

Though its easy to forget, Jesus experienced a rather ordinary childhood, growing up in a home with both parents and siblings. Yet when it came to the ministry of Jesus, John 7:5 tells us that "even his brothers did not believe in him." It's no wonder that his brothers would be skeptical of his claims at first. After all, who would ever believe that their older brother is God?

But the book of Acts tells us that James later served as a key leader in the church in Jerusalem. So how did James convert to Christianity, let alone become a leading figure in the church?

Nothing less than seeing the risen Christ with his own eyes could have convinced James that his brother was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior.

A second-century historian named Hegesippus recorded that James was pushed to his death from the pinnacle of the temple. Surviving the fall, he slowly lifted himself off the ground, his body aching and breath labored, kneeled down, and prayed for his attackers as they ruthlessly beat him to death.

James didn't just open up his mind to the idea that maybe His brother was God, he became so devoutly committed to worshiping his brother as his Lord, his Savior, and his God that he died praying that his murderers would themselves be converted and believe in the gospel message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Sir Lionel Luckhoo is the greatest lawyer of all time. He holds the world record for most consecutive victories in court with 245 straight murder acquittals.

When he was 64 years old and well on his way to claiming a spot in the Guiness Book of World Records, he turned his attention to examining the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Here is his conclusion: “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is unavoidable. The most rational response to the eyewitness evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is to trust in Him for salvation and live a life fully surrendered to God.

He is risen, indeed. And that changes everything.