But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:8-9, NIV)
During a round of golf, there are certain regrets a golfer might have. Hitting a driver when a hybrid was the smart play or not taking enough club to clear a hazard. How about this one – making a hole-in-one without any witnesses? That was my predicament a few years ago.
My wife bowed out of our early tee time, so I went out as a single. I caught the foursome ahead of me on the 2nd hole, a long Par 5, and they kindly let me play through. After finishing the hole, it was a drive through the trees to #3, a short Par 3. I noticed no one on Hole #4, so I thought my round might be finished by mid-morning.
And then it happened. The 9-iron looked good heading towards the hole, landed about 10 feet short, and then rolled into the cup. No one with me, no one close behind, no one ahead. So I approached the green, pulled out my ball, and moved on. To this day, when I am asked the inevitable question, “Have you ever had a hole-in-one?” I must always add, “I got one, but there were no witnesses.”
The dictionary gives several definitions for the word witness. The first one listed says, “a person who sees an event.” That definition fits what was missing from my story above. But a second definition says, “to openly profess one’s religious faith.” And that definition is the context for our Bible verse from Acts 1:8.
We can share a “cure” that provides eternal life by witnessing to Christ. Isn’t that worth sharing with others?
This was the moment of truth for the disciples. Three years earlier, they had dropped everything in response to Jesus’ invitation to follow him. During that time, they walked with him daily, absorbed his teaching, and witnessed his miracles.
They had suffered through the tragedy of Good Friday and experienced the joy of Easter Sunday. In the 40 days since the resurrection, they had interacted with the risen Christ several times. And now, as Jesus prepared to ascend to His Father, His parting words were, “you will be my witnesses.”
As those who follow Jesus two thousand years later, the directions the Lord gave to his disciples apply to us also. We can tell others about the gospel’s good news by testifying how it changed our lives. In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says if we knew of a cure for a life-threatening disease that would save people’s lives, it would be criminal to keep it to ourselves. While a cure for the disease would be a blessing, the result would be saving a life that lasts a few decades. We can share a “cure” that provides eternal life by witnessing to Christ. Isn’t that worth sharing with others?
Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to follow Paul’s example –“…to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”