Witnessing to the Risen Christ

Peter and John healed a lame man and faced persecution for it. Their witness to the risen Christ came through courage, defiance of earthly authority, and continued liberation work.

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”

Acts 3: 15-16

“Rulers and elders of the people, If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

Acts 4: 9-10

What is it to be a witness? A witness is one who can give a testimony or evidence or proof of an event. As Christians we cannot escape the responsibility to provide evidence to the resurrection of Jesus and the fact that Jesus is alive and active in the world. How can we do that? How did the early Christians witness to the resurrection of Christ?

One instance of witnessing, closer to the resurrection of Christ, is found in Acts Chapters 3 and 4. Peter and John met a man who was lame from birth. They made him stand up, walk and enjoy all the privileges of a healthy person, particularly the privilege of worshiping God in the temple. It was an act resembling what Jesus had been doing in the world, an act of liberation, of making people whole, of establishing God’s rule. People who were astonished at this act came running to Peter and John. Peter explained to them what had happened. He said to them:

“Fellow Israelites,… Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”

Peter made it unambiguously clear that this lame man now walked not because of their power, but by the power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. That power is still available to make the lame walk, to make the blind see, to feed the hungry, to cleanse the leper and to give light to those who sit in darkness. By this act of healing, Peter and John testified to the power of the resurrection and the active presence of Christ in the world. We as followers of Christ can bear witness to the risen and living Christ only by continuing the healing, liberating, exorcizing and making ‘whole’ work of Christ in the world. The power of the resurrection was available to them; the same power is available to us today. But, are we prepared to commit our lives to be controlled by the resurrection order of existence? It is possible only when we remain connected to the life of the crucified and risen Jesus.

If the disciples continued the activity Jesus began, then they also would face the same persecution as Jesus did, from the same forces in the world. In this instance, Peter and John had to face the wrath of the same Sanhedrin that arrested Jesus; they were questioned by the rulers, the elders, the teachers of the law, Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family: members of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4: 5-6). They were asked to reveal the power by which they had made this lame man walk. “By what power or what name did you do this?” “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?” (Acts 4: 7) In Peter’s reply, we find a reiteration of the same witness:

“Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you; we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of His name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”

How can we witness to the risen Jesus today? We must be able to directly confront the death dealing forces in the world and proclaim courageously that they have no dominion over us. Second, we must be able to demonstrate to the world that we, by our cruciform existence, would make available the power of the risen Christ to heal and to save: to liberate the world from the evil one. Third, we will not submit to any authority other than that of Christ. Our obedience will only be to Christ, and the worldly rulers will have only a relative claim over us.

It is interesting to note the reactions of those who listened to Peter and John as found in Acts of the Apostles: “They couldn’t take their eyes off them; Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realised these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognised them as companions of Jesus” (Acts 4: 13-14) Will the world today recognise us as companions of Jesus Christ? Remember that it was their courage that made them become a witness to the risen Christ.

Then, they tried to silence them with threats. They commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But, these threats also did not work; they replied: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judge! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-22) Our ultimate allegiance and obedience is to God incarnated in the person of Christ. All other allegiances and obedience have only relative claims on us. That is what we want to tell to our bishops and all those who glibly talk of ecclesiastical obedience.

Jesus has risen; death cannot hold him back; his ministry of redemption continues. But can we be its witnesses? The church, by continuing its work of liberation in the face of death dealing forces, by its commitment to be active proponents of life, must show that death has failed to hold him back and that his work continues. Even when death is a reality, we authenticate our witness to the risen Christ through the courage to affirm life, to resist death-dealing forces, and to face martyrdom with joy. Last of all, even when the worldly rulers threaten us and demand our obedience, can we give our total allegiance and obedience to Christ and his kingdom? Jesus is Lord and we cannot under any circumstance acknowledge Caesar or any other worldly ruler as our Lord. It is in this unwavering commitment and obedience, in the context of the worldly rulers claiming our obedience, that we can bear authentic witness to the risen Christ.

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.”

Acts 4:33

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to loose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

— James Watt