Eyewitness Testimonies

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One of the most compelling reasons to believe in the resurrection is the multitude of eyewitness accounts. 

Jesus appeared physically and bodily to many people after His death, not just to individuals but to large groups, eliminating the possibility of hallucination. 

Paul records that over 500 people saw Jesus at once (1 Corinthians 15:6), emphasizing that many of these witnesses were still alive, meaning his readers could verify the claim for themselves. 

Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18), then to the other women (Matthew 28:9-10), to Peter (Luke 24:34), to the disciples in a locked room (John 20:19-23), and later to Thomas, who physically touched His wounds (John 20:26-29). 

The account of the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) also describes how Jesus walked, talked, and ate with them, further proving He was not a ghost. 

Even Jesus’ skeptical brother, James, who did not believe in Him before His death (John 7:5), became a leader of the Jerusalem church after encountering the risen Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7; Acts 15:13-21). 

The variety of appearances in different contexts over 40 days (Acts 1:3) makes it impossible to dismiss these encounters as psychological delusions.