Subtitle: Liars don’t last long… but truth doesn’t die.
The resurrection did not survive because it was convenient or protected.
It survived because it was true.
INTRODUCTION — WHAT WATERGATE PROVED
- Quote from Charles Colson (former Watergate figure, later Christian)
- Colson’s point: powerful men couldn’t keep a lie together for weeks
- Yet the resurrection testimony endured for decades under pressure
Brief Watergate context (for younger listeners):
- Early 1970s political scandal
- Break-in tied to President Nixon’s administration
- The real issue was the cover-up
- Lies collapsed, people turned on each other
- Resulted in resignations, prison time, Nixon stepping down
Key point:
Even power, money, and influence can’t sustain a lie under pressure.
Transition:
If powerful men couldn’t keep a lie for weeks, how did the disciples maintain the resurrection claim for decades under persecution?
1) CHRISTIANITY IS BUILT ON A CLAIM, NOT A CODE
Core truth:
- Christianity does not begin with “be nicer” or “try harder”
- It begins with a historical claim: Jesus is alive
Scripture:
- 1 Corinthians 15:14 — if Christ is not raised, faith is empty
Notes:
- Paul stakes everything on the resurrection
- No resurrection = no Christianity
- Not moral improvement, but a risen Savior
Key statement:
Christianity begins with the claim that Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and is alive right now.
Transition:
If it’s a claim, it must be examined honestly.
2) PEOPLE WILL DIE FOR A LIE THEY BELIEVE — NOT FOR A LIE THEY INVENTED
Clarifying an important distinction:
- Many people have died for false beliefs
- Sincerity does not equal truth
Critical difference:
- The apostles were not dying for secondhand stories
- They claimed to be eyewitnesses
Scripture:
- Acts 4:20 — “what we have seen and heard”
Notes:
- Eyewitness testimony carries responsibility
- You don’t suffer and die for something you know you fabricated
Key line:
People may die for a lie they’ve been deceived by, but they don’t endure beatings and executions for something they know they made up.
Transition:
So the real question is not sincerity, but reality—did they invent it, hallucinate it, or witness it?
3) THE DISCIPLES CHANGED IN A WAY THAT DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION
Before the resurrection:
- Fear
- Confusion
- Hiding
- Denial
After the resurrection:
- Public preaching
- Confrontation with authorities
- Willingness to suffer
Scripture:
- Acts 5:40–42 — beaten, yet they keep preaching
Notes:
- People don’t transform like this without a cause
- Courage doesn’t appear out of nowhere
Key statement:
Religion can be faked in comfort, but conviction cannot be faked when suffering begins.
Transition:
And this boldness wasn’t momentary—it was consistent.
4) THE MESSAGE SPREAD WHERE IT WAS EASIEST TO DISPROVE
Key observation:
- The resurrection was preached in Jerusalem
- The very place Jesus was crucified and buried
Authority advantage:
- Leaders had motive, power, soldiers, prisons
- All they needed was a body
Logic:
- Produce the corpse and the movement dies instantly
Reality:
- No body produced
- The movement exploded instead
Scripture:
- Acts 17:6 — “turned the world upside down”
Transition:
And Paul strengthens this with something that sounds like courtroom evidence.
5) PAUL INVITES INVESTIGATION — GO ASK THE WITNESSES
Scripture:
- 1 Corinthians 15:3–8
Paul’s approach:
- Death
- Burial
- Resurrection
- Appearances
Eyewitness emphasis:
- Peter
- The twelve
- James
- More than 500 at once
Key note:
- Many witnesses were still alive
- Paul is inviting verification, not blind faith
Truth principle:
Christian faith is not afraid of investigation.
Transition:
Now let’s be accurate and fair—because truth doesn’t need exaggeration.
6) ACCURACY MATTERS — WE DON’T NEED LEGENDS TO PREACH TRUTH
Important clarification:
- Not every apostle’s death is equally documented
- Some accounts are stronger than others
But what is undeniable:
- Early Christians faced real persecution
- Apostles and eyewitness leaders suffered for preaching Christ
- The resurrection message multiplied under pressure
Why this matters:
- Christianity doesn’t rely on hype
- The facts are strong enough on their own
Transition:
And once you admit the resurrection is real, Jesus cannot remain a safe category.
7) THE RESURRECTION FORCES A DECISION
Core truth:
- Jesus cannot be reduced to “good teacher”
- A risen Christ demands a response
Scripture:
- Romans 10:9 — resurrection + Lordship
Fork in the road:
- If He rose: repent, believe, surrender, follow
- If He didn’t: reject Christianity honestly
Key note:
Neutrality is not an option.
Transition:
And that’s why the empty tomb still irritates the world.
CLOSING — BACK TO WATERGATE
Human nature lesson:
- Pressure exposes lies
- Consequences cause stories to change
- Fear makes people turn on each other
Contrast with resurrection:
- Didn’t collapse
- Didn’t fade
- Didn’t disappear
- Kept spreading
Scripture:
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 — “But in fact Christ has been raised…”
Final call:
- This is not an invitation to religion
- This is a declaration of a risen King
- The right response is repentance, faith, and obedience