You Will be My Witnesses
What does it mean to be a witness? Perhaps you think of someone who is called on to testify in a court of law. They are someone who either saw or had firsthand knowledge of a crime or an event. They may be someone who has unique and advanced knowledge in a particular area and can offer expert testimony on a particular issue. In a court of law, a witness is evaluated based on the trustworthiness of their testimony. Did they personally see an event, or did they only hear about it later from someone else? Are they someone who is known for their reliability? All these things factor in whether or not a witness is believed.
Jesus appointed his disciples to be his reliable witnesses. They were eyewitnesses of his resurrection and had learned the Word of God directly from him. After he ascended into heaven, he promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and give them power to testify about his death and resurrection. They would spread this glorious message of hope as they went out from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and then to the very ends of the earth.
Jesus has called us to be his witnesses as well. We are not eyewitnesses to his resurrection, but we have experienced his love and grace. Our faith is built on the reliable testimony of his very Word. The Word he revealed to his Apostles and Prophets. His Word that he preserved through the centuries in its truth and purity. In his Word, we see God's gracious plan of salvation. He promised that a Savior would come to free the world from the sins of Adam and Eve. Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises of God. He is the promised Savior who was true God and true man.
In his previous book, Luke recorded all the words and works of Jesus. He wrote how Jesus Christ was born of a virgin and lived a perfect life fulfilling all the requirements of God’s holy law. We are shown the power of Christ as he performed miracle after miracle. And then we are told of the amazing love of Christ who offered his life as a holy sacrifice to pay for the sins of the whole world. After three days he rose again victorious from the grave and shattered the power of sin, death, and hell once and for all. He freed the world from sin and gave eternal life to all who believe in his name. This is the glorious message of the Gospel the disciples were to proclaim to the ends of the earth. And this is the message that has been entrusted to us as we follow the command of Christ, “You will be my witnesses.”
In the opening chapter of Luke’s second book, we are told about the last day of Jesus’s ministry on this earth. Jesus took his disciples outside the city of Jerusalem and gave them his final instructions. He reminded them of the things he had taught them and opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Jesus was preparing them for their ministry as his witnesses. He knew the suffering and hardship that was in store for them as they began spreading the message of the Gospel into a dark and hostile world. He knew that most of them would eventually be killed for their faith in him. The Greek word for witness is martus which we get the English word martyr. Jesus wanted to thoroughly equip his disciples as they began the work of his kingdom. This is one of the reasons that we can have certainty in the resurrection of our Savior; the disciples were willing to suffer and die for their testimony about the resurrection of Jesus.
Satan wants us to doubt that Jesus rose from the dead. Satan knows that if he can undermine the truth of the resurrection, he can destroy our faith. Just as the Apostle Paul warns in 1 Cor 15, “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” This is why Satan worked so hard to destroy the credibility of the witnesses of the resurrection. This is why Jesus appeared so many times to his followers so there could be no doubt whatsoever that he had indeed risen from the dead. Luke tells us that Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days and gave them many convincing proofs of his resurrection.
Our Savior knows the constant attacks his people endure. After all, he suffered and was tempted in every way that we are. He knows that Satan is constantly seeking to undermine our trust in his promises. He knows how Satan tries to convince us that the trouble and suffering in our lives are proof that God doesn’t really love us or care about us. This is why God has given us the testimony of his witnesses. They show us how God has kept every promise he made to his people.
As followers of Christ, we cling to the promises of God. We believe that our sins have been forgiven in Christ. We know that we are sinners and deserve only the wrath and punishment of God. We know that we can
do nothing to earn God’s grace or forgiveness. We cling to the certain knowledge that by his death Christ has made full and complete payment for all our sins. And we cling to the testimony of his witnesses that our Savior rose from the grave and defeated the power of death.
We also believe the testimony of those same witnesses who saw our Savior ascend into heaven in all his glory. The disciples were eyewitnesses to the coronation of our Savior as our glorious King of kings and Lord of Lords. Christ ascended into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. As we face trial, hardship, and even persecution in this life we don’t need to be afraid because we know with absolute certainty that our Savior is ruling over all things for the good of his church. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul writes about the glorious power and majesty of our ascended Lord, “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
As the disciples watched their Lord ascend a cloud hid him from their sight. Two angels appeared and gave them a wonderful promise. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” The people of God have been waiting almost 2,000 years for the fulfillment of this promise. Christ will again return in all his power and glory to judge the living and the dead. On that Last Great Day, all people dead and living will be gathered together. Those who believe in Christ will join him in the glory of the new heaven and new earth where there will be no more weeping or crying or pain. But those who have rejected the Son of God will be condemned to the eternal fires of hell.
This is why Jesus has called us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. The return of the King is near at hand as Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” There are so very many who have not heard the message of the Gospel. They are ignorant of God’s will and foolishly believe that there is no punishment for their unbelief.
We have been given the very words of eternal life in the Gospel. We can be faithful witnesses of our Savior as we share that message with others. We can do this in so many ways as well. We can let our light and faith shine by showing kindness to others and reflecting the love of Christ in this sinful world. We can tell others of our faith as they see its impact in our lives. We can use our offerings to support the church as it trains and equips others for service as witnesses to the ends of the earth.
We know the amazing love the Father has lavished on us. We know the peace that we have in Christ because we are free from guilt and shame. We know that glory that awaits us in the life to come. We cannot help but tell others about the glorious message of the Gospel because we love to tell the story of how our Savior died and rose for us. Amen