Acts - Chapter Threeናሙና

We are Witnesses

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.  Acts 3:15

As people rushed to observe the miracle, and were probably staring at Peter and John in bewilderment, Peter deflects the attention away from themselves. He clearly states that it has nothing to do with their power or godliness, but points to Christ. 

A few weeks prior to this event, Peter and John were together in another courtyard, and Peter was guilty of calling down curses to disassociate himself from Jesus Christ (Mat 22:74). However, at this juncture, Peter had no qualms to boldly state that he witnessed everything that took place when Jesus Christ was led to death, and later, be raised to life. While Peter was speaking, (Acts 3) he would have recognized some of the people who may have jeered and condemned Jesus to die. Unlike the previous encounter, Peter does not try to hide his identity but goes even further by pointing out to the people and saying, “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One …You Killed the author of life”. 

If we were to visualize a court scene, Peter, an eyewitness, testifies that the people were, indeed, guilty of crucifying an innocent person. He then goes on to state that he was a witness of Christ’s resurrection, too, and it was in His name that the lame man was healed, which was evident to the crowd. 

An eyewitness account does not need techniques and credentials. All that is required is honesty to relay the information of what was seen or heard. Here, Peter and John were the best ones to give a personal eyewitness account of Christ’s death, resurrection and his miraculous power which was visible to all.

John echoes the same thought in His epistle. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” 1 John 1:1. 

Our encounter and experience of Christ will naturally prompt us to speak and do things in His power. May we not draw attention to ourselves, or withdraw in shame, but having experienced Christ can we, like Peter, simply state, “We are witnesses”?