What did the Lord Jesus mean by the statement, “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV) This was the last statement that Jesus gave before He ascended and disappeared into the heavens. Note that usually the last instruction given carries much weight and importance to the one giving it. This was ten days before the Holy Spirit was poured out and filled 120 disciples with an initial supernatural evidence of speaking in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability. (Acts 2) It was after this event that those disciples started proclaiming and preaching Jesus Christ and the born again salvation plan that they had learned from the Lord Himself. When the Lord’s salvation plan was resisted by the power hungry religious rulers of the day, they were told by their accusers, ‘yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching’ (Acts 5:8 ESV). These disciples obviously were making a spiritual difference after they had received the power that accompanies the infilling of the Holy Spirit. So what does this teach us about what it means to be witnesses for Jesus Christ?
Let’s note that the statement you will be my witnesses, etc. is preceded by, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Evidently the ability and ‘power’ to be a witness for Jesus Christ can only come when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Something obviously happened to these men who initially ran for their lives when Jesus was taken to be crucified, and remained in hiding even after his resurrection. But now, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, which according to Col. 1:27 is Christ in you the hope of glory, these same followers boldly proclaimed and preached Jesus Christ to anyone they came into contact with, which caused many of these same disciples to be martyred in brutal ways! These uneducated fishermen and farmers after being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, turned their world upside down with the Truth of what they were preaching.
This plainly declares to us that we must be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ to be witnesses for Him. He was quite adamant to His followers about not beginning their ministries until they had received the promised power of the Holy Spirit! Remember that these same men had already received power from God to heal the sick and to cast out devils as stated in Luke 9, yet the Lord adamantly told them to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of power that was promised them. The Lord knew that they would be hated for His name’s sake and all that His teachings represented. In other words, the teaching and preaching of righteousness, submission to God’s authority and denying ourselves isn’t a popular message at all. (Matthew 21-23)
It is interesting to note that the original Greek word used for ‘witness’ is martus which is where the word martyrs comes from. Since true repentance is a form of death of our own self will, and the Lord instructs us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him, we can clearly see what the price is of being a witness. (Matthew 16:24)
This is not a popular message, but it is the Truth! As the Lord instructs, we must count the cost and then choose to live according to the Lord’s ways over our own way. Biblical salvation may be free monetarily, but it will cost us ourselves and everything we are to follow the Lord Jesus. This is a strait or difficult path and a narrow way, and not for the faint at heart. The meaning of the word strait used in the Scripture in Matthew 7:13-14 is not as in a straight line, but a strait or difficult place as it means to be in dire straits. It is during these difficult times as we follow the Lord, that we can truly be a testimony and be witnesses for God. As it says in the book of Revelation in chapter 12, verse 11 “And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” We know that without a test, we cannot truly have a testimony! When we choose to follow the Lord Jesus, there will tests and pressure. A metaphor of this truth is that it takes tremendous heat and pressure to form a precious jewel!
We have to know in our hearts and make a decision that we will have and keep a true relationship with our Lord Jesus so that nothing can separate us from Him. May the purpose of God be done through us all that choose this ultimate honor and privilege of being witnesses for Jesus Christ! May His love flow through us to the point that others can surely say, ‘that person has been with Jesus!’
In a world that is presently filled with much hate, may we truly be witnesses of the Lord Jesus and His love.