Eleven

When Jesus was arrested, his disciples ran away (Mark 14:50). And when Jesus died, they were sad because they thought he wasn’t the promised Messiah after all.

But their lives changed when they saw Jesus after his resurrection. After they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), they began to boldly preach the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection on behalf of sinners. They were even willing to be beaten for what they taught (Acts 5:40–42). They were no longer cowardly but were instead courageous preachers of the gospel!

The change in their lives wasn’t just because the tomb of Jesus was empty. They were changed because they had seen Jesus with their own eyes. Jesus even encouraged Thomas to touch his wounds (John 20:24–29).

They preached the truth so that you can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you may have life in his name (John 20:31).