“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Before Jesus ascended, He gave to those present a promise and a directive. The promise is the power given by the Holy Spirit who will come to them. This power was evident in the lives of those who followed Jesus as His disciples. Paul would speak of this power as the gospel was proclaimed. “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)

The directive is they would be His witnesses to the world. Jesus had taught His Disciples, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27)

The beginning of this witness with the power of the Holy Spirit was at Pentecost. It is here that the people heard the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. They first heard the message in their own language as a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power. They also heard the witness of Peter, as he proclaimed, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36) The results of this first witness to the message of Jesus Christ was “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41)

In the Old Testament Laws, there are directions concerning witnesses. “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” The message of Jesus Christ as confirmed at Pentecost by those who were speaking the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit and by Peter. In the Scripture we have the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We also have the witness of the writers of the letters in the New Testament, Paul, the author of Hebrews, Peter, James, Jude, and  John. 

Every follower of Jesus Christ is to be a witness. We are to tell what we know. It begins with our own testimony, telling how we came to faith in Jesus Christ. It continues as we tell from Scripture how God brings us to new life in Jesus. Our witness continues as we are able to tell how God is at work in our lives, as we grow and mature in Him. The more we learn the Scriptures, we can speak to needs in the lives of other people, especially their need of salvation and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In all we are to be used by the Holy Spirit who will empower our witness. Paul would tell Timothy, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We are able to come to God because of His love. We are to witness because God’s love has come to us. As His witnesses, we can share His love. The Spirit in our lives fills us with God’s love. He also provides for us the power to witness and the discipline to live our lives in obedience to our Lord.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block