THINK TOGETHER.
What is a witness? Have you ever been a witness?
READ TOGETHER.
Acts 1:8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
On the day Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus. Now Jesus is telling his disciples that the Holy Spirit will come upon them too. The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the power to tell everyone about God’s kingdom and about how God’s eternal life would come through him. Jesus was a witness to the good news of God and his salvation.
What is a witness?
A witness is someone who sees or hears something and then tells others about it. Have you ever been a witness? Has your mom or dad ever asked you to tell them what happened, maybe when something got broken? Or maybe your teacher asked you to share what you saw on the playground when she didn’t see what happened. Sometimes witnesses appear in court, or they are interviewed on the TV news, telling everyone what happened.
Of course witnesses don’t have to only tell about bad things that happen. A witness can report good news too. That’s what a witness about Jesus does, tells the good news! When Jesus tells his disciples to be witnesses about him, he means that he wants them to tell the whole world (to the ends of the earth) about how Jesus loves everyone and died for everyone’s sins.
And the disciples aren’t just being told to tell the good news about Jesus, they are getting the good news about the Holy Spirit – you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
When we become witnesses about Jesus we are never alone; the Holy Spirit is always with us. He is always giving us his power, the power of love. The Holy Spirit gives us a love for others that makes us want to tell them about Jesus and his perfect love.
Who do you love and care about? Have they heard about Jesus?
Who do you know that hasn’t heard about Jesus? Do you love and care about them?
That love comes from the Holy Spirit and that love can give you the power to tell others about Jesus while you live like Jesus.
Because of the Holy Spirit we have love for others.
With the Holy Spirit we can tell others about Jesus.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
A witness has a testimony. Help your children to be able to share their own personal testimony with others. Can they articulate what Jesus means to them? Can they explain if and why they are a Christian? Let your kids ask you these questions and model being a witness by sharing your own personal testimony.
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, you gave me your love when you gave me the Holy Spirit. Help me to love others and to tell them about Jesus when I can. Amen.
TLICfamily 