Week of 3/10-3/16: His Life - The Coming of the Messiah King

Day Two: John 1:6-9 There was a man named John who was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

I RECENTLY WAS WALKING out to my car at a local shopping center. I saw a guy pull into a spot near me and empty a can onto the cement.It looked like he was pouring the last little bit of his beer into the parking lot.This shocked me, and, for a moment, I thought maybe I was just seeing things.As the man got out of his car, he headed right to the Liquor store! As I passed by his vehicle I noticed that it reeked of alcohol.I saw the can he poured out and my suspicions were confirmed: it was a beer.That means this man had been drinking and driving.And worse than that, he was going into the store to buy more to drink!

Upon making this discovery, I realized I needed to tell someone in order to protect this person and those in his path.I called 911 and the operator asked, “What is your emergency?” I explained to her that while it wasn’t an immediate emergency, I needed to report something important.I then proceeded to describe what I had seen, including a description of the man, his car, and his actions.

I described to this operator something I witnessed, something I experienced.It wasn’t weird or awkward.I simply told her what I had seen.I wasn’t concerned or even thinking about if she would believe me or not.I simply explained what I had seen.I was a witness to these events.

In a similar manner, we as believers are called to be witnesses of the Messiah as well.Think about our parking lot story for a moment.I had no problem describing the circumstances to the operator at all.I knew that I needed to do that for the sake of both that individual and those he might affect by continuing to drink and drive.

Why, then, do we often struggle to bear witness of the Messiah? If we are confident in the truthfulness of the gospel, and we know that those around us are in need of the gospel, then what holds us back? Why is it easier for us to report a crime than share the love of Christ with a lost soul? These are some things we need to wrestle with as we develop our understanding of who Christ is and what it means to be His witness.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷What does it mean to be a witness of Christ?

▷▷Why do so many believers struggle to bear witness to Christ on a regular basis?

▷▷What are some ways to encourage yourself and others to bear witness to Christ on a more regular basis?