Witnesses to the Light

In a court of law a witness has one primary responsibility: to tell the truth. Justice depends in large measure on the truthfulness of the testimony of witnesses. John the Baptist, as a witness to the Light of the world, was charged with the responsibility to tell the truth as it had been revealed to him by Almighty God. One day as he was speaking to the crowds along the Jordan River bank, he lifted up his eyes and saw Jesus approaching, and he recognized immediately the Savior of the world. The Gospel of John notes that the baptizer himself was not that Light, but was sent to bear testimony to the Light.

The apostles likewise were set apart as witnesses. Taking his leave from them as he ascended into heaven, Jesus said: ‘You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.’ Again and again their faith in Jesus was confirmed in their own experiences of trial and victory. Multitudes came to a saving knowledge of Jesus through their testimony of the truth.

Now, many generations later, we contemporary disciples are still called to witness to the Light of the world. We do this in two main ways.

First, there is the witness of the Church. From the beginning of the Christian movement the Christian Church has given witness to the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. The Church down through the centuries has told the truth about Jesus as it has been revealed, received and believed. Through the faithful proclamation of the Word of Scripture, and the living out of the convictions summarized in its creeds, the Church in its many expressions has given and continues to give witness to the Light. The worship, service, teaching, evangelism, and self-offering are the voices of the Church’s witness to the Light. The varied ministries performed in the name of Christ around the world, including emergency humanitarian assistance among the dispossessed, victims of famine and disease, those ravaged by earthquake, fire and wind, and those oppressed by tyranny, are expressions of the Church’s witness. Christian efforts in the struggle for justice and the cause of peace are part of our corporate witness as part of the Church. The life of prayer, Bible study, meditation carried on in communities of faith like this one serve that witness. Deeds of love and mercy, acts of compassion, faithfulness in the face of adversity are all witnesses to the Light which the darkness cannot overwhelm.

In the second place, we are witnesses as individual believers. Not just our corporate witness, but our particular individual witness is required. Like the apostles of that first century, ‘we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’ But someone may object, ‘How can you claim to be a witness when you were not present when Jesus walked the earth?’ It’s true that there is a difference between one who is an eyewitness, and one who is testifying on the basis of a personal spiritual experience. Yet that witness is no less true.

After the resurrection of Christ, when he appeared again to the disciples and the doubting Thomas was present, he said to Thomas, ‘Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!’ That theme is taken up later by the apostle Peter who wrote, ‘Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.’

The Spirit, said Jesus, goes where it wills. We can’t ever see it, but we see its effects, much like we see how the wind disturbs the leaves of trees, though we cannot see the wind itself. We, you and I, are witnesses to the Light because we have ourselves been brought out of darkness into his marvelous light.