Queen’s University Belfast’s motto of “Pro tanto quid retribuamus?” (“what shall we give in
return for so much?”) is the same as that of the city of Belfast. This Latin motto is taken from a
translation of the words of Psalm 116 verse 12 : “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” . This motto can be interpreted as a reminder that with privilege come the responsibility to make the most of it, or as a call to gratitude for all that we have received. In the case of the writer of this Psalm, he recognised the goodness of God in his life and sought to offer something to God out of his gratitude.

It is said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, meaning that if we are given something there is the expectation that something will be given in return. Often opportunities are presented and our reaction is that it is too good to be true, or that there must be some strings attached. Sadly, this is often the case and favours come with the expectation that they can be called in at a later date. People often treat the offers of the Bible with a degree of caution, and perhaps even suspicion, because they think that there must be some hidden clause or condition. However, the Bible does not talk about God doing us a favour, or mutually beneficial opportunities. Rather, it speaks in the language of gifts – God offers us something with no strings attached, at no cost to us. Christians believe that God is the source of all that we enjoy in life. In the book of James, found in the New Testament, we read that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17 NKJV).

The Bible teaches that although God has given us so much, the greatest thing that He has given us is the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in the book of Romans that God “did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NKJV). Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God offers us the gift of having our sins forgiven and having eternal life to enjoy in Heaven. This gift of salvation is
offered at no cost to us. God does not ask for our money or our efforts. All that is required of us to receive this gift is to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

To go back to the motto we began with – what shall we give in return for so much? Well, the Gospel is a message which offers us so much and yet asks for nothing in return. This is the very nature of the message; grace, God’s unmerited favour.

Oxford University – Dominus illuminatio mea – The Lord is my light (Psalm 27.1)

Although people refer disparagingly to the Dark Ages, the Medieval universities of Europe were enlightened enough to realise that, since all truth found its source in God, people required divine illumination to understand the world around them.  But how much more do we need divine illumination to know God!

God and light are inseparable.  He initiated the Light of Creation, for His first command was ‘Let there be light: and there was light’ (Genesis1.3). Before sun, moon and stars were created as light-bearers on the fourth day, God simply spoke light into existence. There was no muscular energy or effort involved, ‘For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood’ (Psalm33.9). The bare word of the God of the Bible is immeasurably powerful.

It is not surprising, then, that His written word acts as light to communicate truth about Himself and expose the sin in our hearts.  The Light of Revelation declares who God is. While creation testifies silently to His ‘eternal power and Godhead’ (Romans 1.20), the scriptures tell us that ‘God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all’ (1John 1.5): He is holy, sinless, perfect, righteous and flawless. The same scriptures probe the recesses of our minds, bringing to light our secret thoughts and motives, for God’s word is ‘a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart . . . all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’ (Hebrews 4.12-13).  Just as light shows up the dirt which remains unseen in the dark, so God’s word brings the penetrating beams of His holiness to bear on human behaviour, showing that it falls short of His standard. The coming into the world of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, brought our sin into the open: ‘Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil’ (John 3.19). Do you shy away from the Bible because its message upsets you? 

Yet the same One who showed up our sin by His perfect life is able also to cleanse it. When David called the Lord his light, he went further: ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm27.1)  The Light of Salvation is found only in Christ, who is able to save sinners because of His finished work at Calvary. Our sins deserve the eternal death penalty; but ‘Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5.8). To trust Him as Saviour brings you into a living relationship with God, for the Lord Jesus said, ‘I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John8.12).

Come out of the darkness of sin into the light of Christ’s saving love!

Via, veritas, vita – The motto of the University of Glasgow

There is a fascinating online account of the legend depicted in the coat of arms of Glasgow University. While it goes into some detail on the possible story behind the coat of arms, it makes just a passing mention of the motto Via, veritas, vita (The way, the truth and the life) These are interesting and important words which come not from the legend of St Mungo but from the Bible, which Christians believe is the word of God. They can be read in context in the fourth book of the New Testament part of the Bible, called John, at chapter 14 verse 6.

They come as the answer the Lord Jesus gave to Thomas, one of His disciples, who asked:

“Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus replied “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

He continued “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

So Jesus is speaking of the way to the Father, to God, the way to heaven.

We might be taken aback at the assertion that the way is in fact a person, but this is the good news of the Bible: there is a way for mortals to have their sins forgiven and be sure of heaven. It’s important to note that the Lord Jesus said I am the way. The most inclusive message on earth, the offer of forgiveness to all who are willing to take God’s way, requires us to admit that there is no other way and to trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

Jesus not only claimed to be the way but also the truth. How refreshing in days of elastic and ambiguous values and vocabulary to know that absolute truth does exist. Jesus is the embodiment of truth and it’s possible to know Him personally. This personal knowledge comes by God’s grace, for we don’t deserve it. It comes through faith. We read in the Bible:

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (The Bible, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8)

Jesus said to Jews who believed Him:

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (The Bible, John chapter 8 verse 32)

In a world that seeks all kinds of freedom, the promise of freedom is for those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Likewise Jesus claims to be the life. Here is the promise of Jesus for His disciples:

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (The Bible, John chapter 10 verse 28.

These are truly amazing promises given by the Saviour and encapsulated in this wonderful motto of a great university. The personal challenge is that the promises apply only to those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour – the way, the truth and the life.

There are many unknowns in life but two absolute certainties – we are all born and we all will die. A time when we enter into this world and a time when we leave.
There is one person however, who lived upon this earth, who similarly to everyone else died but stands unique across all humanity in that He is alive today.
I’m speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
There are few people who would deny the existence and death of a man called Jesus Christ. In fact they would be very foolish to do so, the evidence is so compelling. There are numerous accounts in the Bible where men have taken the time to write about the life of the Lord Jesus from their own experiences and witness accounts.
This is not even limited to the Bible accounts. There are both Jewish and Roman historians who have also written about Jesus’ existence, even within a few decades of His life.
What is not so widely accepted is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It takes a considerable amount of faith (belief) to accept that there is one who was raised from the dead 3 whole days after His crucifixion.
Surely there must be some sort of evidence? Surely there must be witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15 we read of many witnesses. We read of people who personally encountered the risen Lord Jesus before His ascension into heaven.
We read that Jesus Christ appeared to:

• A man called Cephas.
• Twelve disciples.
• More than 500 people at once.
• James, his earthly brother.
• The apostles.
• And finally, an apostle called Paul.

We really are left with little doubt that the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead.
The resurrection is so significantly central to the Christian faith, but why?
Well in the resurrection we see God’s immense power being demonstrated. God who created life has the power over life. In the raising of His Son from the dead, we see His power over life and death.
In Matthew 16 we read the Lord Jesus speaking about the “sign of Jonah”. Here Jesus is making reference to His resurrection which was to come and claiming to be the Messiah (saviour). The Lord Jesus rising from the dead validates His claims to be the Saviour of the world.
In John 11 verse 25 we read that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”. In this statement Jesus was claiming to be the source of both.
Without Christ there is no eternal life. Without any resurrection there would be no future hope. Jesus does not only give life, He IS life.
John 5 verse 12 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
What a stark contrast.
The result of our sin is eternal death not life.
Do you have the Son, and ultimately eternal life?
You may ask, how? How, can I have the Son?
John 11 verse 25 which we read earlier reads “I am the resurrection and the life” the verse also continues, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
So in answer to our question, how can I have eternal life? It is through belief in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was looking at some photos this week, on Facebook that one of my friends posted, of their holiday in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I’ve never been to the historic sea city myself but the pictures I’ve seen of the old town look absolutely beautiful.
Just behind the walled city is a low mountain which has a large white cross erected upon it. Many people, who visit the city, take the time to visit this hill and in particular the white cross which can be seen, I’m told, from almost every spot within the old town.
It is quite interesting to think though that the purpose for almost everyone making their way up to the viewpoint isn’t to look at the cross. Rather, they wish to gain a greater view of the city.
Of course there is nothing significant about that particular cross, however it reminded me of another cross that has the utmost importance to all.
The cross of Jesus Christ.
It may seem strange to many that Christians remember and place so much significance on a cross and more particularly the death of a man upon that cross.
1st Corinthians 1 verse 18 reads “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
What is your opinion of the cross? Foolishness or the power of God.
To those who have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ the cross will be of no significance at all. 2000 odd years ago, in a small country thousands of miles from where I am today a man suffered the most cruel of all deaths, crucifixion, but what is the relevance of that to me in 2018?
To the Christian, the cross of Jesus Christ is of most importance. It is because of the work that was completed by Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary all those years ago that we can have a certain future to look forward to.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians “We preach Christ crucified”, this is the focal point of the gospel (good news) message. It paints a picture of blood flowing from Christ as He hung upon the cross.
A message of shed blood is a gory sight and many will chose to accept Christ’s morale character but reject His crucifixion. To the Corinthians this manner of death was foolishness.
The thought of a world being saved by a death of crucifixion to those who were a wise and proud people was foolish but to those of us who through faith know Christ was crucified it is the power of God.
This hasn’t changed much today either. Millions will reject this message and fail to accept that our eternal future is all dependent upon what we do with the man who died upon the cross.
When the Lord Jesus walked upon this earth, many were witnesses to His wondrous miracles and had heard His authoritative teachings. Then why did they shout “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” ?
Deep rooted in human nature the answer can be found. As we look upon the cross we see evidence that mankind is wrong and God’s verdict is, Romans 3 verse 23, “For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
God stated in Ezekiel 18 verse 20 “The soul who sins shall die”. This verse outlines clearly God’s absolute hatred for sin and mankind’s grave future.
What about the purpose for Christ’s death? The Bible says in Hebrews 9 verse 22 “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” We can have absolutely no forgiveness for our sins unless our debt has been paid.
We can see a wonderful expression of God’s love in the cross. John 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.”
Romans 5 verses 6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
The Lord Jesus final cry on the cross before giving up His spirit was “It is FINISHED”. What a great cry of victory!
The cross is not only the basis of our peace and hope but it is the means of our eternal salvation. Is it yours?

Last week my dog had to forfeit his usual daily playtime routine with his friends because the dog walker was unavailable due to being selected as a jury member, destined for at least a week in court.

I’ve never been selected myself to sit in court as a juror nor have I ever been to court so I have no first-hand knowledge of what this experience must be like.

I can imagine it can be quite an intimidating environment, very solemn and serious. Especially depending upon the specific case that has been brought before the court.

Of course the one who has the ultimate authority in court is the judge. That person who presides over the court and is responsible for handing out the sentence, deemed appropriate for a person who has been found guilty of a crime against the United Kingdom’s laws.

The Bible takes us to a courtroom and would inform us about ‘The Lord Jesus Christ’ as the one who has the supreme power and authority to judge.

John 5 verse 22 states that God “has given all judgement to the Son”.

What does this mean?

Well let’s think back to that courtroom. For there to be judgement passed out, someone must first have committed a crime.

In Jeremiah 9 verse 13 we read that “they have forsaken (or broken) My law which I set before them”.

In this verse God is referring to His people the Israelites but we can apply this to all of mankind.

“…for ALL have sinned…” Romans 3 verse 23 states.

Each person born into this world, since the beginning of time, has sinned against God. There is no exception. If you are honest with yourself you would have to admit that this is the case. Whether that is a lie told, an immoral thought, pride that is within or an outburst you have regretted. These are all what the Bible describes as sin.

The Lord Jesus on the other hand, is incomparable. Perfect in every way. Completely sinless.

It is because of this that the Lord Jesus has the authority to judge, and judge He will. There is no escaping our sin. The ultimate punishment is death. Eternal separation from God.

Romans 6 verse 23 states “For the wages of sin is death”.

A sentence handed out for all mankind that paints a very solemn and bleak future.

The Lord Jesus not only has power over death but also power to give eternal life.

What great HOPE. Christians have the greatest of all prospects.

John 3 verse 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.”

Even though we are all sinful beings who have rebelled against God and are deserving of judgement. God still demonstrated His great love towards us by sending His only Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, into this world to die a cruel death at Calvary where He faced God’s wrath for the sins of everyone.

The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice and demonstrating power over death means that we all have a great opportunity to be saved from our sins and look forward to the certainty of eternal life which is to come.

The Lord Jesus has completed the work for which He came into the earth for, but what have we to do?

John 3 verse 36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

We must BELIEVE. Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus?

Christians, I’ve already said, have the greatest of all prospects. A future with the risen Lord Jesus.

Those who have never believed, face a future of eternal separation from God.

Where does your future lie?

One of the most astounding statements that the Lord Jesus Christ made when He was on the earth was ‘the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’ (Matthew 9:6), speaking of Himself. He claimed that He had both the power and the authority to forgive the sins of others. It was a bold claim and a claim that no other man dare make. He didn’t mean that He had would simply overlook wrongdoing or pretend something never happened (which is what we might mean if we say we forgive someone) but rather He meant that He had the power to completely remove an individual’s guilt due to their sin and change the course of their eternal destiny from everlasting death and judgement to everlasting life. It’s an astonishing statement and one that completely rocked the religious establishment of His day, as here was a Man saying that He could do something that only God can do. Was He mad? Was He an outrageous liar? Or was He telling the truth? To answer the question we need to look at the context in which He made that statement and we will see three pieces of evidence that He was telling the truth. A man who was completely paralysed had been brought to Him on a stretcher by His friends in the hope that the Lord Jesus would be able to heal him. He had healed many people of all sorts of diseases simply with either a word or a touch. The Bible tells us that He healed ‘all [that were brought to Him] that were sick’ (Matthew 8:16). This is our first piece of evidence that when He said He had the power to forgive sins He was telling the truth, as only God could heal people in the way that He healed people. Here was a Man who fully demonstrated the power of God. He was able to heal instantly and completely and so the paralysed man was brought so that Jesus could do the same for him. We are told that when He ‘saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you”’ (Matthew 9:2). The religious leaders were appalled and although they sat in silent outrage they ‘said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”’ (Matthew 9:3). This did not go unnoticed, as we are told that “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?”’ (Matthew 9:4&5). Our second piece of evidence that He was telling the truth was that He knew exactly what they were thinking. He could see straight into their hearts and He knew that they were disgusted and offended by what He had said. Again, we see that He was able to do something that only God could do. 1 Chronicles 28:9 tells us that ‘the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts’. It was exactly the same in this situation. Our third piece of evidence follows on from the question that Jesus asked the religious leaders: was it easier for someone to command a paralysed man to get up and walk or to forgive his sins? Both are of course impossible for an ordinary man. Anyone could say he could forgive sins but how could he prove it? Jesus then commanded the man to stand up and walk and he did! This was the proof to all that were there that the Son of God was in their midst and as Son of God He had the complete authority to forgive sins. He still has the same authority today and we all have the same need as the paralysed man. He did have a physical problem but he also had a spiritual problem which is what the Lord Jesus dealt with first. The man was a sinner and he needed his sins forgiven. The Bible tells us that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). The reason that the Lord Jesus came into the world in the first place was to deal with our problem of sin by taking the punishment for it when He died on the cross. He rose again from the dead three days later and He is alive in Heaven able to save all those that believe He died for them and trust in Him for forgiveness. He still has the power on earth to forgive sins today and He can be your Saviour if you trust in Him.

It can be said that life is all about asking questions and surely the most fundamental question of all is “where did life come from?” What was it that brought our universe, our world and our existence into being? It is a question that many have debated and attempted to answer through both science and philosophy, and down through the centuries there have been numerous theories and explanations offered regarding the origins of life. However, the answer can be only one of two possibilities: either it was deliberately created or it arose by chance. Either the universe was made for a reason or it is the result a cosmic accident and, therefore, apart from survival, life has no real meaning at all. The Bible sets out very clearly for us where life came from: it doesn’t present us with billions of years of chance but rather six days of purpose when ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1). When we consider the vastness of the universe, the variety of life on earth and the conditions just right to sustain it, and the way in which the sun rises and sets each day and the seasons come and go each year with such consistency we have to conclude that there is a Mind behind it all; the Mind of the One that possesses infinite power. He spoke and the world came into being. Psalm 33:6 tells us that ‘by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth’. Psalm 33 then goes on to encourage ‘all the inhabitants of the world to stand in awe of Him’ because of His great power. However, some might ask the question that if God is all-powerful then why is there so much death and destruction in our world? If He is behind it all then why at times does everything seem so out of control? It wasn’t always like this. When God had finished His creation the Bible says that He ‘saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31). God’s creation was perfect and there was no disease, no death, and no disaster. He ‘created man in His own image’ (Genesis 1:27) to have a relationship with Him and for a time the first man and woman lived in complete harmony with Him. He gave them one rule and free will to choose to obey that rule but they chose not to. Instead they chose to go their course and disobeyed Him, resulting in that perfect relationship being destroyed and the world that we live in today with all its suffering and pain is the legacy of their disobedience. When they rebelled they became sinners and that sin has infected every person born into the world since, including you. The Bible tells us that ‘through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 6:12). We all die because we are all sinners; we all do wrong and God’s judgement is what we face. However, the amazing message of the Bible is that God has provided a way by which our sins can be forgiven and that relationship with God that we were created to have can be restored. The truth that the Bible presents to us is that the Creator became like one of His creatures to take the punishment due for sin. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom ‘all things were created that are in heaven and on earth’ (Colossians 1:16), became a sinless Man for the purpose of dying for the sin of the world. He was crucified and on the cross He took the punishment that we deserve so that if we trust in Him our sins will be forgiven. He died but He rose again three days later having defeated the power of death and so we can have absolute confidence in His power to save us from the penalty of our sins. He said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (John 14:6). The all-powerful Creator is also the completely trustworthy Saviour for all that believe in Him and what He has done. No wonder the apostle Paul said that he was ‘not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes’ (Romans 1:16). It is the most inclusive message in the world: for everyone who believes. You can know the transforming power of God in your life today through trusting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour.

FInding the Way – a series of events at Maryhill Gospel Hall starts today and runs all week.

So we’ve seen over the past few days that the Bible is reliable and that what it say about Jesus, His death and His resurrection is true. Let’s look at what all of that means for us in the 21^st century.
Our first clue is in one of the sentences we’ve already read, written by Paul to Christians in the ancient city of Corinth:
“Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3)
We might naturally want to shy away from that word ‘sins’ but we can’t do that because as we’ve seen, the Bible is reliable therefore we must face up to what it is. As we do that we discover that the Bible also says:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans chapter 3 verse 23)
and so we learn here two things:
1. We are all sinners
2. Sin is falling short of God’s standard
This truth is the most inclusive message possible: it is for everyone. It is also inescapable: there’s no question of whether our personal sins are any less serious (or any more serious) than those of other people: each of us falls short of God’s standard.
And this is why the importance of who Jesus is really matters. The Bible says of Him:
“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter chapter 2 verse 22)
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” (1 John chapter 3 verse 5)
So Jesus Christ is unique: He does not have the sinful nature that causes each of us to sin. He is God, He became the only sinless Person to live on earth and His death is the only sacrifice on the basis of which God can forgive our sins. His resurrection proves that He had, as He claimed, the power to lay down His life and take it again (John chapter 10 verse 18.)
Let’s look at God’s response to this:
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians chapter 2 verse 9)
God is satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son and has given Him the place of highest honour.
It’s clear from these same lines from the Bible that God requires us to honour Jesus Christ as Lord and Romans chapter 10 verse 9 assures us:
“if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
So the truths we’ve been learning this week matter. They matter more than anything else in the world. This is what it all has to do with me, with you:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” (Acts chapter 16 verse 31)

We saw in yesterday’s blog that the New Testament contains letters which were written to explain important things about what Christians believe. We start in the same part of the Bible today:
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3)
Paul, who wrote the letter, claims that Christ not only died and was buried but also rose again. As evidence of this he says that He was seen by Cephas (that is Peter), by ‘the twelve’ (in other words the disciples) by over 500 believers, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote, by James by all the apostles and finally by Paul himself. By any standards that is pretty convincing: three named individuals, one of whom was the writer of the letter himself, by 500 believers, most of whom were still alive able to contradict Paul if they so wished and by two groups (disciples and apostles.)
So what about the contemporary eye-witness accounts? Are they equally convincing? For these we draw on Matthew chapter 28, Mark chapter 16, Luke chapter 24 and John chapters 20 and 21.

• Two women, both called Mary and a woman called Salome, went to the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid and were told ‘He is not here; for He is risen’ and were invited to see the empty tomb
• As they went to pass on the good news they met and spoke with Jesus. He was clearly alive.
• His disciples then met Him and He spoke with them
• Peter saw the empty tomb and later saw and have a conversation with the risen Jesus
• Two people travelling saw and conversed with Jesus, again clearly alive
• A man called Thomas, who had refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, met Him and saw for Himself

By any standards of evidence and corroboration the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is irrefutable. We’ll see tomorrow in our final blog of the week the import this has on our lives today.