Witness
Jesus said: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
What an amazing day this must have been for the disciples! They were just about to see Jesus disappear before their eyes and, before he did so, he commissioned them to take the good news to the whole world, no less. These days we know a great deal about the world and can easily communicate across the globe. But for Jesus’ disciples, this must have seemed an overwhelming challenge. Where on earth would they start?
Jesus wanted his disciples to know that they were all witnesses. They had seen and heard things that needed to be shared. We don’t all have an evangelistic gift, something which is often said to have been given to about ten per cent of Christians.
But we are all witnesses. Our means of communication have changed completely since the first century, but our fundamental responsibility is still to bear our personal witness of what we have seen and heard of Jesus.
Jesus first asked his disciples to witness in Jerusalem. They needed to start where they were. This is often the greatest challenge isn’t it? We all need to share our faith with our families, friends and colleagues; those who see us day by day, warts and all. He then told them to go to Judaea, which wasn’t an easy area. Much of it is rocky desert with scattered communities. He then told them to go to Samaria. Because of the intense hatred that existed between the Jews and Samaritans, they were bound to get a hostile welcome there. Finally, as if they hadn’t already been challenged to the limit, Jesus told them to go to the ends of the earth!
It must have felt like mission impossible, but it wasn’t. This was because Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would give them the wisdom and strength to obey his command.
QUESTION
Who might you be able to witness to today?
PRAYER
Lord God thank you that you have given me good news to share. Amen