In cases where people are emotionally tied to someone myths can pop up almost immediately.
Like there is something wrong with loving the Lord your God with also your whole heart?
Sure my emotions are involved. The presence of strong emotions to the resurrected Christ is perfectly valid.
What else?
Are you old enough to remember when Elvis died?
I don't want to talk about rock stars.
Elvis has no impact on my eternal destiny. People have no powerful vested interest in debunking Elvis sightings.
Convincing themselves that they need not pay heed to the Son of God, now that requires some dedication.
There were countless sightings of him after he died.
So countless alledged sightings of a Rock star you want to compare with the One who said this:
For neither does the Father judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
In order that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:22-24)
You're going to comfort your heart with
"Now, now, that's just the same as Elvis Presley sightings. There now."
That is not a serious comparison to what these two people mean to one's life.
You'll find many fold more effort at men soothing their conscience by trying to disprove Christ's life and words than that of Rock star Elvis Presley. Remember the Pharasees sent armed attendents to arrest Jesus. They came back astounded instead -
The attendants therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and these said to them, Why did you not bring Him?
The attendants answered, Never has a man spoken as this man has. (John 7:45,46)
Paul was the earliest and all that he had were "visions" aka hallucinations.
The First Corinthian letter was written before the Gospels. In that letter Paul mentions that there were
500 people
who saw Jesus after His resurrection. He said most of them were still alive. It was a bold thing to write seeing that
those who were still alive could easily refute Paul that they DID NOT see Jesus.
You do not have to take this as sacred text. You can take it as historical document. Five hundred people
could not have the same hallucination simultaneously.
For I delivered to you, first of all, that which also I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures;
And that He was buried, and that He has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures;
And that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve;
Then He appeared to over five hundred brothers at one time, of whom the majority remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; (1 Cor. 15:3-6)
Here's some evidence you can refute. For a thousand years or more the Jerusalem Jews held the seventh day Sabbath as the
most important day of worship. In your next post explain why within is few weeks thousands of Jersusalem Jews suddenly
change to regard the 8th day - the first day of the week as of greater importance. They called it "The Lord's Day".
Thousands began abruptly to gather from house to house comemorating the day after the Sabbath when Jesus of Nazareth rose
from the dead.
What is you explanation for the sudden cataclysmic cultural shift of the ancient tradition?
I say its reasonable evidence of a miracle having taken place- Jesus rising from the dead.