What role does eyewitness testimony play in strengthening our faith today? The claim of the beloved disciple John 21:24: “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. And we know that his testimony is true.” • John speaks as the living eyewitness—the same one who leaned on Jesus’ chest, stood at the cross, and inspected the empty tomb. • He records not rumor or legend but what he personally “saw and heard.” • His closing affirmation, “we know that his testimony is true,” reflects early believers vouching for the factual reliability of his record. Why eyewitness testimony matters • It anchors faith to verifiable history, not mere philosophy. • It satisfies the biblical requirement that “every matter must be established by two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). • It protects the gospel from distortion, giving us confidence that what we believe today is what Jesus actually said and did. • It displays God’s covenant faithfulness: He ensures His mighty acts are preserved by trustworthy human voices. Scripture’s chorus of witnesses • Luke 1:1-4 – Luke carefully investigates “just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down.” • Acts 2:32 – Peter: “God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.” • 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 – Paul lists Cephas, “the Twelve,” over 500 brothers, James, all the apostles, and himself as seeing the risen Christ. • 1 John 1:1-3 – “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes… this we proclaim to you.” • 2 Peter 1:16 – “We did not follow cleverly devised myths… but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” Each text reinforces the pattern—multiple independent voices testifying to one unchanging truth. Practical impact on our faith today • Certainty – We can read the Gospels with settled assurance that they record literal events, not later inventions. • Stability – When culture shifts, eyewitness evidence steadies us; the facts don’t move. • Assurance of salvation – A historically risen Christ guarantees that “your faith is not futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17). • Evangelistic confidence – Sharing Christ rests on public facts, inviting honest investigation. • Joyful worship – The same Jesus John touched is the One we adore, making our praise rooted in reality. Living as modern witnesses • Receive their testimony—devote yourself to Scripture, trusting the Spirit to make the written record vivid and alive. • Repeat their testimony—pass on the same facts with the same clarity: Christ lived, died, rose, and is coming again. • Reflect their integrity—live transparently so that your life backs up your words, just as John’s life authenticated his gospel. • Rely on the Spirit—He empowered first-century witnesses (Acts 1:8) and empowers us to speak boldly today. Because the beloved disciple wrote what he saw, we can believe what we read—and through believing, “have life in His name” (John 20:31). |
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