Witnessing is the testifying or telling of something that has happened. Before witnessing about something can be done, one must have seen or experienced it first. Although we have never seen with our own eyes what Jesus had done for us on the cross, we can witness for Him because of the truthfulness of God’s Word. There are three things we can observe in Acts 1:8 about witnessing for Jesus.

1.  Power in Witnessing

The source of the power of our witnessing for Jesus is God. God the Holy Spirit will empower us with the courage and abilities that we need to witness for Jesus, because witnessing is a commandment that He had given to believers. The Apostle Peter is a good example. Ashamed of having denied Jesus, he left serving Jesus and went back to fishing. But later he became a courageous and strong witness for Jesus. And he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to stand before the Sanhedrin. God can change and empower us to do His work, but we must be willing to obey Him and do His work His way. Our duty is to speak the truth and bear a holy witness for Jesus. It is God who determines the outcome of our witnessing.

2.  Commission of Witnessing

Jesus told the apostles, “…ye shall be witnesses unto me…” (Acts 1:8). This commission of Jesus is to carry on, continuing with us. We are to be Jesus’ witnesses. The Greek word for “witness” means martyr. A martyr is one who willingly suffers death for the sake of his faith in Christ. This means that the strength of the testimony of a witness is like that of a martyr. A witness must stand by his testimony, and be willing to die for it. Besides being ready to witness for Jesus, we are to have such strong conviction that we are willing to suffer and die for the truth of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will empower us to witness for Jesus, speaking of His love, mercy and grace in saving us from our sins.

3.  Scope of Witnessing

The apostles’ witnessing was to start “in Jerusalem” and spread out to “the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Starting at home, we witness to our family members and loved ones. We must not be a hindrance, but be a light for Jesus that through our Christlike behaviour, they can see the changes in our lives. We must be earnest and fervent in sharing the Gospel to the people around us. Our lives must never tarnish the name of Christ. We are to find every opportunity available to share the Gospel. Witnessing begins at home, but do not let it end there.