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Forty days after the Resurrection, the risen Christ appeared to his disciples for the last time. Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus reminded them that they were chosen, not only for their own sake, but for the sake of others. "You will be my witnesses," Jesus said, "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
So it has been ever since that moment. The followers of Jesus have been his witnesses in the world-in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, in Rome, in Africa, in Latin America, in Western Europe, in Australia, and in Michigan. It is not an optional form of service. It is not something that some followers are called to do while others are called to something else. It is not a role that followers of Jesus grow into as they mature in Christ. It is an identity even more than it is a function.
The moment a person is grasped by the Holy Spirit and claims for the first time that Jesus is their Lord and Savior that person becomes Jesus' witness.
Whether you like it or not, whether you choose that role or not, whether you honor that role or not, if you are a follower of Jesus then you are Jesus' witness.
Whether you like it or not, whether you choose that role or not, whether you honor that role or not, others will draw conclusions about Jesus based on your witness. Others will look at you and draw conclusions about Jesus' compassion and Jesus' power. Others will listen to you for evidence as to truth of the resurrection.
Others will look at you and listen to you. Perhaps, just perhaps, what they see and hear will draw them one step closer to longing to know Jesus themselves. It's also possible that what they see and hear will cause them to harden their hearts. Either way, if you are a follower of Jesus, then you are Jesus' witness, and what people see in you and hear from you makes a difference.
This is a rather awesome responsibility. But it is also freeing.
How many of you have wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, but you felt like you didn't know the Bible nearly well enough to teach someone else?
How many of you have felt led to share the good news of Jesus Christ, but it's all you can do to recite the Apostles' Creed? The idea of explaining Christian doctrine to one who is not familiar with Christian beliefs makes you a bit nervous. And the idea of defending Christian doctrine to one who disdains Christian beliefs makes your stomach do somersaults.
How many of you have wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, but your vocabulary is inadequate to describe the awesome character of God to one who does not know him?
How many of you have felt led to share the good news of Jesus Christ, but the challenge of capturing the interest of one who has shown no interest leaves you tongue-tied and afraid to even try?
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you are Jesus' witness. You don't have to be a Bible scholar. You don't have to be a learned theologian. You don't have to thoroughly understand the awesome character of God. You don't have to take responsibility to generate interest where there is none.
Witnesses report what they have seen and heard with their own eyes and ears, what they have experienced to be true in their own hearts.
It's up to those listening to the testimony of a witness to put it together with the testimony from other witnesses and to draw their own conclusions. In a court of law, the best witnesses are those who do not attempt to interpret what they have seen and heard, but simply report what they have experienced to be true, as honestly and fully and openly as they can.
Which testimony is more powerful? This man is kind. Or, let me tell you how this man has been kind to me.
Which testimony is more powerful? This woman is compassionate. Or, let me tell you how I have seen this woman has shown compassion to the homeless.
Which testimony is more powerful? Jesus is worth following. Or, let me tell you how my life has been transformed, and how I have seen the lives of others transformed, as I have followed Jesus and surrendered my life and my all to him.
Some people are gifted Bible scholars. Some people are skilled at debating the logic and evidence behind Christian convictions. Some people have a knack for creatively expressing the awesome character of God in ways that invite others into his presence. Some people have a talent for sparking others' imaginations and inviting them to open their hearts to the possibility of Jesus.
Many of us will develop one or more of these skills to one degree or another as we mature in Christ and walk the path that he sets before us.
But all of us are witnesses from day one. All of us who follow Christ, whether or not we want the role and whether or not we honor the role, are Jesus' witnesses. Others will look at us and listen to us and draw their own conclusions.
All we have to do is set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts and be ready to give the reason for the hope that we have.
If we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, then we will have hope.
Hope is not self-confidence. If hope were based on self-confidence, then each new insight into our own inadequacies and failings would undermine our hope. If hope were based on our own strength and ability, then we would have less and less hope as we mature in Christ, because as we mature in Christ we become more and more aware of our own weakness.
Hope is not confidence in the essential goodness of humankind. If hope were based on confidence in the essential goodness of humankind, then every evidence of the profound potential of human beings to do terrible and destructive things would undermine our hope. If hope were based on human potential, then we would have less and less hope as we mature in Christ, because as we mature in Christ we have less need for the rose-colored glasses that keep us in denial about human sinfulness.
Hope is not optimism or simple confidence that all things will eventually work out in the end. If hope were based on optimism, then every stark example of unrelieved innocent suffering would undermine our hope. If hope were based on optimism, then we would have less and less hope as we mature in Christ, because as we mature in Christ we are more able to distinguish between suffering that is redemptive and suffering that is simply suffering.
Hope does not come from inside.
Hope does not come from the world.
Hope comes from God.
Hope is confidence in God.
Hope is a gift of grace.
Hope is the assurance that, even when all is dark and the way forward is blocked, God's purposes will prevail and God's truth will prevail and God's love will prevail-that God will win and, because we are with God, we too will win.
As we mature in Christ we have more and more hope, because as we mature in Christ are filled more and more with the joy and peace of believing.
If we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, then we will have hope, because hope is confidence in God. The more that our hearts are given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the less we will fear what others fear and the more we will be able to repay insult with blessing.
The more that our hearts are given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the more we will live our lives anchored in hope-hope that does not depend on circumstances but only on God.
The more that our hearts are given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the more opportunity others will have to look at us and listen to us and take notice of the hope that is within us.
The more that our hearts are given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the more the testimony of our lives will be a testimony of hope.
This world we live in is desperately short of hope.
If hope is truly evident in the followers of Jesus, then others will eventually want to know the reason for that hope.
The best witnesses for Jesus are those who are ready to give a reason for the hope that is within them. We need to learn how to articulate the reason for our hope.
The underlying reason is Easter, of course. But what people really want to know is not that you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that he lives. What people really want to know is what difference it makes in your life that you believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that he lives.
You don't have to be able to teach what the Bible says about Jesus.
You don't have to explain or defend what our creeds say about Jesus.
You don't have to know how to describe the infinite majesty of God.
You don't have to take responsibility for raising the question in someone else's heart.
You just need to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you when that question does arise.
Once I was afraid, but because Jesus is alive no longer do I fear.
Once I felt a need to defend myself. But Jesus is alive and his Spirit lives in me, and now I am learning to repay insult with blessing.
Once I tried to understand God. Now I know that he is beyond my understanding, but instead of being farther from God, I am closer. Once I had no thought of relationship with God. But Jesus is alive and I know him as my friend, and through him I know God. God is beyond my understanding, but not beyond my knowing.
I know what it is to have no strength left, but to be renewed, because Jesus is alive and his Spirit lives in me.
I know what it is to soar on wings like eagles though I have no ability to fly, because Jesus is alive and his Spirit lives in me.
I know what it is to run and not grow weary, because Jesus is alive and his Spirit lives in me.
I know what it is to walk and not be faint, because Jesus is alive and his Spirit lives in me.
Because he does not grow weary, I can rest.
Because he is beyond understanding, I do not have to figure it all out.
Because he is the source of all hope, I am free to be gentle.
Because I have confidence in him, I can treat others with respect.
As long as all I do is set apart Christ as Lord in my heart, my conscience will be kept clear.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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