Theme Week – Celebrating Jesus: Acts 1
Old Testament: Malachi 1 & 2
Poetry: Psalm 149
Have you ever been a witness and had to testify in court? I have. I once witnessed a crime while I was on vacation at the beach. I was called to come back and testify at the trial. I didn’t mind, it was a free trip back to the beach.
There are different kinds of witnesses. If you ever watch television shows that feature courtrooms like Law and Order or CSI you know that different people are called to witness different things. You can have a character witness who tells about the defendant as a person. You can have forensic witnesses to talk about evidence. Maybe the most important is the eye-witness, who talks about what they saw with their own eyes. If you get two or three eye-witnesses who testify the same thing, there’s a good chance the defendant will be found guilty.
In today’s reading from Acts, we get a small glimpse of what Jesus was up to during the first 40 days after he was raised from the dead. He went around showing his disciples that he was still alive. Luke, who wrote Acts, says that Jesus gave “many convincing proofs” that he was alive.
Most of my adult children live a good distance from me, in another state, and one lives in another country. If I haven’t heard from one of them for a while I will text them and ask for “proof of life” which means- “send me a text, call or Facetime with me so I know you’re doing okay.” Fun fact: Dads are happier when they can see proof that their kids are okay (even if their kids are in their 20’s and 30’s and have kids of their own.). A phone call, text, or Facetime is pretty low level proof of life, but I doubt that anyone is kidnapping my kids and doing a deepfake proof of life. If I can see their face or hear their voice, I’m good.
For the disciples in the first century, they had proof of life right in front of them. Jesus was there, in his newly resurrected body, still bearing the scars from his crucifixion. They were eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus. But it wasn’t enough for them to just see for themselves that Jesus was risen, he told them that they had an important mission. They were to be his witnesses. They were to take the story of his life, teaching and resurrection to the whole world. And they did. That is why, 2000 years later there are people all over the world who follow Jesus Christ.
The disciples also witnessed Jesus ascend up from the earth through the clouds to heaven where he now sits at the right hand of God. As they were eyewitnesses to Jesus ascending, they also witnessed the angels who assured them that Jesus would return in the same way that he left, visibly, in the clouds. For 2000 years the church has kept alive this testimony from the eyewitnesses: Jesus died on the cross for our sins, God raised Jesus from the dead and many people saw him in his risen body, Jesus ascended to heaven and we heard the promise that he would one day return in the same way. Each generation of Jesus’ followers have kept this message alive and spread it. Now you have received it, it’s up to you and your generation to continue keeping this eye witness testimony alive, until Jesus returns.
-Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions
- If you were called up as a character witness for Jesus how would you describe him? What do you know about Jesus as a person?
- If you were called up as a forensic witness testifying to the evidence of Jesus what would you say? What convincing proofs do you have that Jesus is alive?
- If you were called up as an eye-witness for what Jesus has done for you what would you say? How is your life different because of Jesus?
- Who needs to know what you know about Jesus, about the evidence surrounding his life, death, resurrection, ascension and coming return, and about how you have experienced Jesus and what he has done for you? How will you share?
Seek Grow Love 