CALLED TO WITNESS TO THE WORLD

SCRIPTURE READINSACT 1:1-11EPHESIANS 1:15-23LUKE 24:44-53 CALLED TO WITNESS TO THE WORLD Ascension Day Reflection Ascension Day is a sacred moment for Christians to commemorate the day Jesus physically ascended to Heaven, marking the bridge between His earthly ministry and His promised return. This day offers us the profound hope that Jesus will return to judge…

Jean-Paul Agidi

May 13, 2026

3–4 minutes

bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus

SCRIPTURE READINS
ACT 1:1-11
EPHESIANS 1:15-23
LUKE 24:44-53

CALLED TO WITNESS TO THE WORLD

Ascension Day Reflection

Ascension Day is a sacred moment for Christians to commemorate the day Jesus physically ascended to Heaven, marking the bridge between His earthly ministry and His promised return. This day offers us the profound hope that Jesus will return to judge the world and gather His faithful believers into eternal life.

The theme for this year’s Ascension Day is CALLED TO WITNESS TO THE WORLD. To be “called” is to receive a divine invitation; to “witness” is to share our personal experience of faith in Jesus Christ with the world. This call is fueled by the Holy Spirit, providing us with the supernatural authority to accomplish God’s mission on earth.

We shall discuss three pivotal points to help us understand our calling to witness:

Jesus as the Center of our Witness
The Necessity of a Personal Relationship
Prayer as the Sustainer of our Witness

1. Jesus: The Subject and Center of our Witness

Beloved, Jesus is the pivot around which all Christian witnessing turns. In Luke 24:46-48, Jesus explains:

“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… You are witnesses of these things.”

We are called to witness to the world about the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Anything else is a distraction. In an era where self-elevation and “fake” witnessing for personal gain are prevalent, we must remember that true witnessing requires us to decrease so that Christ may increase. We are not called to market ourselves, but to stand firm until the Gospel has reached every corner of the world as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:14).

2. The Relationship: Knowing Him Before Sharing Him

Without a personal relationship with Christ, we cannot be effective witnesses. Before His ascension, Jesus told the disciples:

“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.” (Acts 1:8)

It is simple logic: you cannot be an authorized witness for someone you do not know. The Holy Spirit empowers those who have experienced Jesus personally. Being a registered church member or born into a Christian family is not the same as a personal encounter. Jesus warned that many will claim to have done works in His name, yet He will say, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). We must ask ourselves: Are we mere attendees, or are we followers who truly know the One we are called to talk about?

3. The Fuel: Prayer Sustains Our Call

Witnessing to the world is a spiritual battle that requires spiritual fuel. Prayer is what keeps our witness sharp and our spirits empowered. In Ephesians 1:15-20, Paul prays for the Church of Ephesus to receive the “Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.”

We must not underestimate the power of prayer in sustaining our courage. As we are called to witness, we must also develop the habit of praying for missionaries and evangelists who travel to the ends of the earth. Prayer ensures that our light does not grow dim in a world that often rejects the message of the Cross.