The first chapter of Acts chronicles the final days of
Jesus’ earthly ministry and adjustments made by his followers
immediately after his departure. Verse 3 says that Jesus “presented himself alive” during a 40-day period. Verse 8, a famous restatement of the church’s Great Commission, summarizes the mission of Christ’s followers: “You shall be my witnesses.” In the last section of the chapter, the Lord choses a replacement for Judas. From Luke’s description of that event, we learn that the resurrection is the central and indispensable element of the “witness” we bear regarding Jesus Christ.
