We are Witnesses: He Arose!
"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day…” While Peter was still speaking… the Holy Spirit came on all who heard… (Acts 10:39-40,44)
The resurrection is the most important event in redemption history; it is the centerpiece of our faith. Apostle Paul clearly wrote: “if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless” (1Cor 15:14-17). New Testament scholars like Prof. Edison Kalengyo, Prof. Gary Habermas and Dr. Michael Licona agree that the subject of Jesus’ Resurrection is the most crucial one for Christian faith and praxis; it is the cornerstone of Christianity. On this day we commemorate this great victory that was proclaimed by the principal witnesses and attested to by the work of the Holy Spirit.
In his final commissioning, Jesus Christ instructed his disciples to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. They and we are sent out to be witnesses of this resurrection principally; and witnesses of all that Jesus did and taught. In our common life, witnesses are very important. In criminal law, a witness is someone who has relevant information about a crime; and research has shown that the performance of witnesses, in deposition and during trial, is the single most important factor in case outcomes. This also comes from the Law given by God through Moses, where witnesses are crucial: “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death” (Deut 17:6-7). Because of this seriousness, the 9th commandment warns against giving false testimony, as this can be dangerous and lethal.
The Apostles experienced the transforming power of witnessing, and particularly witnessing to the resurrection, as we see the example of Simon Peter’s experience at the home of Cornelius. This was a strange visit – of a devout Jew to a Gentile, like of a Moslem in a pork joint! But God had led to this meeting through poignant visions to both Peter and Cornelius. When the greetings and introductions were done, Peter began to speak; as soon as he entered the heart of the matter – witnessing to the resurrection, a miracle happened: the Holy Spirit came upon these gathered Gentiles! They were fully admitted into the fold of the redeemed people of God.
In this skeptical world, the call to action for all believers remains this: to be witnesses of the resurrection and of all that Jesus did and taught, reaching the ends of the world with this life-transforming message. As a result, God honours this work and performs wonders by bringing more and more to salvation. Christ is risen indeed: Hallelujah!