People who witnessed Jesus curing the blind and raising the dead STILL didn’t believe!
You think your “proof” will convince them?
It takes “faith” to believe, and if that were not impediment enough... believing would lead them to conclude they need to make changes to their lifestyle, which they don’t want to make.
However, my reading offers some alternative possibilities. I list them, for others to attack.
1. In the new testament accounts of seeing the resurrected Jesus, some times those who knew Jesus did not recognize him, until he told them he was Jesus or "revealed himself" to them.
This may plausibly be consistent to the hallucination, or self deceptive hypothesis. If a person wants to believe strongly enough, they can convince themselves they have seen what they have not.
2. It seems unlikely 500 witnesses, who all may have said they saw Jesus after the resurrection, knew him before the resurrection.
3. It is not required that the Apostles took Jesus' body from the tomb. Other parties might have done so.
4. Once a belief has been committed to, people often are willing to die for it, even if it is not true. People are very good at lying to themselves.
I think the evidence is strong. I am a Christian. I do not think the evidence is absolute and overwhelming.
We are to believe by faith.
The Jews of the period desperately wanted a messiah.
There were hundreds of contenders.
The idea that Christianity would be sparked by that desire, is not completely irrational.
This evidence is part of defending our faith.
Those who don’t want us to defend it will protest.
I am always reminded of this
Luke 16:30
…29But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’ 30‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”…
And we see this attitude even today.
I don’t think that anyone can believe unless God is “revealed” to that person. All the evidence in the world will be contested by those who have not been chosen to believe. I can’t explain my conversion experience. One day I did not know Him and the next I did.
bump
“We have no story in the gospels telling of Jesus’ appearance to Peter.”