Lessons from the Upper Room: Bearing Witness
Reflections on Session 1
John 15: 26-27
26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
In lesson 1, I've been pondering the teachings from the upper room discourse: Abiding, love, and today's final lesson, bearing witness.
I've learned that everything in the Christian life begins with abiding (John 15:4-10). This allows us to love (John 15:12-14). Through this abiding and love for one another in the Christian community—now empowered by the Holy Spirit—we bear witness to each other and the world that Christ is our Lord.
The Helper is with us always. There's never a place or time He isn't with us. He's in the room, ready to reveal truth to us.
This threefold lesson—Abide, Love, Bear Witness—sums up the entire Christian life.
Abide in the God who is love. Share that love with those around you. That love will then bear witness to the truth of the gospel.
Why do I so often overcomplicate it?
Reflecting on my own conversion story, I realized it was because of a Christian living this "upper room" way of life that I came to see the Gospel and Jesus as beautiful. They practiced abiding with Christ, showed love to their brothers and sisters in Christ through generous hospitality, and their life bore witness to the beauty of Jesus' way.
I pray to be like this.
I pray your life to be like this.
May it be so. (Amen)
Grace & Peace,
Brother Michael
