Why would Jesus' followers have done that? There would clearly have had to be some selfish motive for them to have done such. What was that selfish motive? Jesus had taught them by their own accounts that his kingdom was not a worldly one and that they were to be servants not kings. Jesus had taught that the first would be last and the richest were indeed the poorest. He taught them to give up everything they had, to put their relationship with God before all others, to not hit back at those who hit them, to return evil with only good, and to give extra to those who would rob them. What motive would they have had then to give their own personal testimonies and to attest to his supernatural activities such as healing the sick and raising the dead, or of his miraculous resurrection from a bloody butchering, or of his ascension into heaven before their very eyes?

Mere humans with vain motives would have recanted such tales when faced with their own torturous deaths if they would not deny their belief in Jesus. These didn’t. All but one of Jesus’ original apostles faced severe persecution and rejection. Most were likely executed because of their faith. Their teachings about Jesus did not bring fame or fortune or worldly comfort, but rather infamy and poverty and discomfort. Now what possible motive would evil humans have then to distort the identity of Jesus into something other than what he was—the descended Son of God. Jesus had questioned them saying, “Have I been among you so long and you still don’t know who I am.” And, in answering his own question, he added, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” On another occasion, Peter said to Christ, “We believe and have come to know that you are the holy one of God.”