A few things to consider:
1. Over 500 people saw Jesus alive after the public crucifixion. (1 Cor. 15:6)
2. Those who saw Jesus alive were still alive and well when the talk of his resurrection began. They could have easily refuted any false testimony.
3. The Jewish religious authorities attempted a cover-up by trying to accuse Jesus’ disciples of stealing the body. (Matt. 28:11-15)
[Why would the Jewish authorities try to cover up something that didn’t happen? A cover-up attempt is further evidence that the body wasn’t stolen, but that Jesus was raised from the dead.]
4. The Roman soldiers who were assigned to guard the burial tomb of Jesus faced serious consequences for any failure to protect it’s contents from any tampering – possibly even death. (example in Acts 16:27-30)
5. The disciples of Jesus all went to their death still saying that Jesus had raised.
[Why would the disciples be willing to face such intense persecution, and ultimately violent deaths, for a lie?]
There is some good evidence supporting the claim that Jesus did rise from the dead. But we area each left to draw our own conclusions and respond accordingly.
I BELIEVE. Do you? Why or why not?
[For further study of this topic I recommend either The Case for Christ or Evidence that Demands a Verdict – Both books have really been helpful to me.]