Witnesses to God’s saving work were essential to the early church’s spread of the Gospel. Their witness was a message that transformed lives. This mission began just before the ascension, when Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and prepared them to proclaim the good news.
Luke 24:46 And Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things. [1]
Jesus helped them understand that the cross wasn’t just an unfortunate obstacle to get past. Instead, it was the key to God’s plan to save humanity. It’s through the name of our crucified and risen Savior that repentance and forgiveness of sins could come to everyone in the world.
Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins
Repentance and forgiveness of sins are deeply personal, yet God did not mean them to remain private. At the heart of the Christian faith is a turning away from sin and a joyful trust in God’s forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer echoes these truths. Yet these gifts carry wider significance. They form a mission that can reshape lives and communities, which is why Jesus calls us to be witnesses of the Gospel.
When we hear the word “witness,” we often think of courtrooms or police questioning—someone testifying to determine guilt or innocence. In the life of faith, however, a witness is something different. To be a witness is to share our story: to testify to what we have seen and experienced of God’s love, justice, and forgiveness in our lives, our relationships, and our community. Each of us has a story to tell, and together those stories proclaim the Gospel to the world—stories with the power to transform lives.
God Uses Ordinary People
God chooses ordinary people like us to share His saving message. Being a vessel of God’s love and telling others about Jesus are gifts He gives. You may worry that you don’t have what it takes, or assume others are better suited. You might feel too ordinary or not good enough. But take heart—God specializes in using ordinary people, just as He did with the disciples.
Whether your gifts feel great or small, what matters most is your willingness. When you make yourself available, God supplies the power, and the good news is He is already at work. At the heart of working with God is the truth that He is always pursuing humanity. There is nowhere you can go where God is not already present. There is no one you can speak to whom God does not already see, love relentlessly, and have beautiful plans for.
Sharing God’s heart begins and ends with grace. His grace empowers us to step beyond ourselves and love others. By grace, He pursues us, even in our sin. Grace sent Jesus to the cross so that we might have salvation through Him, and it is by grace that we receive this free gift.
To learn how believers are witnesses to God’s saving work, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/ascension-jesus-and-the-disciples-in-transition
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 24:46–48). Tyndale House Publishers.