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ACT 1:1-11

EPHESIANS 1:15-23

LUKE 24:44-53

ASCENSION DAY REFLECTION

Ascension Day is a day set aside by Christians to commemorate the day Jesus physically ascended to Heaven to return the second time. The Ascension Day gives hope to Christians that Jesus will return to judge the world and save His faithful believers by granting them eternal life in Heaven. The theme for this year’s Ascension Day is Empowered to Witness. To witness means to share one’s experience or faith in Jesus Christ with the world, especially with non-believers, to introduce them to the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ. Empowerment is the supernatural ability or authority given through the Holy Spirit to a believer to accomplish God’s mission on earth. We shall proceed to discuss the following points to help us understand the theme, Empowered to Witness.

1. Jesus is the subject matter or centre of Christian witnessing
2. Without a personal relationship and faith in Jesus Christ, a person cannot be empowered to witness.
3. Prayer sustains and keeps a believer empowered to witness.

Firstly, beloved in the Lord, Jesus is the subject matter, centre, or pivot of Christian witnessing. “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:46-48). In other words, we have been empowered to witness or preach the Good News of Jesus Christ our Saviour, anything different from this witnessing is false and cannot be said to be done under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We have several false or fake people purporting to witness in the name of Jesus in our generation but are misleading people and doing so for their personal gains. Witnessing is not about self-elevation above the name of Jesus. In witnessing Christ, we decrease so that Christ may increase and be glorified. Jesus reminds us to be watchful when He said that “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:10-14). Believers must not rest nor be complacent but continue to preach the Good News until every corner of the world has heard about Jesus. It is for this reason, Jesus assured the disciples of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit so that they will be able to carry out this glorious and soul-saving divine assignment.

Secondly, without a personal relationship with Christ, a person cannot be empowered to witness. The disciples had a relationship with Jesus. Therefore, Jesus empowered them with Holy Spirit to withness. He said to them before ascending into heaven that “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:48-49). Jesus promises the empowerment of the Holy Spirit only to those who believe in Him and have had a personal relationship with Him and are willing to witness to the world about Him. Jesus reassured His disciples and believers that “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:7-9). Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit can not empower us to be witnesses or preachers of Jesus Christ. It is a simple logic, you cannot have authorisation to market a product you have not used personally or know its importance. The Holy Spirit empowers only those who have experienced Jesus personally and have come to believe in Him as Lord and Saviour. It is important to note that being born into a Christian family or being a registered member of a particular church does not guarantee that you have personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is, therefore, possible to be associated with Christians, yet you may not have a personal relationship with Christ. This is the reason why Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) Again, Jesus reminds us that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23). My dear friend, Are you a mere church-goer or a church attendee, or you are a Christian who has a personal relationship with Jesus and is empowered to witness?

Thirdly, prayer sustains and keeps us empowered to witness. It is for this reason Paul took time to pray for the Church of Ephesus to continue to be productive witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. “… I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ…” (Ephesians 1:15-20). Dear friend, let us not underestimate the power of prayer in sustaining and keeping us empowered to witness and live for Christ. We must also develop the habit of praying for other Christians and especially missionaries and evangelists, even as they remain empowered to travel to every corner of the world to witness Christ to the world.

In summary, as we commemorate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been reminded that we have been empowered to witness Jesus or share the Good News of our Salvation in Christ with others who are still perishing and dying in the world. To be empowered to witness, Jesus must be the subject matter of every Christian witnessing, evangelistic outreach or preaching, we must have a personal relationship with Jesus and last but not least, give prayer an important place in our lives since it sustains and keeps us empowered witnesses of Christ in our chaotic and lost world. May the Holy Spirit continually keep us empowered to witness Christ even as we wait for His second coming and our glorious departure with Him into the Holy and eternal City of peace and joy. Amen.