The Names of God - Faithful Witness

Faithful Witness

Revelation 1:4-6 (ESV)

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

If you have ever been in a courtroom or watched a court proceeding on television you are familiar with the process known as “swearing in” a witness. When someone is called to give testimony in a trial they must swear “to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” The reason is quite simple. A purpose of a trial is to determine exactly what happened and then have a judge or jury decide which party is right in the eyes of the law.

Look at what Jesus had to say about why He came to earth:

John 6:38-40 (ESV)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 12:46-49 (ESV)

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

John 14:8-11 (ESV)

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus came to show us the Father. He came to be a Faithful Witness of all He had seen in heaven. He came to reveal God’s plan of redemption that had begun in the Garden of Eden. He came to bear witness of the character and nature of the Father that had been terribly miscommunicated through the years by those who twisted the Truth for their own purposes. Jesus is The Truth!

The Disciples were given some instruction about how to act if taken to trial for their faith.

Mark 13:11 (ESV)

And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

By allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them in what to say, they would also be Faithful Witnesses of the New Covenant. This is one reason Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to abide in the Believers forever. The Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth.

If you are a Christian, you also are to speak only that which is true. In The Names of God – Volume 1 I explained the meaning of the commandment: “Do not take the name of the Lord God in vain.” This does not mean, “No cussin’” as some have proposed. If you look at the meaning of the Hebrew word for “vain” it simply means, “to speak wrongly.” God gave Moses the command to “not speak wrongly of the Lord God.” I believe this is why the Father chose to send His own Son, Jesus, to tell us the truth about God’s character and nature. Jesus is a Faithful Witness.

John 5:19 (ESV)

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

John 8:28 (ESV)

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

This is what God now asks of us. Only speak that which is true about our Father and the Covenant that He established with us through Jesus. This is the Good News that will save the world!