John 15:26-27

WITNESS-BEARING

‘He shall testify of Me: And ye also shall bear witness.’

John 15:26

There seem to be three points noticeable in this passage.

I. The Comforter is coming.—Who is He? A Divine person proceeding from the Father, Who is the fountain of the Godhead: ‘procession’ referring both to being and to office. What are His titles? ‘Comforter’ and ‘Spirit of Truth.’ What does He do? He testifies of Christ. Who sends Him? The ascended Saviour. He is the Saviour’s great gift to man.

II. His testifying turns the disciples into witnesses.—The Spirit witnesses for Christ in and by the disciples. This is a point of some practical importance in its application to ourselves. It is well to be in possession of the truth; it is better that the truth should possess us, so that we shall not be able to refrain from speaking what we have seen and heard. Ay, but there’s the difficulty! ‘What we have seen and heard.’ The Apostles could easily use such language. Can we? Yes! and we must do so if we are to be witnesses for Christ. We must have an evidence of reality equivalent to that enjoyed by the first disciples. And Who is it that makes Christ real to us? makes Him an abiding presence? transforming the objects of faith from abstractions into living entities? in fact, strengthens us to live the life we live in the flesh as a life of faith in the Son of God? The Holy Ghost. He, and He alone. The world says to the Christian (and the demand is not altogether an unreasonable one), ‘Be Christ to us. So live that we may see in you what your Master is.’ It is the Holy Ghost Who enables us to comply with the demand.

III. This witness-bearing is not a smooth task.—The early Christians had to hold themselves ready for excommunication, for loss of goods, even for loss of life. The Lord gives them notice of this beforehand. With ourselves the circumstances are not so trying. Yet the faithful witness-bearer will have something to encounter, something to suffer for Christ in proportion to his faithfulness; and he must be prepared for it. It is nothing surprising. The world does such things because it knows not the Father nor Christ.

Illustration

‘Through all the centuries the most convincing witness to the truth of Christ has been in the lives of individual saints, and in their effect upon human society. Perhaps the greatest revival which the Church has ever known, the Franciscan movement in the thirteenth century, was brought about purely by the witness of the simple Gospel life led by Francis of Assisi and his brothers and sisters. Bishop Creighton was of opinion that St. Francis by his life (far more than by his words) had worked a greater revolution in Europe than had ever been brought about by war or diplomacy. “All that was best in humanity awoke to follow in his footsteps,” is the comment of his latest biographer.’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

WITNESSING FOR CHRIST

If our life is built upon Jesus Christ as our ‘Head corner-stone,’ then we cannot help witnessing for Him.

I. Jesus is here, and we know what He thinks, and what He does, and what He would have us do.—He would have those who are building upon Him bear witness that He is their ‘Head corner-stone,’ the foundation of all their hopes for life and for eternity. What was it that distinguished all the great characters of Christian history—St. Simon, St. Jude, and all apostles and prophets? It was their determination in their day and generation to witness for Jesus Christ. It was their business to do so, and they had no other business.

II. What are we to testify of Jesus?—That He is the Son of God. Nothing short of that. Then why do you not do it? Is it too high an ambition? Do you say, It is impossible for me? It is not impossible for you. But, you say, I am not a man of speech; I have no words. God does not want only men of words! We have too many men of words. God wants men of deeds, of thought, of intellect, of heart. Whatever gift of grace you may possess it is not too humble to dedicate to the service of God. Have you ever tried doing it? We so often spend our time in vain regrets at the impossible. We say if we only had so-and-so, then we should be able to serve Christ. If we only had this or that, or could go here or there, then, indeed, we would serve Him. But if you cannot serve Christ where you are, you will not serve Him anywhere else. Jesus calls us to bear witness to Him just where we are.

III. God’s witnesses are most varied.—God wants witnesses of all ages and of all gifts. You may be tempted to say, I am not worthy to be one of God’s witnesses; but if we waited till we were worthy, I am afraid that God would not have many witnesses. God will make you worthy; He will perfect you—aye, even by your own witnessing, for he is no witness who is not a witness to himself. He who tries to lead men must lead himself. Then some of us say, This ministry is too exacting, too trying. Others will say, I am afraid to put my hand to the plough, lest I turn back. Well, God does not want half-hearted witnesses. He wants men and women who are able to make up their minds. What would life be if before you entered its responsibilities you were always hesitating in a state of fear that you would change your mind and turn back. In the great responsibilities of life men and women have to make up their minds, and they have to try to be faithful when their minds are made up. God wants men and women who have made up their minds—who have said: ‘I will serve God by the gifts which God has given men—gifts of speech, gifts of action, gifts of love, gifts of kindness—whatever my gift may be. By it I am become a minister of God, and God by my own ministry shall perfect me.’

—Rev. J. Stephen Barrass.

Illustration

‘Many may say—many here are saying now—“I have so little power; so little time; so few and fleeting opportunities—that the little I can bring would make no difference to the final result.” But, my friends, in such questions as these there is no consideration of great and little. What God requires of us is simply what we have to offer—what we are. He requires no more, but He requires no less. And we are very poor judges in spiritual things of what is great and what is little. Our joy is to remember that God has tempered the whole body together, and it may be that its efficiency, its life, depends upon the right action of some part which we can hardly discern. We know by our own experience that vigour and strength come in living things, from the harmonious combination of many small forces. So too it is in that greatest of all living bodies—the Church—which is the Body of Christ.’