"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 1:1-4)
“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” (― Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism)
"And if Christ has not been raised…Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Cor 15:17ff)
"Let me rephrase what he is saying in positive terms: 'Since Christ has been raised then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are gloriously saved. Since there is a life to come and we have hope in Christ, we are to be envied more than all men.'" (--David Kingston)
"The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is our great high priest who has gone through the heavens, (that is, he is resurrected and ascended), and that we can come confidently to Him to find the help we need to live for him and his kingdom. Because he has lived on earth he understands us; he has been through all the temptations and all the trials that we have (and many more), so he can sympathize with our weakness. But he is now risen and ascended, so he is able to help us." (--David Kingston)
“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.” (--Chuck Colson, one of the original Watergate conspirators)
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)
"The benefits [of the resurrection] are innumerable. To list a few:
Our illnesses don't seem nearly so final;
Our fears fade and lose their grip;
Our grief over those who have gone on is diminished;
Our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles are rejuvenated...
Our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice: 'He is risen, indeed!'" (--Charles Swindoll)
"In short, I didn't become a Christian because God promised I would have an even happier life than I had as an atheist. He never promised any such thing. Indeed, following him would inevitably bring divine demotions in the eyes of the world. Rather, I became a Christian because the evidence was so compelling that Jesus really is the one-and-only Son of God who proved his divinity by rising from the dead. That meant following him was the most rational and logical step I could possibly take." (--Lee Strobel)
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