IF the circle of love is surrounded by a circle of hate—a persecuting world that hates the disciples of Christ with a blind hatred—how will any testimony for Christ be maintained on the earth, when Christ Himself has gone?
The Christian circle is small, and those who compose it are weak. The Lord Himself likens it to a little flock in the midst of wolves. By what power then will the disciples stand against a Christ-hating world and bear witness for Christ? They can stand, and they will stand, in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, a divine Person who will come from the Father.
How well the Lord knew the terrible character of the world and its relentless hatred, for had not the storm of its enmity broken in its full fury upon Him? He knew well, too, the weakness of those who loved Him and had followed Him, for was not Peter going to deny Him, and all forsake Him? How well He knew that left to themselves, they would never be able to maintain any testimony for Him, when He had left them for the glory. Knowing the wickedness of the world and the weakness of the disciples He says, “I will send” unto you the Comforter “from the Father even the Spirit of truth,” and the Lord adds “He shall testify of Me.” However weak the disciples may be, however strong the world may be, “He shall testify of Me.” However much the disciples may fail, however much the world may persecute, “He shall testify of Me.” He will testify on earth of the glory of the Son in heaven. The world will crucify Him in the lowest place on earth, heaven will crown Him in the highest place in glory, and the Holy Spirit would come to bear witness of His glory. The Son had come from the Father to bear witness of the Father: the Holy Spirit was coming from the Father to bear witness to the Son.
In view of the coming of the Spirit the Lord can add, “Ye also shall bear witness,” and gives as a further reason, “Because ye have been with Me from the beginning.” It is true we have not been with Jesus in the same literal sense in which the disciples had companied with Him from the beginning of His ministry, nevertheless, it remains true in a moral sense, that, if we are to bear witness for Christ before men, we too must be with Christ in secret. When the Holy Spirit had come, Peter and John bore such a striking witness to Christ before the persecuting religious world, that their persecutors “took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:1313Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)).
Thus the Lord brings us two great facts, one that the Holy Spirit bears testimony to Christ in the glory; the other, that the disciples bear witness before men. Are not these two facts strikingly illustrated in the history of Stephen. Surrounded by a Christ-rejecting religious world, maddened by hatred, gnashing upon him with their teeth, and persecuting him with their stones, he stands firm in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, and, looking up into heaven, sees the glory of God and Jesus; then he bears witness before the world, “Behold,” he says, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.” The Holy Spirit bears testimony in Stephen’s spirit to Christ in the glory, and Stephen bears witness before the world.
Stephen was the first of a long line of martyrs, but in spite of all that the world has done. or will yet do, we may with all confidence say there has been, and will be, a witness for Christ while the Christian company is on earth, for the one great reason that the Holy Spirit is present on earth and abides in and with God’s people in all His mighty and irresistible power.
The Witness.
Would’st thou a witness for thy Saviour be,
In word and life, to men on every hand,
While passing through a dark and dreary land;
Then hear the Master’s word, ‘Abide in Me,
And ever let My words abide in thee.’
Thus walking in the sunshine of His face,
Show forth the beauty of His lowly grace;
That others, in the daily round may see,
In one who treads in peace the pilgrim way,
Some heavenly fruit brought forth from day to day:
That from the fullness of thy life may flow
Love, kindness, humbleness of mind,
That thou, in passing through this world may show
The loveliness of Christ before mankind.