Yes, the resurrection completely changed the disciples.
Before it, the eleven scattered and Peter denied the Lord in fear. After it, they stood boldly before Roman and Jewish authorities. The resurrection power they witnessed became the bedrock of their fearless witness.
Acts 4:13 — The Sanhedrin marveled at the boldness of Peter and John, showing the visible change the resurrection produced in the disciples.
Acts 2:32 — Peter openly declared that God had raised Jesus and that the apostles were all witnesses of it.
The Bible shows Peter and the apostles testifying boldly after the resurrection. In Acts 2:32 Peter declared that God had raised up Jesus and that they were all witnesses. Acts 4:13 records the council's amazement at Peter and John's boldness, recognizing that they had been with Jesus. Luke 24:13 places the risen Christ with two disciples on the Emmaus road, showing the resurrection was not a figment of imagination but a real, bodily event.
Les teaches that the resurrection totally changed the disciples' attitude. Before it, they scattered like a flock of quail and ran for their lives when Jesus was arrested and crucified. Peter collapsed under the pressure of a young maid, denied the Lord, and ran away in fear. After the resurrection, Peter and the other ten men were afraid of no one—not Rome, not the Jews. Les identifies the power of the resurrection as the bedrock of the Gospel and as the reason these men went from 'scared rabbits' to fearless witnesses who stood against the rulers of Israel and faced persecution without retreating. He points to the change in Peter as one of the strongest proofs of the resurrection.
At Jesus' arrest, the eleven scattered like quail and ran for their lives. Peter collapsed under the pressure of a young maid, cursing and denying that he ever knew the Lord. Their fear was for their own lives as they watched what was happening to their Master.
After the resurrection, the same men had no such fear. They were ready to go to the very ends of persecution, knowing that nothing could touch their eternal part. Peter stood up against Rome and the Jews and was afraid of nobody. Acts 4:13 shows the rulers seeing this boldness and recognizing they had been with Jesus.
Les teaches that the power of the resurrection is the bedrock of the Gospel. It is not enough to believe Jesus was a good man or that He died; He was raised. That same resurrection power gives believers boldness and hope, because those who are Christ's will also be raised. Even if someone can take the body, they cannot touch the invisible, immortal part that will one day be resurrected.
Why Paul Is THE Apostle to the Gentiles — Romans 1 Explained
of us, and it's not a pretty picture. But He bought us out of that slave market, He set us free, cleaned us up, gave us a whole new wardrobe, put us in a beautiful place to live, and I'm not talking about material now, I'm talking about the spiritual, and set our feet upon a rock, gave us hope, and all we had to do was believe it. Just believe it.
Disciples Scattered Like Quail
But after they dig into it, the more they see, and the more they understand, they come away from it as believers, invariably. The thing that I always have to look at, if I need proof and I don't, I would just look at Peter and these other 10 men. How did they react when they first arrested Christ? What did they do? Why were they scattered like a bunch of quail? They were scared to death.
Change After Resurrection
You remember that after his arrest and as he was placed on the cross where were those eleven men? Hey, they had scattered I always say like a flock of quail. And they were practically running for their lives because they were seeing what was happening to their master.
Peter Fearless After Resurrection
You remember back when we were in the Gospels, I think, I pointed out, when they confronted Peter at the time of Christ's arrest, what happened to Peter? He collapsed, didn't he? I mean, his whole facade just simply melded away from him, and he cursed and he denied that he ever knew Him, and he ran scared and so did the others. But after the resurrection, was Peter afraid of anybody? Nobody.
Power of Resurrection Transforms
But, now here's the point I wanted to make, and that's why I wanted to be sure I didn't go by it. These same men, after the resurrection, had no such fear. What made the difference? The power of resurrection. Now if you don't remember anything else from this half hour, remember that.
Acts 4:13 Boldness
It has to be centered on the finished work of the cross of Christ. All right, verse 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, remember I mentioned when we finished up the book of John, or at least somewhere during the book of John, I said if anything proved the resurrection and its power, it was the change of attitude of those 11 men.
Peter as Proof of Resurrection
All right, now then verse 32, "...this Jesus," the one you killed, the one whom God raised from the dead, "...this Jesus God has raised up, whereof we are all witnesses." Now remember I made the comment several programs ago, that if there is one proof of resurrection I think that stands above all others, is the man Peter himself.
Post-Resurrection Appearances
So always remember that Peter, especially as we'll be going into the Book of Acts, is a totally different person than he was leading up to the crucifixion. And why? Because he had witnessed the power of Christ's resurrection. It was not a figment of somebody's imagination, it was real.
Acts 2:32: This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Peter's bold declaration after the resurrection that the apostles were witnesses of it.
Acts 4:13: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
The Jewish council recognized the transformation in the disciples' boldness.
Luke 24:13: And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
Shows the risen Jesus appearing to disciples after His resurrection.
Philippians 3:10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Paul's expression of the resurrection power that Les says transformed the disciples.
They saw what was happening to their Master and ran for their lives like scared quail. Peter denied the Lord because he feared for his own life. After the resurrection they understood that nothing could touch their eternal, resurrected life.
The same men who scattered and fled now stood fearlessly before Roman and Jewish authorities. Les points to Peter as the proof of resurrection power because his whole attitude changed after he witnessed the risen Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Why Paul Is THE Apostle to the Gentiles — Romans 1 Explained