"Jesus Christ, the faithful witness." Revelation 1: 5
"You will be my witnesses." Acts 1.8
To begin his ministry, "Jesus came to Galilee ; he preached the gospel of God and said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near : repent and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14). He is the "faithful witness", the only one who preaches the Gospel (the Greek word meaning the good news) according to the prophecy of Isaiah : "How beautiful are the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace, which brings news of happiness, which announces salvation" (Is 52: 7).
This good news must be proclaimed further on, to all Israel, and even to all nations. We need other witnesses : "Jesus set up twelve to be with him, to send them to preach, and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils" (Mark 3: 13-15). Invested by his authority, they must spread the good news by imitating their Master.
But the testimony of grace must still extend. Jesus designates seventy others (Luke 10: 1). As Jesus is the Messenger of God, these are his representatives : "He who listens to you listens to me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me" (v. 16).
The extension of the testimony of God's grace in Jesus, the good news of salvation, must be even greater. So, before leaving his family and being brought up to heaven, he gathered them together and said to them : "You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and throughout Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1 8). The first Christians were often subjected to persecution.
This Master's injunction is still valid for us, for every believer in his environment.
It all began with "faithful and true witness". He is no longer alone as Isaiah 52, but the quotation can be transformed, as Paul does in the Epistle to the Romans : "How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim peace on the mountains, who announce good news" (Romans 10:15).
Source (To pleasing the Lord)