TESTIFY

ACTS 3:1-18

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Testify. That’s what faithful witnesses do. And the apostles continue to use every opportunity to tell about the resurrection of Jesus. And heaven continues to authenticate the Message.

Here Peter and John are empowered to heal a man lame from birth. This man was known to the people, so naturally, when the man began to walk and jump around, the people were impressed.

…they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging…and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

With the beggar hanging onto Peter and John, the people are now attracted to them - all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.

Peter seizes the opening to testify about Jesus - It is Jesus’ name…that has given this complete healing to him…You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Because of the miracle, the people will believe the message. But for those of us who didn’t see it, there’s something even more important.

Consider…the message of Jesus is being preached in the very city where His death and resurrection took place. At the very time, within a few short days of the events! And to the very people who were in a perfect position to investigate if the facts were true or not.

This is enormously significant to the validity of our faith today. For the apostles did not wait for some time to pass, travel to a remote location where nobody could verify their testimony, and there among strangers attempt to create faith in Jesus. Quite the contrary!

These witnesses are successful in gaining new students for Jesus from among the very people who are in a position in both time and location to either verify or discredit the claims they are hearing. What does this demonstrate concerning the validity of our faith in Jesus today?