“Its From the Lord” featuring Jassica Castillo- Burley and the Mustard Seed Soul  Band from the album “Heart and Soul” recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

So it is Mustard Seed Song’s great privilege to be producing, Friday November 6^th – Saturday November 7^th Risen!- The Musical in Portsmouth’s  New Theatre Royal. Here is a brief history of this iconic Theatre which next year will have been in its present Guildhall Walk location for 150 years.

• 1761 The original Theatre Royal was built by John Arthur of the Bath Company and is mentioned in Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby, It was variously known as Portsmouth Theatre, Portsmouth and Portsea Theatre and finally as the Theatre Royal.

• 1856 The Theatre moved to its new site under the management of Henry Rutley, the was licensee of the White Swan who leased  Landport Hall next door converting  it  into a theatre.

• 1876 John Waters Boughton became Manager and owner of the Theatre.

• 1884 Broughton realised the converted hall would never become a major theatrical venue and so commissioned C.J. Phipps to design it. Ellen Terry, Sarah Bernhardt and Henry Irving were prominent performers at Phipps’ ‘new’ theatre.

• 1900 Boughton engaged the services of theatre architect Frank Matcham to redesign and enlarge the Theatre. Matcham also designed the Kings Theatre in Southsea and the London Palladium

• 1923 Herbert Ralph, acting manager of the Theatre Royal, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head after it was found that he was responsible for a £360 shortage in the insurance money.

• 1932 it was decided to convert the New Theatre Royal into a cinema and it operated as such until 1948 when it reopened as a live venue. Performers over the next ten years included legendary acts such as Laurel and Hardy and Morecombe & Wise.

• 1950 Hughie Green presented Opportunity Knocks (the forerunner of XFactor).

• 1956 The Theatre closed but reopened a year later as a repertory theatre under Kim Peacock and Hector Ross. A number of well know performers performed including Sarah Churchill, Edward Woodward, Jill Gascoine and Dame Peggy Ashcroft who later became a patron of the Theatre.

• 1960 The Theatre became the Portsmouth Royal Arena; a wrestling and boxing venue that regularly presented the leading British wrestlers of the early 1960’s such as Giant Haystacks and Jackie Pallance. During these years, the theatre was also used for bingo.

• 1966 onwards the Theatre hung under the threat of demolition although it was here, in 1971, that Ken Russell filmed, The Boy Friend, starring Twiggy, Glenda Jackson, and Barbara Windsor.

• 1972 The theatre suffered huge damage, the result of fire and was then vandalized the following year

• 1975The Theatre Royal Society set up a Trust Company to protect the theatre and successfully opposed its   destruction at a Government enquiry.

• 1980 £1,000,000 was spent on repairs; the auditorium and foyer made structurally sound and the plaster work restored.
• 1984 Renovations to façade were completed and the café opened for the very first time and two years later the first live performance for twenty years was held at the Theatre; a jazz concert as part of the Portsmouth Festival.

• 2004The Theatre closed for 6 months for refurbishments to enabling an increase in audience size from 370 to 525. .

• 2015The Theatre is returned to its former glory with a brand new Full Fly tower built over a new 10 meters deep stage.  The auditorium is increased in size from 500 to 700 seats. The re-emergence is in partnership with the University of Portsmouth who are re-locating their Performing Arts Department to the site.

Mustard Seed Songs AND Faith and Football Present the Stage Premiere of Risen!- The Musical (The Story of the Resurrection)
At the New Theatre Royal, PortsmouthCelebrating its re-opening season after 2 years of extensive refurbishment
Featuring The London Touring Cast Together with the award winning Portsmouth University Gospel Choir
Friday November 6th at 7.30 pm
Saturday November 7th at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm
Tickets from £14.50 (£10.00 Matinee) available on- line from box- office www.newtheatreroyal.com and 02392 649000
“Risen! – The Musical – presents dramatically and powerfully the central story of the Christian faith. Having heard the songs I can’t wait to see the show.”
The Rt. Rev. Christopher Forster. Bishop of Portsmouth
“Moving, uplifting and inspiring “
The Rt. Rev. Peter Hancock. Bishop of Bath and Wells
“Wonderful songs and lyrics”
Senator Bill Hightower -Alabama State USA

Risen! featuring The Original Cast from the album Risen!- The Musical recorded and produced by Joffy Girling

So at long last I can announce that Risen!- The Musical will  be performed at the New Theatre Royal on Friday,  November 6^th at 7.30 pm and on Saturday,  November 7^th at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm.  The 150 year old iconic New Theatre Royal in Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth has been closed for two years for a £9.5 million refurbishment which includes an increased audience capacity from 300 to 700.  All the details are on the poster designed by Nikki and Darren Bovis- Coulter -www.2fishproductions.com  Would be great if you could put the date in your diary and then book on line – it’s going to be great!

I am no longer a fan of X Factor but this got me going!

So for the past few weeks I have been looking at reasons why I believe that Jesus really was raised from the dead, e.g. why were the disciples prepared to suffer horrific deaths rather than deny Him if they had not been totally convinced  that Jesus had risen from the dead?  – The evidence argued for the Resurrection in books such as “The Cast for Christ” is, for me,  stronger than that argued against, as in books such as “Challenging the Verdict.” – I feel more inclined to trust the opinions of people such as Justin Welby and Lee Strobel rather than those of people such as Richard Dawkins and Earl Doherty.

Ultimately, however I believe in the Resurrection because, as St Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 14 “If Christ is not raised then our preaching is futile and so is your faith.” In other words the Resurrection is the basis of Christian hope- without it there would be no Christian faith.  And as my Christian faith is the cornerstone of my life even if an atheist was able to present me with a stack of evidence disproving the Resurrection I would still believe.  Now that may seem pure obstinacy but one must remember that  since becoming a  Christian my life  has been so much more joyful and worthwhile.

Last week I spoke of  no longer needing to fear death as I have been promised eternal life, not because of anything I have done to deserve it,  but because it has been offered to me as free gift by Jesus.  I went on to say that I realise atheists can also say that they do not fear death because they believe when you are dead you are dead and will cease to exist – but what if they are wrong? If I am wrong and there is no eternal life then I have lost nothing- certainly not the opportunity for having more fun in this life  – but if there is an after- life then what would the non- believer lose ? I would suggest a great deal indeed!

But there is another huge reason why I would continue to believe in the Resurrection, irrespective of any evidence that may come about to the contrary and that is because “Christianity works.”  Prayers are answered, visions and dreams are realised, comfort and strength are  available during times of trouble and there is Someone to praise and thank during times of blessing.

I have had lots of personal experiences since becoming a Christian which have strengthened my faith; one large one being the music I have been inspired to write.  Through Mustard Seed Songs I have had 11 CDs distributed  world- wide  and His Story, our  previous musical, has been performed at venues such the Kings Theatre and Central Hall Westminster.  So where did all that come from for a PE teacher (albeit a fairly good one ha ha!) who can’t sing a note (ask Caroline my wife) or play a musical instrument? How can I or anyone else explain that away – a natural talent, I very much doubt it?  I had wanted to be the next Burt Bacharach or Paul McCartney but nothing happened – but when I offered the songs to God to use and I promised Him I would never take money for them – well that’s when it took off and now in November we have three performances of Risen! The Musical  -but  more of that next week!

“Living it Up” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album “Heart and Soul” recorded and produced by Ross Gill

Last week I promised to share some personal experiences that have convinced me that Jesus really was raised from the dead, however I trust you will forgive me if I put that on hold for one more week as there is another point relating to this topic that I wish to first highlight.

If you read my early blogs you would know that I had a fear of death and that since becoming a Christian I no longer need to have that fear as I have been promised eternal life – John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  As a Christian I have a faith that there is a God and atheists, have a faith that there is not.  Since becoming a follower of Jesus I have wanted to share my faith with others because I have wanted others to experience life and life to the full *(John 10:10) however until reading some atheist material from my atheist friend, Alan I had no idea that some atheists also wish to share their faith.

As Christian I have no fear of hell because I have the promise of Heaven, but an atheist would, no doubt,  say that he/she is  free from the fear of hell simply because he/she  does not believe that such a place exists.  An atheist would probably go on to say that he/she has freedom from the rules and regulations which he/she  perceives Christianity imposes. One of the websites to which Alan directed me is ironically titled “The Church of Truth” with a strap line “Free persons of all faiths from the tyranny of their religion.” In response I would say that I spent most of my life being a non- believer (I would not go as far as to say I was an atheist) and for the last eighteen years I have been a Christian- so I have experience of both “faiths” and have no doubt which one has given me the more freedom

There are countless testimonies of lives being dramatically changed when converting to Christianity for example www.independent.co.uk › News › UK but can the same be said of those who convert from Christianity to atheism? Notwithstanding the point made in the previous paragraph about atheists feeling free from the fear of hell and religious rules and regulations how many testimonies are there of lives that have been changed by conversion to atheism? I am reminded of a story recounted in the book “It Makes Sense.” Apparently Charles Bradlaugh, an outstanding intellectual of his day challenged a local preacher to a debate on Christianity and atheism.  The Minister, Hugh Price Hughes agreed on the condition that Bradlaugh brought with him 100 people whose lives had been changed by a commitment to atheism and if he did Hughes would bring 100 whose lives had been changed by knowing God. Hughes then reduced the number Bradlaugh needed to bring to fifty then twenty, then ten and finally one. Bradlaugh had to withdraw from the debate when he could not even manage one.

So next week some of my own personal experiences unless something even more important turns up !

Earl Doherty

“Do I Need to Worship” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Heart and Soul” and “His Story” recorded and produced by Ross Gill.

I sent  “The Case for Christ”  written from a Christian perspective by Lee Strobel to Alan, an  atheist friend who in return sent me “Challenging the Verdict “ written from an atheist perspective.  In last week’s blog I briefly reviewed The “Case for Christ” and this week I look at “Challenging the Verdict.”

The author,  Earl Doherty states that he has a BA degree in Ancient History and Classical Languages. He has also written “The Jesus Puzzle” and “Jesus Neither God nor Man “both of which deny, not only that Christ was resurrected, but also that He ever existed.  Doherty runs a website promoting atheist doctrine and postulates that the stories of Jesus are not historical but are based on myth and legend. He writes articulately refuting all the claims of Strobel by using a court room format in which he imaginarily cross -examines the theologians that Strobel questioned in his investigation into Christ’s Resurrection.  Strobel, to my knowledge has not responded with counter arguments but there are on- line articles which have, for example http://answers.org/atheism/appealdenied.html

Doherty makes many thought provoking claims, but for me none are persuasive; my main thought has been  why is this man spending all his time attempting to deny what has been written in the Bible- what are his motives?  I found the answers in his concluding chapter.

First Doherty believes that Christianity has been, and still is detrimental to humanity rather than beneficial.  He cites Christianity and rival faiths as causing divisions between people, families, societies and nations which lead to inquisitions, witch hunts and religious wars.   I would argue that there have been many bad things perpetrated in the name of religion, including of course wars, but would personally place that firmly at the feet of man’s inhumanity to man and not try to shift the blame to God.

Another belief of Doherty is that  faith  draws the focus of attention and energy away from the present world of day to day existence to a dimension which he regards is likely to be  fantasy ; one In which the real world gets neglected, disparaged and distorted- one populated with concepts which can only be detrimental to humanity’s enlightenment. Belief in angels and devils and personal saviour gods he says “Have never produced one iota of real human progress.”  He seems to believe that God did not create us but that we have created Him.

Doherty continues by stating that if the attainment of personal immortality is the goal then we may be grasping at that which is irrational as nothing in the observable universe suggests that such a goal is possible. Furthermore if something of significance is possible then the route to its discovery must lie in a fuller comprehension of our observable universe. To that I would quote Jesus who, when speaking to Thomas, said “Because you have seen me you have believed but blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Interesting that I have also just read in “The Word for Today” that when we believe that reality is confined to what we can see we become trapped into thinking the only truth is what we see …. reality extends beyond what we  can see.”

Before leaving this subject of “Was Jesus really raised from the dead” I wish to consider how the lives of countless people have been changed by Jesus. Next week I will use one such life as an example – mine!

Lee Strobel

“His Story” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Uplifted” and His Story” recorded and produced by Bob Ross.

Last week I explained that one reason why I have been continuing to explore the topic “Was Jesus really raised from the dead?”  is an ongoing conversation with Alan, who is  an ex -Crofton student and  an atheist.  He is, at present holidaying in Kos and hopefully reading the pro Resurrection book I sent him- Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ” which is one of many books that seek to provide evidence for the Resurrection.

I am about to read “Challenging the Verdict” which Alan sent me,  written by Earl Doherty  in response to “The Case for Christ.”  In preparation I have just re-read “The Case of Christ” and can thoroughly recommend it.  I had, in fact previously used some of its material when writing Risen! – The Musical, for example the fact that if the Gospels were made up why did they record Jesus first appearing to women when  women held no status in the culture of the time so any testimony they gave to the Resurrection  would have carried no weight?

Strobel has a Master’s Degree in Law from Yale University and was formerly Legal Editor of the Chicago Tribune;   an investigative journalist who traces his own spiritual journey from atheist to faith by cross examining recognised authorities in their own field.  The book is divided into three parts – Examining The Record.  Analysing Jesus and Researching the Resurrection. The chapters in Part One are titled -Can the biographies of Jesus be trusted? Do the biographies of Jesus stand up to scrutiny? Were Jesus’ biographies reliably preserved for us? Is there credible evidence for Jesus outside His biographies? Does Archeology confirm or contradict Jesus’ biographies? Is the Jesus of history the Jesus of faith?

In Part Two – Was Jesus really convinced He was the Son of God? Was Jesus crazy when He claimed to be the Son of God? Did Jesus fulfill the attributes of God?  Did Jesus and Jesus alone match the identity of the Messiah?

In Part Three – Was Jesus death a sham and His resurrection a hoax? Was Jesus’ body really absent from His tomb? Was Jesus seen alive after His death on the cross? Are there any supporting facts that point to the Resurrection? What does the evidence establish- and what does it mean today?

During my re- read I was particularly drawn to  the point Strobel makes that  it is not just the Gospels that speak  of the Resurrection- there is also 1 Corinthians 15 written by Paul “…. Christ appeared to Peter and then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than 500 at the same time…………….” Also the Book of Acts in which Luke quotes the disciple Peter as saying “God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of the fact.”  (Acts 2:32) Also in Acts 3:15 Peter says “You killed the author of life but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.” In Acts 10:41 Peter says that he ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” And Paul states in Acts 13:31 “For many days He was seen by those who had travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people.” Strobel also gives evidence to the fact that I Corinthians was written before the Gospels – perhaps only two years after the crucifixion.

I was also drawn to two concluding paragraphs in the book -the first by J.P Moreland (PH.D in Philosophy, Masters in History and Theology and Degree in Chemistry) who said “If someone wants to consider the circumstantial evidence and reach the verdict that Jesus was not raised from the dead – fair enough, but they have got to offer an alternative plausible explanation.”  The second by Sir Leonard Luckhoo, an Attorney who was awarded a place in the Guinness Book of Records for gaining 245 consecutive murder acquittals.  After spending several years rigorously analysing the historical facts about the Resurrection Luckhoo declared “I say unequivocally that the evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt.”

So what does Earl Doherty in “Challenging the Verdict” say in response to that? – I  will share that with you next week.

There’s Going to be a Party” featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the albums “Uplifted” and “His Story” -recorded and produced by Bob Ross

One reason why I am continuing to consider “Was Jesus really raised from the dead?” is because recently I have been in contact with Alan, who was a student at Crofton School some thirty years ago.  Alan got in touch trying to track down his old tutor, Mr Bob Ellis. In our correspondence Alan explained that he was an atheist and since then we have been emailing one another arguing from our respective opinions and beliefs. It has been a great discussion; one which has led me to be more informative about atheism.  Alan had, previous to our conversations, read mainly atheist material whereas for me it was mainly Christian. However I sent Alan the pro Resurrection book “The Case for Christ” and he sent me the pro atheist “Challenging the Verdict”- both books were mentioned in last week’s blog.  Alan is, at present, holidaying in the Greek island of Kos but he promised to read “The Case for Christ” and I have promised to read “Challenging the Verdict.”

In addition to examining the written arguments for and against the Resurrection what other evidence might we consider when deciding what to believe?  I think it only reasonable to look at, not just what is being said, but also who is saying it.  So, for example we could compare the credentials of the authors of the aforementioned two books – Leo Stobel and Earl Doherty or those of a famous atheist such as Professor Richard Dawkins and a   famous Christian such as Archbishop Justin Welby. I am sure Alan would disagree but I feel that Justin Welby is more credible than Richard Dawkins. I base my view, not on who is the more articulate and knowledgeable, but rather on whom I feel I can trust the more because his life demands the greater respect and admiration.

Of course comparing Justin Welby and Richard Dawkins is unlikely to convert anyone one way or the other, but I think a valid a factor in one’s decision to believe or not believe is the opinions of others whom we trust and respect. Friends and family are, for example bound to greatly influence us-but also those with whom we share a common interest. I am a keen golfer and was intrigued to find the 2015 Open Winner Zach Johnson to be a Christian – also the legend that is Gary Player.  Of course there are also golfers that are atheists but what I am saying is that it is reassuring and encouraging to know that not all golfers are atheists – that rational people like Zach and Gary believe in the Resurrection – so why should not I ?

Of course no matter what others believe, in the end it is your own decision but more of that next week.

“There’s More Than One Way Of Saying I Love You” featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard and the Mustard Seed Soul Band from the album “Uplifted”

So last week  I posted the testimony of USA golfer and 2015 Open winner Zach Johnson so delaying  my promise to offer my humble opinion as to whether or not Jesus was raised from the dead- so this blog I am going to make a start.

The internet is full of articles, some claiming that Jesus was raised from the dead and some claiming that He was not.   There have also been many books written on the subject – amongst some famous pro -Resurrection are   “Who Moved the Stone”  by Frank Morison and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Stobel . Those looking to disprove the Resurrection include “Why God Did Not Raise Jesus from the Dead” by Bradley Bowen and “Challenging the Verdict” by Earl Doherty.  Of course I  cannot make up your mind for you – you have to research the matter for yourself but please do not stop after reading one person’s opinion – that would not be valid research and also please check on the authors’ credibility before deciding to believe him/her or not.  An excellently thorough, although long article I read recently giving both sides of the argument can be found on  http://infidels.org/library/modern/jeff_lowder/jesus_resurrection/chap4.html

It is interesting to note that the concluding paragraph states that a rational person may accept or reject the Resurrection. After reading a great deal on the subject, albeit mainly pro- Resurrection  I can say that I personally accept the Resurrection – I believe the arguments for are far stronger than those against.

However is listening to both sides of the argument the whole story?  In a court of law the jury weighs up the evidence for the prosecution and defence and then comes to a verdict. I think weighing up the written evidence was, in part, why I became a believer, however there is, I believe, another consideration. In a court of law you decide with your head not your heart but with the Resurrection it may be that you think the evidence and arguments have led you to say a 60- 40 decision against believing but you still want to believe  and you feel that taking a leap of faith” is the right thing to do. It may be, for example that you have evidence outside the arguments of the theologians – it may be that you have seen people who are atheists and you have seen others that are Christians and you decide that you would prefer, as my brother once put it “to have what Christians have” i.e. a peace – I am, of course, not saying that an atheist cannot have peace but I can categorically say that an atheist cannot have hope of eternal life with God!

So although reading the evidence for believing and for not believing in the Resurrection of Jesus  is important it is not the whole story – it is not all that one has to go on before making a decision whether  to believe or not and next week I will continue to offer my humble opinion on other factors that can influence that decision.

Photo Credit: BBC

“Jesus You Are My Lord and My King” – featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

So I left last week’s blog by asking “So what can be concluded – was Jesus really raised from the dead or not?” This week I promised to offer my humble opinion, however I am going to put that on hold for one week because on Monday of this week the American, Zach Johnson won The 144^th Open Golf Tournament at St Andrews. I have just read this article written by him and thought I would share it with you.

I’ll try to give you the condensed version… I grew up in Iowa in a great Christian household where church was very important. I went to a Catholic school, so I had religion classes from first through 12th grade. My mom even worked at the church and the school. She just recently retired from that to work for the governing body of the archdiocese. So, I certainly grew up in a Christian household—Jesus was very much the foundation.

For me, however, it felt like I was just following the footsteps of friends and more or less doing what I was told to do. So, after high school, I went my own direction. It was Zach’s agenda; whatever I wanted to do, I did it. My faith didn’t carry much significance.

I graduated from Drake University in 1998 and started playing golf on the mini tours and traveling around the United States. In the winters I would go to Florida to practice.

Then, in 2000, I met a girl named Kim. I really liked her. We hit it off and soon started dating. I was still traveling during the summer seasons, but we maintained our relationship. Over time, I realized that faith in Christ was extremely important to her and that marrying a Christian man was pretty much a dealbreaker for her.

 “Before I was one, I always thought being a Christian would be boring. In reality, it has been the complete opposite.”

At that point in my life, I knew there was a God. I knew there was an ultimate creator—someone watching over things—but I didn’t give it much thought. In order for Kim and me to find out if we were best for each other, we took a pre-engagement class together at a church. Through that, not only were a lot of my questions answered, but a lot more surfaced. But that’s where God took over. With the research I did in response to those questions and with help from Kim and other Christian friends, I discovered what it meant to “live for Christ,” and that it honestly was something I wanted to do. The facts were there, and I could sense the Holy Spirit at work. Early in the winter of 2002, I gave my life to the Lord.

Since then, my priorities have certainly changed. It’s not Zach’s agenda anymore.

I refer to the years after high school and before making my decision as my “blind years.” Now, I can see.

Before I was one, I always thought being a Christian would be boring. In reality, it has been the complete opposite. There is joy, fulfillment and even fun! There also are challenges and trials, but knowing that my foundation lies in Jesus and what He has done for me is what is important. It’s all that matters.

Well there is one guy who  certainly believes Jesus was raised from the dead and next week I will give you my humble opinion.

“My Beloved King”- featuring Lucy Stimpson-Maynard with Maggie Horton on flute- from the album “Uplifted” recorded and produced by Bob Ross

An argument from sceptics who do not believe that Jesus was raised to life is that evidence from outside the Bible is limited so we only have the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of St Paul as evidence that Christ’s Resurrection is true.

I argued in last week’s blog that although the Romans and the Jews both had much to gain from disproving Christ’s Resurrection there is no evidence outside the Bible to disprove what the Bible says is true.

However, there are still the questions of who wrote the four Gospels and can we believe them?

The traditional view is that it was Matthew, the disciple and ex- tax collector who wrote the Gospel that bears his name.  Mark is believed to largely consist of the preaching of the disciple Peter arranged and shaped by his close associate John Mark who features in the Book of Acts as a companion of Paul and Barnabas. His mother had a house in Jerusalem which served as a place of communion for the disciples (Acts 12:12) Many think he was the young man who fled naked when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51) Traditionally John’s Gospel has been attributed to the disciple John, brother of James and son of Zebedee who may have been a cousin of Jesus (see blog May 7th) Luke, the author of the third Gospel was a Doctor and Historian who had, in his own words, carefully investigated the life of Christ.

Of course many refute this traditional view and, for example I recently read a claim that the Gospel of Mark was written by an unknown Christian in Syria. However even if the Gospels writers were Disciples of Christ can we still believe what they wrote? Some claim that we cannot because the Gospels were written thirty to fifty years after the Resurrection.  Well I personally don’t buy that one because I regularly meet the friends with whom I was at Teachers Training College more than 30 years ago and we reminisce on those college days as if they were yesterday. And if anyone wishes to know what happened on, for example D Day one sure way would be to speak with a World War 11 veteran who was actually there as an eye- witness.  However were the Gospel writers’ eye- witnesses? Well John appears to be – when describing Jesus on the cross being pierced in His side by a soldier John writes “The man who saw it has given testimony and his testimony is true he knows that he tells the truth and he testifies so that you may believe.” (John 19:35)

Eye – witnesses or not there is still the issue of whether or not that which the Gospel writers recorded can be believed. Classic aarguments disputing the Resurrection include  1) the disciples hallucinated 2) that Jesus did not really die on the cross but recovered in the tomb 2)   that the disciples stole the body.  The classic responses to 1) are that one person can hallucinate and “see things” but a whole group of people cannot hallucinate and all see the same thing.  To 2) the sudden flow of blood and water which occurred when Jesus was pieced by the soldier’s spear (John 19:34) would have come from Jesus’ pericardium and heart and was, therefore a sure sign that He was dead.  To 3) quite simply what would the disciples have gained from stealing the body of Jesus?

So what can be concluded – was Jesus really raised from the dead or not?  In next week’s blog  I will offer  my humble opinion.