Wednesday, December 29: Acts 1- A new job

 

I love when I observe something new in scripture, something I don’t recall seeing previously. Today provides one of those moments.

One of the often quoted verses of Acts 1 is verse 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. I have heard and preached messages about being witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth. My new ‘ah-ha’ came a few verses later.  It was when Peter stood and interpreted Judas’ death and what they must do to fill Judas’ spot in the apostles. Peter said to the faithful gathered in the upper room, Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection (21-22, bold mine).

The apostles took very seriously that Jesus had commissioned them to be witnesses. So seriously, in fact, that they believed they had to choose a replacement for Judas. But there is even more.  This new person must become a witness. It is as if the apostles understood that they had a new job.  No longer is their first thought to be about catching fish or collecting taxes or whatever they did before they followed Jesus.  Now their first thought and highest priority was, ‘How can I witness to Jesus’ resurrection? How can I tell others about what I saw and heard while I walked with Him those three years?’

Observing this puts a different spin and higher priority on the apostles understanding of God’s call in their lives and, frankly, challenges me. Too often I think more about the receiving of power in verse 1:8 than the witnessing. The witnessing was serious business for the apostles. And the thought occurred to me that the rest of Acts will show how they lived and what they did as witnesses to Jesus.

Wow, it seems God may be giving me new eyes with which to read the book of Acts…

Holy Spirit, Father, Jesus, ramp up my understanding of the call to witness and show me how best to be a witness to Jesus and His resurrection. Cause me to take on the apostles’ earnestness and vitality to be a witness for and to Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.