The Jonestown mass suicide by KoolAid could not seriously be considered as a valid comparison in this case. The Jonestown victims were systematically isolated from society, then brainwashed and abused by their evil 'messiah'. Who knows why they drank poison, it could very well have been a desire for escape from the maniac who ruined their lives, OR the fact that some were forced to at gunpoint.
None of that describes 'martyrdom'.
One of the greatest circumstantial evidences for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the changed lives of the disciples. Something transformed this frightened and dejected group of disciples into the fearless and powerful group of apostles who boldly preached Jesus throughout the entire known world of their day. What was responsible for this change? There can be only one answer. They witnessed the resurrected Lord and their defeat was instantly transformed into victory. Furthermore, they finally grasped the fact that the Messiah must first suffer and die, before He would reign. It should be obvious that each of these men believed that they had witnessed the resurrected Lord because history tells us that each of them went to their grave proclaiming the resurrection and all but one of them were martyred for their faith in Christ. Although it is true that men will sometimes die for an unworthy cause if they are convinced it is worthy, it is unthinkable to assume that 11 men were martyred for a cause they all knew was unworthy. Surely some of them would have admitted the resurrection was a fraud, if they indeed knew it to be a fraud. Only a fool would die for a lie! The late Simon Greenleaf (Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University) wrote:
The annals of military warfare afford scarcely an example of the like heroic constancy, patience, and unblenching courage. They had every possible motive to review carefully the grounds of their faith, and the evidences of the great facts and truths which they asserted.
If one actually READS the gospels (for example, John) in context from beginning to end, 'delusion' is the last thing you would ascribe to these people. They present more than competent testimonies to the events they witnessed.
Another fascinating circumstantial evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a "Pharisee of the Pharisee's" and bitterly opposed Christianity and persecuted Christians. Yet something happened to change this persecutor into a "persecutee". The very same man who went all over Judea persecuting Christians as Saul of Tarsus went all over the known world preaching Christ as the apostle Paul. Furthermore, this man suffered more in his service for Christ than perhaps any other man in the history of the world. He was beaten, whipped, stoned and left for dead, ridiculed, mocked, imprisoned, etc. yet he never flinched in his service for the Lord. What caused the change? There can be only one answer. According to Acts 9:3-6 and I Corinthians 15:8 he saw the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus. This was an experience that he never forgot. It so changed his life that in I Corinthians 9:16 he stated that he was "under compulsion" to preach the gospel.
(Quotes taken from "Evidences of the Christian Faith" by Dave Greear)
Let me try again. You said
I am sure Jesus existed. I just think he was just one of numerous proclaimed prohpets just like all the others.
So again I ask you Geshtinnanna: What kind of a 'prophet' would deceive his followers and lead them to their deaths? Was Jesus a liar, insane, or the Son of God?