Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord and Savior sanctify you in the truth, for His word is truth. Amen

The Day of Pentecost (2009)

You Also Shall Bear Witness Rev. Toby Byrd

John 15:26-16:4 (ESV)

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. [27] And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

[16:1] "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. [2] They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. [3] And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. [4] But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Gospel Reading for today is taken from our Lord’s last conversation with His disciples before His great Passion. As our Lord was on His way to Gethsemane, and while Judas was driving a bargain to betray his Lord, Jesus used these last hours to tell His disciples what He wanted them to do after His ascension. Of all that our Lord told His disciples on that fateful eve, His most important instruction was reminding them to do their duty to bear witness of Him to others. Moreover, just like the disciples, although we have many important duties to perform in this life; there is one which we dare never forget: Our Obligation to Bear Witness of Jesus.

Although the text shows Jesus speaking to the twelve, His disciples; today those who are His disciples are called Christians. Now, if you ask ten people what it means to be a Christian you’ll probably get ten answers; it all depends on who you ask. However, if you ask Holy Scripture who is a Christian, Holy Scripture will tell you a Christian is a person who repents of his sins and believes that God, prompted by His grace and by the merit of His Son, Jesus Christ, has forgiven all their sins. Therefore, we who are pardoned sinners are obligated go and tell others about God’s love and the Savior’s sacrifice. We are obligated to confess our faith before men.

Being a disciple of Christ is not as easy calling. After having told the Jews that He was the bread of life and all who ate of His flesh and drank of His blood would inherit eternal life, many disbelieved and grumbled. Then, after many disciples turned their back on Jesus and walked away, because they couldn’t abide in His words, our Lord Jesus turned to the twelve, asking, “Do you want to go away as well?”(John 6:67 ESV) To which, St. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69 ESV).

Both St. Peter and St. John preached Jesus Christ the risen Savior to the people of Jerusalem. Because of their boldness and their testimony, the leaders of the temple; the rulers, elders, and scribes, the very men that had sent our Lord Jesus to the Cross, had Peter and John arrested and put in jail. Without question, neither Peter nor John had done anything contrary to the Word of God. In fact, what they were doing was in accord with God’s Word, but the anger of the men of the Sanhedrin, which was brought on by their hatred of Jesus and all who followed Him, could not be appeased. Thus, the next morning they brought the two disciples before them to question them.

St. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit who took charge of his mind and his mouth directing the actions of both, answered the council. The question of the council to St. Peter was who do you think you are? By which authority and in whose name are you doing healing and preaching. Then, solemnly, emphatically, and boldly St. Peter addressed these rulers of the people and elders. St. Peter makes a confession of his faith and his ministry. He does not overlook the sneering “you” of the question or the mockery of those doing the examination, when he states: “if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well” (Acts 4:9-10 ESV).

As a bold witness of the Gospel, Peter reproves the rulers of the Jews for making a crime of his act of kindness and of preaching repentance and reconciliation in the name of Jesus Christ. He stands before them, boldly, asserting, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12 ESV). This answer of Peter’s was a statement that required no proof; for the judges could not deny that the miracle had actually been performed because the healed man was standing before them. Moreover, as for refuting Peter’s claim as to the manner of the miracle, they could not offer any other power or name through which such a deed might have been done than which Peter confessed. In his first test, St. Peter fulfilled his obligation to bear witness of Jesus.

Long before the apostles, King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold approximately ninety feet high and nine feet wide and prominently erected it on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon for all to see (Daniel 3:1 ESV). Moreover, he commanded everyone, that when they heard the sound of the king’s musical instruments they were to fall down and worship the golden image. If they refused, they would immediately be thrown into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3:4-6 ESV). Thus, when the word went out to the people, they complied with the king’s command and fell down at the sound of the music, groveling and worshipping the idol set up by Nebuchadnezzar. The people obeyed, all that is except three who remained firm in their faith to the Lord, refusing to submit to the edicts of a despot, whose desire it was to deny the Creator and worship the creature: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego boldly stood erect at the blast of the horn.

When told of their defiance, King Nebuchadnezzar became furious and in an angry rage, he commanded that these three trouble-makers be brought before him. With contempt dripping from his lips, he told the three if you don’t do as I tell you, I’ll have you thrown into the fiery furnace. Moreover, he acidly asked, who then is the god who will deliver you out of my hands (Daniel 3:15)? However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego never flinched, they knew who their God was and who was their salvation. In response to the kings threats, the three responded, “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17 ESV). These three boldly witnessed to their faith and to the Lord, fulfilling their obligation to bear witness of their faith.

Holy Scripture testifies of many bold witnesses of faith: Daniel threatened with being thrown in the lion’s den refused to deny his faith, and instead turned to the Lord in prayer seeking strength and deliverance. John the Baptist came to bear witness of the Light; Jesus our Savior, preaching and praying that all men through him might believe. His sole purpose was to point to the, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV) St. Paul dedicated his life to the testimony of Jesus. In chains, before King Agrippa, he said, “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:19-23 ESV). When Governor Festus accused St. Paul of being out of his mind, he replied, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words” (Acts 26:25 ESV). Faced with incarceration and possibly death, St. Paul did not shrink from his obligation to bear witness of Jesus and neither should we.

How can we? In our text today, our Lord, Jesus tells us this is exactly what He expects, “And you also will bear witness.” We are to testify of our Lord in both word and deed. This is our sacred obligation. St. Peter reminds us, “in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17 (ESV). It is our Lord’s command that we bear witness of Him, but He never said it would be easy.

Millions have been brought to faith in Christ by the testimony of Christians. The first disciples went out from Calvary and preached Christ crucified and risen from the dead. They could not help but speak of the things they had heard and seen. Today, through the means of God’s grace; Holy Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Gospel of Christ, Christians around the world continue to bear witness of Christ. Moreover, it is through these means that the Holy Spirit works faith in the heart and holiness in the lives of men. This testimony brings comfort, peace, joy, and salvation to all who believe.

However, we are reminded that our testimony of Christ and its results arouses the fury of Satan. He sees his place threatened and, as such, he stirs his minions into action. He is clearly seen working behind the scenes when God’s people, God’s witnesses, are persecuted. If you are a courageous witness of Christ, you may experience what the word martyr has come to mean today: one who suffers tortures, even the loss of property and life, for confessing Christ and Him crucified; for standing firm in the Christian faith.

The three who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol were thrown into the fiery furnace and Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, yet our Lord came to their rescue, saving them from certain death in this life to carry on their ministry. However, John the Baptist was beheaded, St. Peter was crucified, and St. Paul died on the executioner’s block. Their ministries were fulfilled; their witness complete and they received God’s promise of eternal life for their witness of Christ. These persecutions should not surprise us because our Lord Jesus warned us: “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” (vv. 1-4). All of the Apostles, except John, met a violent death. Thus, fulfilling their Obligation to Bear Witness of Jesus, they willing became martyrs.

However, not only the Apostles, but the Church throughout the ages has suffered persecution. Faithful, witnessing, Christians have received the brunt of evil ever since the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When studying the early church fathers, we learn of St. Ignatius, a pupil of St. John the Apostle. He lived in the first century and was the bishop of Antioch. Christians in this city had been accused of being disloyal to the Roman emperor and of following a false religion. When St. Ignatius was brought before the emperor he was asked, who do you think you are, you wicked wretch, you who set yourself up to deny our commands and persuade others to do the same? St. Ignatius responded by affirming his faith in Jesus Christ, and then he was asked, do you mean that person who was crucified by Pontus Pilate? Then, after a few more questions, the emperor pronounced his sentence: “We command that Ignatius, who affirms that he carries about with him, Him that was crucified, be bound by soldiers and carried to the great (city) Rome, there to be devoured by the beasts, for the gratification of the people.” (The Nicene Fathers, I, 129f.)

Others, such as St. John, Polycarp the bishop of Smyrna, John Hus of Prague, Lutheran Christian martyrs of the Thirty Years War, and so many others have gone to their death in defense of their witness of Christ and their faith in His atoning sacrifice for their salvation. Today, it is much the same. Christians suffer martyrdom around the world. It is unarguable that in the past sixty years, more Christians have suffered and been martyred than during the persecution of the Early Church. However, we are emboldened by the words of our Lord Jesus Christ who makes it clear, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away” (v. 1).

We who live in this country are truly fortunate, for we live in a society that presently enjoys the freedom of religion. However, that is being threatened even as I speak. I recently read where a pastor and his wife in San Diego, California were forced to stop having Bible Study in their private home because they hadn’t applied for the proper permits declaring their home a place of worship. Satan never quits! Sadly, though, too many who call themselves Christians will not speak up for this pastor or against the government that has challenged their right to freely worship in their home. They fear the laughter of scoffers. They fear the raised eyebrows of the intelligentsia, as though academia is superior to the Word of God. They succumb to the prattle that all religions are good and lead to the same place, paralyzing their tongues and their witness of Christ and His Church. Indifference, unionism, and synergism are all tools that Satan uses when fire and sword fail.

What should encourage you to courageously confess your faith in Christ and in the Word of truth? Why should you— by your example and profession, by your influence and action, by your life as a neighbor, a churchgoer, and a supporter of Christ’s cause—be a missionary? For no other reason than God expects this of every Christian: “you also will bear witness.”

Christ has impressed on us our duty as His disciples and witness. He has warned us not to be offended and discouraged by Satan’s fury when we stand up for Jesus and for the truth of His teaching. He has promised us the Comforter, His Holy Spirit, who will be in us, supplying us with the power of conviction t speak His Word boldly and with success. May the Father who has given us life and being encourage us, may our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, impel us, and may His Holy Spirit strengthen us, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation in these last days to Bear Witness of Jesus and shine as true lights in the world, holding forth our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His word of forgiveness and eternal life for the salvation, comfort, hope, peace, sanctification, and glorification of immortal souls. Amen.

May the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.