Choosing The Right Witnesses
“THOSE WHO LOVE US AND ARE FAITHFUL TO US WILL BEAR WITNESS FOR US”
“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn…came Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary to see the sepulcher, and the angel answered and said unto the women,
fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He
is risen…come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples
that he is risen from the dead…and they went to tell his disciples.”
FEATURED SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 28:1, 5–7, 8
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: MATTHEW 28:1–10; JOHN 20: 10—21
No account ever written is as valuable to mankind as the resurrection of Christ. The events
of the resurrection are critical to our salvation and faith. But truly enlightening is to whom the
reality of Jesus’ resurrection was first shared. God chose the right witnesses to announce the
fulfillment of prophecy and the promise of Christ’s resurrection: the women whom Christ loved
and who would now hear, see, and bear witness to an empty tomb and the resurrected Lord for
all generations to come.
According to written Scripture accounts, Jesus made some eleven appearances over forty
days after His resurrection and before His ascension to heaven. He primarily appeared to the
women who loved Him, His disciples, including Peter and James, and a special multitude of
about five hundred. In the years to follow, these persons would provide the eyewitness account
to the physical, risen Lord.
The greatest story ever told is not left to priests, historians, media, and public officials to tell.
Jesus knew that if people were to hear and believe in His resurrection, He had to have the right
witnesses, witnesses who loved Him and believed in Him, who would cause the Passion story to
spread. These women had the least clout in the formal legal and religious society of their day.
Choosing the right witnesses often means choosing the most unlikely of persons to give testimony
to your life and leadership.
Our earthly lives, and certainly our stints as leaders, are limited. Our message, purpose, and
vision will certainly die with us unless we pass it along to a select few who can build upon it and
bear witness to the values and ideals we represent. As we wane in our leadership journeys, it is
important to find unlikely, but loyal loving brothers and sister, with whom we can share our
values and stories.
The witnesses we choose should love us, even as we love them. If God has led us into
positions of leadership, He will certainly provide loving witnesses and messengers to bear witness
to our work so that it will not have been in vain. Surround yourself with meek, loving, and
loyal friends and followers who will share your stories with others and bear witness to God’s
continuing love.
Our Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give thanks and praise for a risen Lord who loves us and
revealed Himself to us through witnesses and disciples of faith. Help us in our spiritual and leadership
journeys to so inspire others to build on our vision of service to You and others. Amen.