Share Jesus (Day 5 Devotions)

Gold Rush VBS Day 5: Share Jesus

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8

Imagine being part of the crowd chanting for the death of the one standing before the governor. You weren’t sure what he had done wrong, but the religious leaders were calling for his death, so he must have been deserving of it. You followed the crowd as they surged toward the place of the skull, where the crucifixions took place, taunting the man all the way.

Imagine watching as the man was lifted up and drew his last breath. If he were who he claimed to be, surely he could have saved himself.

Imagine, months later, carrying your friend, lame from birth, to the temple gates as you had hundreds of times before and entering into the temple to pray.  Imagine your disbelief as, moments later, the man you knew was unable to walk, ran into the place of prayer.

What happened to him? Who were these men he was following around? Wait—was that the fisherman who was a student of the man they crucified several months ago? One of the ones who had deserted the Teacher at his arrest? Hadn’t the Teacher’s followers gone into hiding after his death?

Imagine your shock as the fisherman boldly accused you of murdering the . . . Prince of Life? Who had raised from the dead? And been seen by the fisherman? That man was alive and, in his name, your friend was healed?

Imagine the hope as the fishermen called the entire crowd to repent of their sins and receive the sacrifice the Prince of Life had made on behalf of sinners. Surely, the one who had given the fisherman the power to preach, who had healed your friend, who had raised himself from the dead—surely, he was the one about whom the prophets had preached and for whom you had waited. The Redeemer had come? The Redeemer had come!

As you study the texts telling what happened after Jesus rose from the dead, marvel at the transformation that took place in the lives of those who believed in the Son of God. The amazing power of God to transform sinners into the image of the invisible Christ is evident throughout the rest of the New Testament, and should be evident in our lives as children of God.

As you share with the students today, emphasize that it is God who saves us and calls us to be His witnesses. We have a precious treasure—the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus—that we must share with those around us.

May we pray as the Puritans did:

Father of Jesus,

May my words and works allure others to the highest

walks of faith and love!

May worldlings be won to delight in acquaintance

with thee!

May the timid and irresolute be warned of coming

doom by my zeal for Jesus!

Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace; to show others

the joy of thy service,

Help me to walk as Jesus walked, my only Savior

and perfect model, his mind my inward guest, his

meekness my covering garb.

—Arthur Bennet, The Valley of Vision (The Banner of Truth Trust: 2005), p. 136.