If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then why didn't Christian followers fade away and forgotten?

Jesus was smart enough not to kill his followers along with himself on the way out. I think the timing of the events has everything to do with it. A modern-day "miracle worker" would be exposed and communication about that exposure would be instant. With the poor communication that existed 2k years ago, how could one disprove any of the claims and refute them?