A man sent from God

John 1: 5-7  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 

Being called as a witness at a trial can be a very intimidating feeling. There is much to consider in testifying. If you are called as a witness then you have to remember what you saw, or heard. I have had this experience twice, and I would just as soon never ever have the experience again.

The Oxford American Dictionary offers several examples in defining what is a witness. It could be a person who sees an event take place. It can also be a person giving sworn evidence in a court of law or the police, or someone who is present at the signing of a document and signs the document to confirm this. In each case there is a tangible event that was witnessed, and is being given testimony about. This begs the question, can you or I be witnesses for Jesus Christ? We were not there when Christ walked the earth. John the Baptist was alive then, and he was a man sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light. You and I were not there. Yet we are called to be witnesses for Christ on a daily basis. This is an interesting play-on-words to by sure, yet how can we be a witness? A good question, and it is a line of reasoning that the detractors of Jesus will try to use in dispelling our testimony and our witnessing for Jesus Christ.

We cannot deny the premise that we have not seen Jesus Christ himself. Some may say they have, but that claim is to be resolved between God and that person. I will pass no judgment. But we are witness to Christ with the faith poured into us and in the form of the words of His Father and Christ’s own words as captured for all eternity in the Bible. The faith we are given by God through His Holy Spirit gives us the ability to read, comprehend, and remember what Jesus said and did. Additionally, we are able to witness to the love of Christ as expressed by His followers in our time. We are given a spiritual gift to speak about Christ. This fact is given in 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus by cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. We are witnesses because we, just as John the Baptist was a witness, because we are sent from God to be witnesses. We are given the words to speak by the Holy Spirit. We are given the love to share by Christ who first loved us. With these tools, we share our experiences, our thoughts, and the Word of God with others. We talk about the bright light that is Jesus Christ because we are sent out with that imperative. Be a strong witness, and give a good testimony!

PRAYER:  Lord and giver of life, you have placed us here to share what You have shared with us. We who are called to testify about the light that is Jesus Christ are humbled by the trust You place in us. We ask Father that You give us Your words, and the faith to fearlessly share our testimony with all who need to hear the truth. Help us to shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night. Amen.