"John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” John 1:15 (NKJV)
Yesterday we discussed the power of witness. We approached it from the standpoint of how we today can accept and believe the reality of Christ. Accepting and believing, however, is short of the full intent of witness for us.
In Jesus day, particularly at his prosecution by the local religious leaders, many false witnesses were sought and obtained to testify against him. There was a strong desire to discredit him, defame him and ultimately, end his life. After all, he claimed to be the very son of God, even God in the flesh which was considered blasphemy by the religious elite. One wonders what their religion was all about if they rejected the prophesied Messiah. Nevertheless, there were problems with their witnesses. "Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree" Mark 14:55-56. Then as now, for witness to be credible, it must be consistent and found in the mouths of more than one.
Beloved, our witness is true because it comes from those who were there. Further, we can testify to the truth of our own experiences with the Lord. We are then called upon by him to share our witness with the world. What he told the apostles remains true for us today: "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. We know that the false witnesses gathered by the Adversary are still active. Let us combat falsehood with truth. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" Psalm 107:2.
Committed,
Lee
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