Jesus stayed on earth for forty days after his resurrection, demonstrating that he was alive and giving further teaching on the kingdom of God. The gospel accounts showcase Jesus’s earthly ministry, but now it was time to transition. Jesus had prepared his disciples to follow in his footsteps and continue the ministry. Everything the disciples and the early church did “was rooted in and connected to the activity in which the risen Jesus was involved.” So much that “without Jesus and his work, one cannot make sense of the church’s existence and activity.”
Yes, Jesus had a mission for the disciples to undertake, but He didn’t leave them alone. He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. They still had questions, though: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
Jesus’s response—”It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7)—reminds us that not all our questions will be answered right away, and that’s okay.
Jesus strengthens and enables us to face the mission set before us: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The word power is connected with the Holy Spirit and relates to the idea of “being empowered to speak boldly by testifying to the message of God’s work through Jesus.”
The word witness refers to telling what we’ve known and experienced. Throughout the book of Acts, witnesses testified to their own personal encounters with Jesus and verified that they had seen the resurrected Christ with their own eyes. In other words, the disciples were able to validate the message through their “verifiable observation.”
Because of reading His recorded miracles as well as seeing them in my own life and those in my community, I know that He is a caring, all-powerful, loving God.
How amazingly filled with love and without judgement that’s why inspires me.
To never be afraid to share what God has done in your own life. We are witnesses to our miracles, so sharing our own experiences would be the key to spreading the good news to others. Testifying may make us "uncomfortable" because we feel that we are not knowledgeable enough in the Word, however, sharing our personal encounters with God is a retelling of a true story in our lives, so we should be comfortable in spreading these words.
That Jesus allowed the disciples to be a part of his miracles, and he will allow us to still do that today. His power is vast and never ending and His promises are true. We should always be ready to share what Jesus has done for us in our own lives.
It’s amazing to me all the miracles Jesus performed so that others would witness these and proclaim that He is our living God. I have heard of miracles happening to others here on earth and it’s such an inspiration to me. I pray that I will be bold enough as the disciples were to witness to others before it’s too late. My witness now is by action and setting an example for others to see the love of Jesus in me, praying that others will change their lifestyle and be as happy as I am being a servant of Christ and showing compassion to non-believers.
Jesus was nothing short of amazing. I’m drawn to read and discover more and more about each and every miracle he performed and how each of them affected those around him. Sharing those stories and ones that we are apart of in our own lives, no matter how small, are so intriguing to us and others that there is no way to not be amazed and drawn in (in my opinion of course). God is so powerful and knowing that he lives within us is empowering. I know how good studying the word makes me feel and that makes me want to share him with others so they can know him and his peace.
Just reading the stories and seeing a different perspective on how these are taken and the deeper meaning of his miracles. Jesus is coming and we need to be ready and also do our part. I want everyone to come to heaven no one needs to go to hell. So share your testimony ask people to come to gatherings where you do prayer boards and talk about what he has done for you invite them to church if they don’t want to be apart doesn’t mean you don’t still invite them but also respect it because God is a gentleman and when people are ready they are READY!