Luke 24:48-49: Empowered Witnesses

When I say the word witness what comes to mind?  Maybe at first it is the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Or maybe you think of evangelism and witnessing.  Perhaps you think of the Great Commission and recognize the call to be witnesses to all nations.  I am sure that some of you even think of the legal aspect of being a witness, as bearing testimony to historical realities.  Some with a little Greek might even know that the Greek word for ‘witness’ is martureo from which we get our English word martyr.  Today as we continue looking at Jesus Great Commission in Luke’s gospel we want to note two aspects, firstly we want to go to the OT and look at the biblical background to this concept of what a witness is for.  We will see how this will give us focus as we go about being witnesses.  Secondly, we want to recognize that the Spirit has been given to empower our witness.  So our two points are God’s purposes for witnesses; and God’s empowering of witnesses

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