Acts 1:8 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.”
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples. To what end did He do this? Was it so they could build a big church? Was it so they could be prosperous and make a lot of money? Was it so they could have an easy life? Not at all! The Holy Spirit gave them the power to be witnesses: people who told others what they had seen and experienced.
John gives us a great example of what it means to be a witness.
1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Peter was an eyewitness:
2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Jesus also asked Paul to be a witness.
Acts 26:16 “Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.”
As followers of Christ we have also been given the mission being witness to what we have learned and experienced in following Jesus.
The Great Commission is given here in a slightly different form than he gave it after His resurrection or in Galilee. Jerusalem capital of Judea, and was the city they were in when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 2:5), Judea was the southern part of the Israelite nation, and Samaria was the middle part. So it would be somewhat analogous to saying, “You will be my witnesses in Denver, and in all Colorado and Wyoming, and to the ends of the earth.” In other words, they were to start where they were, spread the gospel out from there, and take it to the world.
In a similar way, the gospel should go out from us—starting where we are, going into our spheres of influence, and on into the world as we give our lives to spreading His message. It sounds improbable if not impossible, but that is exactly why the Spirit empowers us!
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