The Job of Witness — Acts 10

A text — Acts 10:39-43 Peter’s Speech
10:39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
10:40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,
10:41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.
10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

A reflection:

Peter’s recitation of Jesus’ life is kind of crazy. For one thing, it was like poison to the Jewish religious leaders, who had wanted Jesus killed. Those leaders threatened Peter and the other disciples with death if they spoke about it. Also, the absurdity of a human being raised from the dead must have made Peter and his believer friends seem like lunatics to practically everyone else. 

And verses 41-42 make it even worse somehow. Jesus appeared NOT TO EVERYBODY. Just to US WHO WERE CHOSEN BY GOD AS WITNESSES.  Jesus appeared to his followers – dozens of folks in the end, but really just a few folks. Peter makes them sound like the chosen few, doesn’t he.  Jesus appeared just “to us who were chosen by God as witnesses…to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.” As though those believers were some secret privileged group.

If God had intended the miracle of the Resurrection to be easy to believe in, Jesus would have shown up in the midst of huge crowds in Jerusalem. But he came only to a few dozen believers. Why? Here’s what I think: TO GIVE THEM A JOB; to convince those who hadn’t seen the resurrected Jesus that Jesus was Lord. And God still does appear to the few in order to convince the many.

Am I a believer? Are you a believer? Do we believe Jesus is the one ordained by God to judge the living and the dead? To be Lord? If I believe that, then in fact I have a job: to testify to Jesus. I get to accept God’s grace and the promise of the Resurrection for myself, that’s sure. But let’s say I have a wonderful neighbor who struggles with faith. If I believe that on the Last Day that neighbor will rise with everyone on earth and be embraced by God, mightn’t I reassure my neighbor that he is loved?  Might not that knowledge be a gift to that neighbor?  Mightn’t I (perhaps even silently) testify to Jesus, whom I know to be the Lord, by the way I live my life? If we are witnesses to the Risen Lord, Peter says we have a job. How might we claim that job? How have we done it so far? 

A prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank you for choosing us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to believe in your son, Jesus. Thank you for trusting us with the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection. Thank you for giving us the job of witness. Help us to not be afraid to do it. Help us see our chances to comfort and serve our neighbors.  Amen.