Power to Witness

“These women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it.  Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.  But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment . . . . When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the Apostles.  But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Luke 23:55 and 24:9-11

The woman preaching the Women’s Day sermon said the Holy Spirit empowered women to be witnesses.  She defined and listed the types of witnesses there are.

EYE-WITNESSES:  These witnesses are present at the event, and can tell people what happened.  Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Susanna were all eye-witnesses of different events, because they followed Jesus closely.  They were eye-witnesses to an empty tomb.  You and I are not eye-witnesses to the life of Jesus while He walked the earth, but we are eye-witnesses to what He’s done in our lives.

EXPERT-WITNESSES:  These witnesses, by virtue of their education, profession, or experience, are believed to have better-than-average knowledge of situation.  They’re considered experts.  You and I might not have gone to seminary, however, we are the experts in our own lives.  You know what Jesus did for you.

CHARACTER-WITNESSES:  These witnesses are people who know the character, or personality & ways, of the person being spoken about.  We didn’t meet Jesus face-to-face when He walked this earth; but we all met Him.

 “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.”

Acts 1:8