"You will be my witnesses"

Sunday 8 August 2021

"You will be my witnesses"

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1: 8

Before Jesus was lifted up to heaven, his disciples asked him one last question which showed that they had not yet understood the purpose of his work : "Lord, is this when you will restore the kingdom to Israel ?" (Acts 1: 6). The Lord answers them that it is not their business to "know the times or the seasons which the Father has reserved for his own authority." He directs the attention of the disciples, concerned only with the future of their own people, to God's plan for the present time : to offer salvation to all men. To achieve this goal, he gives each of his disciples the same function and the same program of action, and he places at their disposal the same power to achieve it, the Holy Spirit coming upon them.

Function

The disciples will be witnesses. A witness reports facts that he has seen personally. He is loyal no matter what (the word "witness" and the word "martyr" in Greek have the same meaning). Finally, the witness of Jesus relates what the Lord is, what he has done for everyone and for himself in particular (2 Peter 1:16 ; Acts 10:39 ; Mark 5:19,20).

The priority program

The Lord indicates to his disciples in a precise way the program and the scope of their mission. They will be his witnesses :

- in Jerusalem : where they live,

- in Judea : in their entourage,

- in Samaria : among a population hated by the Jews.,

- to the end of the earth : all ethnic or geographic barriers are now falling.

The resource

The power of the Holy Spirit is the resource given to disciples to fulfill their mission. The Holy Spirit will supply all their needs : wisdom, courage, confidence, authority, not just under extraordinary circumstances, but every day.

Every disciple of the Lord is a witness. He now has the same resources as the apostles to accomplish his mission, first at home, then in his entourage and, if the Lord calls him, to the ends of the earth.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)