Witness

John 1:6-7 (ESV) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

If a crime is committed and a suspect identified, he will not be (or at least should not be) condemned without a fair trial. That will usually involve a judge, likely a jury and a prosecuting attorney, and unless the suspect serves as his own counsel, a defense attorney. Yet, no decision can be rendered without evidence. Physical evidence may be presented, but the most common kind of evidence presented in courts throughout history is testimony, usually of eyewitnesses – those who saw the crime personally or have some personal knowledge of what had happened. The guilty are convicted and the innocent set free (it is hoped) on the basis of these witnesses. This is the way the Greek legal system worked centuries before Jesus’ incarnation, and it is the original core meaning and use of the Greek word, martyr.

In his Gospel, John the Apostle uses this word of another John – John the Baptist. It describes his mission in verse seven: “He came as a witness…” His whole purpose in life was to take the stand in the world’s courtroom about what he knew and had seen concerning the Light of the World (Jesus Christ). Seven times in this one chapter, the noun or verb form of witness is used about John the Baptist’s role. Two other times he uses the similar legal term confess (vs 20) – not the confession of guilt, but a swearing of certainty and truth.

John the Baptist was not expected to talk about what he had not experienced or seen. He did not come as a philosopher. He spoke as an honest witness, and that was enough. People came to hear him. People changed their lives because of what he said and were willing to be baptized as a public “confession” of their commitment to change. The first century Jewish world was ready for Jesus’ arrival because one man had the courage to talk about what he had experienced.

Even today, advertisers love to use “testimonials” because one person’s bearing witness to their personal experience is usually more persuasive than reams of scientific data. Your story of what you have experienced is powerful. Don’t be afraid to talk about it.