What did they know?

Are you willing to die for what you believe in? They say follow the blood if you want to know if something is true. Every one of Jesus's Disciples except for John, died a gruesome death. Boiled in oil, sawed in half, crucified upside down to testify to what they knew and saw about Jesus. Anyone of them could have said it was all a hoax and spared their own life: none did!

So what did they see? The Bible says repeatedly in Acts 1 that Jesus revealed himself to His Disciples. Also in John 21 and and Luke 24 we see this again as Jesus revealed Himself in many ways, even allowing Doubting Thomas to put his hands in Jesus' side in John 20:27 "Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 Of course, the famous Damascus road conversion of Saul to Paul in Acts 9:5 is a powerful story that propelled Paul into His ministry and writing of about 70% of the New Testament: "Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied " John 21:14 says Jesus met His Disciples while they were fishing out at sea and had breakfast with them on the shore. "This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead." So basically the Disciples had seen Jesus post crucifixion and knew without a shadow of a doubt He was alive. He had conquered sin and death and therefore they had nothing to fear at all. In fact, Paul was even given a glimpse into Heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 and it was so inexpressibly beautiful that he said they were no words to describe it -" I was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell."

So do you believe their testimony is true? They were willing to die for what they saw and believed. Does that change your outlook of fear and death? Are you willing to live fearlessly for Christ? If not, where do you lack trust? That is the subject matter we must all grapple with.