In marketing there is a test called “the Sinatra test.” The Sinatra test is about credibility: if you want to sell something then you must make people believe in you. If they believe in you, they will buy your product.
The Sinatra test comes from Frank Sinatra’s famous song: “New York, New York.” A line from that song says: “if I can make it there (in New York), I can make it anywhere.” Marketing teaches that if you are presenting a product, a solution, or even your own skills, you can use the Sinatra test to grasp public trust. That is to say, you should tell those who are listening to you that if you did it once, you can do it again.
Jesus’ resurrection is what made His religion or Church (Catholic Church) pass the Sinatra test. This is why those who do not believe in Jesus always raise doubts about the reality of the resurrection. His resurrection, among other things, validates everything He said and did.
For example, He claimed to have power to lay down His life and to take it up again; He claimed to have the secret to eternal life; He claimed to have power over sin and death; He claimed that true happiness lies in abandoning selfishness for love of God and neighbor; He claimed that His Church will endure forever.
If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, none of His claims would be worth listening to. He would have been just one more false prophet whose prophecies ended with his death. He would have been just one more dreamer, whose dreams were wiped away by the harsh reality of life.
If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, He has no more authority over our lives than Socrates, Buddha, Mohammad, Martin Luther King or President Biden. All of these people have made similar claims, however none of them passed the Sinatra Test. Only Jesus has won the mark of undeniable credibility, by His resurrection from the dead.
