You Will Be My Witnesses

God empowers His people through the Holy Spirit to bear faithful witness to Christ in every place and season of life. In a single sentence—Acts 1:8—Jesus defines the entire purpose of the church until He returns. This verse is not merely a promise, and it is not merely a command; it is the blueprint for God’s mission in the world. Everything the church is called to be and to do flows out of these words. Luke, the author of Acts, reminds us that this book continues the story he began in his Gospel (v.1­­­­­­–3). In the Gospel of Luke, we see what Jesus began to do and teach. In the book of Acts, we see what Jesus continues to do and teach—now through His church, by the power of the Holy Spirit. At this point in the Gospel story, Jesus is about to leave earth physically. The disciples will no longer see Him with their eyes, hear Him with their ears, or walk beside Him. The mission is about to pass into their hands. Jesus does not send them out alone. He promises power and defines their purpose. He outlines a global plan. And then He ascends—asking believers, led by the Holy Spirit, to be His messengers on earth. In this way, Christians are expected to carry His mission forward until the Gospel reaches Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.