In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with  water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Notice “the Gospel core” mentioned in this text. For the early church, one particular aspect of the gospel message seemed to be key or foundational – “after His suffering … he was alive”. The resurrection formed the very core of Christian belief and was the evidence for the remainder of what Jesus taught about salvation, forgiveness of sin and the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul mentions that it is of “first importance” in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7. has this to say about his message about Christ: This earthy, physical reality – Jesus died, but is now alive – formed the center of the gospel

The fact that we have virtually no early arguments forwarding the idea that Jesus did not exist helps us to prove that Jesus was a veritable historical person. Because one could not argue that Jesus did not exist, many arguments poke at the ideas that either He didn’t die or He was not raised from the dead. The “Jesus didn’t die” argument is the weaker of the two: it suggested that either Jesus exchanged places with someone else on the cross or that He “swooned” but did not die on he cross. The “Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead” idea, however, gained a little more footing in the ancient world. The Jewish authorities wished to explain the resurrection away by casting doubt on its veracity, suggesting that the disciples simply stole away the body .

As the opponents of early Christianity knew, if one could debunk the death and resurrection of Jesus, than the rest of what Christians believe about Him would likely fall like dominos. Of importance is that Jesus came, made His promises including claiming the ability to forgive sin and power over death and sin, died but unlike every other false Messiah before and after Him, He was raised to eternal life. His resurrection guarantees the reality of His return one day, when He ushers in His eternal kingdom and extends to those who have placed their faith in Him their eternal place with Him.

For many Jews, Messianic hopes culminated in a conquering King and a re-established kingdom of Israel. This hope was deeply engrained in the Jewish world and we see glimpses of this idea all throughout Christ’s ministry. Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ query makes a different reality quite clear – their identity would not be wrapped up in the nationalistic hopes of Israel, but would be found in their role as witnesses.

What exactly do you think it means to be Christ’s witnesses? What does it mean to be a witness of something? What exactly had these early followers of Jesus seen to which they were to bear witness? This collection of individuals was charged with going out into the world and bearing witness to the fact that Jesus was alive and by extension, explaining all that accompanies this reality.

The locations Christ mentions are important for us to consider. Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life; the first locale of witness was in one’s home and to one’s own people. Judea is the greater area surrounding Jerusalem; the disciples were called to bear witness to those of like-culture, but further afield than one’s neighbours. Samaria was a place of tension for the people of Israel; the disciples were called to witness to those close in proximity, yet different in culture. His followers ought to take the message of Christ’s death and resurrection as far as they possibly could – to the ends of the earth.

How would these early followers of Christ accomplish this task? Christ makes reference to the gift of the Holy Spirit -power to bear effective witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   If being a witness of Jesus entails speaking of the seen reality that “after His suffering … Jesus was alive”, then after those first followers of Jesus died, who would be left to bear witness to this reality? At best, we would have second hand witness to Christ’s resurrection. The Holy Spirit not only enables us to claim Jesus as Lord, but His presence in our lives enables us to bear convincing first hand witness to the reality of His death and resurrection.

Do you believe, as the apostles attest, that “after His suffering … Jesus was alive”? Do I see myself as a witness, empowered by the Holy Spirt, to the reality of the resurrection and all that this entails? What would it mean to bear witness: in my Jerusalem – to my friends and neighbours? in my Judea – to those more generally in my community? to my Samaria – to those local, yet different culturally than me? to the ends of the earth? Are you aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence with you, around you? What is He up to in my life, our church, and our community?