Acts 1:22 Meaning and Explanation

Beginning from the baptism of John—this is the official inauguration of Jesus' public ministry. The candidate must have been there, must have seen the Spirit descend, must have been baptized with Jesus or at least witnessed that moment. Unto that same day that he was taken up from us—forward through all the ministry, all the miracles, all the teaching, to the very moment of Ascension. The span is complete: from the beginning of his official work to its apparent end. But now comes the crucial part: must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. The apostle must not only have walked with Jesus in his earthly ministry but must also have seen him risen. This is the distinctive calling of an apostle: to know Jesus in his resurrection, to have encountered him as the risen Lord, to be able to say, 'He is alive.'

The Resurrection is the hinge on which everything turns. An apostle can teach Jesus' words, can recount his miracles, but the core witness is to the Resurrection. It is only because Jesus is risen that the apostolic community exists. We, too, stand on the foundation of the Resurrection. It is not enough to know about Jesus' past or his teachings; we must know him as risen and present. That is the essence of Christian witness.