Disciples Become Witness Acts 11:19-26

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NASB).

When Jesus is on earth, He calls twelve of His disciples and appoints them to become apostles. For three and a half years these disciples follow Jesus. One of the disciples, John, son of Zebedee describes the relationship between Jesus and the disciple. They listen to His words. They travel with Him. They eat with Him. They touch Him. They observe Him as He does ministry every day. They come to know Jesus in a very tangible way. Their testimony about Jesus is what they know about Jesus from their experience with Him (1 John 1:1-4). Disciples of Jesus become witness for Jesus. This witness is not limited to the Twelve, the first disciples that Jesus appoints to be apostles. Our text, Acts 11:19-26 gives us an example of how the Great commission, though started with the first apostles, continues through others that become disciples of Jesus Christ.

The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of the Jews continue after His death and resurrection with the disciples of Jesus. The two primary groups are the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The primary conflict that Jesus has with the Pharisees is that Jesus is constantly breaking the Law. He works on the Sabbath. He associates with unclean sinners, even eating and drinking with them. He includes sinners like Matthew the tax collector to be one of His selected disciples. He even has cast demons out of women, and He allows them to be a part of His work (Matt. 27:55; Mk 15:40-41; Lk 8:1-3). The primary conflict with the Sadducees is centered on the resurrection from the dead, something that the Sadducees do not believe in. In the minds of these religious leaders Jesus is dead. They see Him crucified on a cross. Now, here come these disciples of Jesus continuing the work that Jesus begins with them. They say that Jesus is alive. They are His witnesses, and they are given the power of the Holy Spirit to testify to all people that Jesus is the Son of God.

In our scripture passage we have disciples of Jesus that are Jews escaping the persecution in Jerusalem. “And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1, NASB). It is important that we see that the apostles do not leave Jerusalem. However, there are other disciples that become witnesses for Jesus. “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4, NASB). Acts 8 tells us about the preaching and ministry of Philip. Saul, the persecutor in Acts 7 is converted in Acts 9. Peter is sent to the house of a Roman centurion, Cornelius. The Holy Spirit is given to these Gentiles evidenced by their speaking in tongues (Acts 10:44. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) is taking place. People of every nation in every place are receiving the gospel. Disciples of Jesus are becoming witnesses that Jesus is alive. He is now in heaven with the Father, but He is going to return for the saints that believe in Him.

When the apostles first begin preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ those that believe are called people of the Way (Acts 9:2; 22:14, 22). This term is used metaphorically as a course of conduct or a way of thinking. They preach that Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to eternal life. Thus, the disciples preach and teach the way of Jesus. The disciples of Jesus proclaim that the words that Jesus had said about Himself are true. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’” (Jn. 14:6, NASB).This claim of Jesus runs contrary to the views of the Gentiles. Gentiles worship many gods and all the gods are valid in one respect or another. However, in His ministry, Jesus proves to be superior to all the gods of the Romans and the Greeks.

Initially, those Jews that escaped the persecution in Jerusalem “made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19-21, NASB). The apostles, still in Jerusalem, send Barnabas to Antioch to confirm what they are hearing about the Gentiles turning to Christ is true. Barnabas finds that the grace of God is given to the Gentiles also. He finds Saul and brings him to Antioch. The disciples in Antioch are called Christians. The word Christian originally was used in a negative way about Gentiles that became adherents of the way of Jesus. Later, the believers accepted this term as a positive description of their belief in Jesus.

In this article I hope to have established that disciples of Jesus become witness for Jesus. Sometimes we witness for Jesus without realizing that we are doing so. Let me give you an example. One morning I am in the gym. I am talking with one of the younger men. He says to me that the younger men have observed me. They notice that I am older than most of the men and women that come to the gym. This is obvious. Then, he says something that surprises me. You speak to people preaching the gospel. Why does this surprise me? I don’t remember making any specific effort to preach the gospel to anyone in this setting. I think about what the young man had said to me. I realize that some of the people that I talk with have observed from my actions that I am a Christian. People talk about me. At some point in time I have told someone that I am a preacher, and maybe I have referenced a bible verse.

Disciples of Jesus become witnesses for Jesus when they speak to people. They preach Jesus not in the formal sense of preaching that we see in church. We proclaim Jesus in our words to other people that we engage in conversation. We witness to others that take notice of our attitudes and behavior. We do not have to preach in the formal sense. We witness for Jesus often by simply being Christian in the presence of others. You are a witness for Jesus if you live out the way of Jesus. People are observing you. You say things that catch their attention. If you believe in Jesus and continue in His words you are a disciple of His. Disciples become witnesses.