The Disciples Easter Make-Over [Where Fear Once was, Courage Remains] Luke 23:44-56 LUKE 24:1-12 The most compelling reason to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ can be seen in the disciples themselves. When Jesus was arrested, they all scattered — all but John. They all feared they might be next in line, that their fate might be the same as his. The Apostle Peter denied that he ever knew him — not once, but three times. Their response after his arrest was as cowardly as it could have been — but considering the circumstances, you really can’t blame them. Can we assume new identities? I’m sure they considered all the options. And then they began to hear the news, first from Mary, and then from some of the others. Jesus is alive. Could it really be? This is too good to be true! Dare we believe it? Peter wanted to see for himself, so he got up and ran to the tomb. But in the coming days they saw Jesus face-to-face. They talked to him. Walked with him. Ate with him. Thomas touched him, because he wanted to be sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. What happened next is that these disciples experienced a radical transformation. They went from being a pack of scaredy-cats to being a tribe of roaring lions. They went from hiding under the cover of darkness in a secret room to boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus in the public square. What could possibly have triggered such a transformation? A one-on-one real life encounter with the risen Christ.