(Today’s audio reading on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XscM3enqUdTsLFmvfLtmZ)
“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)
A witness is someone who has seen something, and who may be called upon to talk about it.
Being a witness for Jesus was a role each disciple had mostly played well. For a few years, they lived with this humble teacher from Galilee, testified of him, helped him in his ministry, traveled with him, and identified with him.
We can’t take for granted that the disciples, who were part of his inner group, would automatically talk about him for years to come. For the most part, especially in comparison to Passion Week, the disciples could probably be described as often-euphoric witnesses of a phenomenal man who was unlike anyone they had ever heard of or seen in person. But the cruel death of Jesus potentially changed everything. By their association with the Galilean Teacher, they qualified as “hunted men” and they ran for their lives. Remember what happened in Gethsemane, just before his so-called trial began. Peter especially flinched—not in the presence of a heavily armed, Roman soldier, but by the word of a young Jewish lady who thought she recognized him. Was he a witness? Definitely. But a witness turning tail and running from this ultra-confusing situation. Not to mention flat-out denying that he was in fact a witness of Jesus and his life.
At the point in time in which the words of this Scripture are spoken, Jesus had been crucified, resurrected, and was now in his 40-day period before take-off to heaven. His message about being a witness was now different. Why? Because Peter and the gang would be witnesses of Jesus after they received the gift of God the Holy Spirit continually present among them.
That’s a big difference. I get the feeling when I see Peter crumble during Passion Week that he was trying to go forward on his own strength. (And can you blame him? Did the law of survival lead him to any other mode of operation?) But now things would be different. His role as witness would be based on his immersion in God the Holy Spirit. So, he wasn’t being put in position to generate his witnessing to the person and life and power of Jesus based on his own smarts, charming personality, history, or communication ability. It would be done by the Holy Spirit coming upon him, and witnessing through him.
Do you get the impression that the disciple who was a timid and confused learner in the Gospels will be a powerful witness in the book of Acts due to the presence of the Holy Spirit?
“Thank you, Father, for liberally giving your Spirit to powerfully enable your disciples to be your witnesses.”
Freddy Boswell 