March 9, 2004

THE FAITHFUL WITNESS

"Grace be to you and peace, from. . . Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth" (Revelation 1:5, NEB).

John the Beloved is noted for his titles that extol Jesus for His reliability and faithfulness. Repeatedly he depicts his Master as "the faithful witness" (Rev. 1:5); the One called "Faithful and True" (Rev. 19:11, NKJV); and "the Faithful and True Witness" (Rev. 3:14, NKJV). No other Bible writer has so much to say about Christ's trustworthiness.

Christ is the perfect embodiment of faithfulness. He is faithful to the truth, faithful to God, and faithful to all His promises. He can be fully depended upon because He is the very personification of truth. Christ is the faithful witness who furnishes unfailing evidence of the gospel. Everything He says is trustworthy (see Acts 4:20). That's why He is to be listened to and believed (see Luke 10:22; John 1:18).

The word, witness, occurs no less than seventy-two times in John's writings. It is derived from the Greek word, Martus, the root word for "martyr." Hence, a faithful witness is one who gives testimony to the truth at the expense of his or her own life. This fact was dramatically demonstrated on the cross. There, Christ bore testimony by His death to God's justice and love. Christ's death was an irrefutable witness of God's love. It was the reliability of this witness that unmasked the true nature of Satan and vindicated God's character forever.

Ellen G. White tells us the secret of discovering Christ as the faithful witness: "The word revealed by God... is to be the foundation of your faith. Study the commandments of God, and the testimony that Jesus has borne to the truth. He is the Faithful and True Witness."--Review and Herald, October 22, 1903.

My Prayer Today: Lord, as the faithful witness, You have given me unfailing assurance of salvation. Amen.