RPG Adults
YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME (I)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Acts 1:1-11
Acts 1:8
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me.”
YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME (I)
Like the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we are expected to be faithful and true witnesses unto the Lord (v 8). A witness is expected to tell the truth of what he has seen, heard and known, is accountable for what he may say (Deut 5:20; 19:15-21; Matt 19:18). The word martyr, the same original term of witness, means the one who witnesses unto death (Acts 22:20; Rev 2:13). Our Lord expects us to be witnesses unto Him and His Truth faithfully unto death.
The disciples were so happy to see the Lord Jesus appear to them at least ten times after His resurrection from the dead, and they expected Him to restore again the kingdom of Israel on earth. Truly the kingdom of Israel will be restored at the second coming of the Lord Jesus according to His Father’s timing, but the Lord Jesus wanted them to focus on the Great Commission, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The words of our Lord Jesus in Acts 1:8 were fulfilled exactly to the jot and tittle or to the very smallest details: the disciples received power of the Holy Spirit when He came upon them (Acts 2) and then they were witnesses unto the Lord in Jerusalem (Chapters 2-7), in Judea and Samaria (8:1-9:31), and to the uttermost part of the world (9:32-28:31). Our Lord called and trained His disciples to be His witnesses. They were with Jesus, heard what He said and taught, saw what He did, and were eye witnesses to His life, His works, His death and His resurrection. Our Lord Jesus was leaving them soon, and He expected them to be His witnesses. It seems that they were to go out and preach the Gospel to the lost right away, but our Lord asked them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49), or the power of the Holy Spirit!
THOUGHT: Christ expects us to be witnesses to Him, His Truth and His Word.
PRAYER: Father, use me as Thy witness wherever I am.