My Witnesses

 

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:1-8 ESV).

 

Through the years I have been called into court as a witness dealing with the adjudication in a legal matter. The lawyers for the plaintiff determined to make sure that my memories were clear and that the timeline of events was accurate, while the lawyers for the defense tried to call everything I said into question. They questioned every part of my testimony in their effort to call into doubt the guilt of their client. The first time I experienced this cross-examination was very unpleasant; however, I knew the truth. I knew it because I experienced it. I hadn’t just been told about it; it had become a part of my personal experience.  

 

Let that settle into your mind for a moment. This is at the heart of what Jesus wanted His disciples to know before they were sent out to be His witnesses to a very skeptical world.

 

I don’t know about you, such a commissioning seems like a daunting task, especially when Jesus says that our witness begins where we are and extends to the ends of the earth. It shouldn’t surprise us that we have doubts about our ability to communicate effectively the most important “witness” to others.

 

As Jesus commissions us, he promises the gift of his Holy Spirit as He did to the disciples. He also commissions us, his followers, as a community. This is our task, together. In the next few days I want to explore how to bear witness to Jesus. No one is unable to share what God has done in their life; and, every work of God in our personal lives is essential testimony to others. This is the design of God to reach all those whom He has called.