The fully audio version of the message can be found here: Whispers of Grace - Witness (Revelation)

We’ve come to the end of our summer series, Whispers of Grace: 15 New Testament Words of Life. Week by week, we’ve traced these “words of life” across the New Testament. Today we arrive at the last book of the Bible—Revelation—and with it, our final word: witness.

The Greek word behind “witness” is martis. If that sounds familiar, it should: it’s the root of our word “martyr.” In the New Testament, martyrs are witnesses. Nowhere is this clearer than in Revelation, a book that is, at its core, about bearing witness.

Why Revelation Feels So Strange

Let’s be honest: Revelation is a difficult book. It’s strange, misunderstood, and often misused. Why? Because it’s a particular type of literature: apocalyptic. It’s filled with symbols, metaphors, imagery, and visions that spiral and repeat rather than unfold in a neat, linear timeline.

Revelation is not about decoding current events, drawing end-times charts, or speculating about world powers. At its heart, Revelation is a letter written to seven churches facing persecution. Its purpose is not prediction but encouragement:

Stand firm as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ, no matter the cost.

The Cost of Witness

For John’s audience, following Jesus meant real loss. To reject Caesar as lord and worship Christ alone was to lose your trade, your livelihood, and possibly your life. To be a Christian in the Roman Empire was costly.

That’s why John’s vision matters so deeply. It’s a call to courage, to faithful witness in the face of suffering, to proclaim Jesus as Lord even when the world demands otherwise.

We may not face arenas, crucifixion, or exile like those first believers. But many of our brothers and sisters around the world still do—in places where following Christ can lead to imprisonment, persecution, or worse.

For us in the West, the cost is usually smaller—maybe being misunderstood, ridiculed, or dismissed as “that weird Jesus person.” Still, the question remains:

Is it worth it?

Jesus as the Faithful Witness

Revelation reminds us that Jesus himself is the faithful witness. His testimony was that God so loved the world He gave His only Son. His witness was unconditional love, grace, and mercy.

And what did the world do with that witness? It crucified Him.

There’s a scene in Good Omens where two angels stand watching the crucifixion. The demon asks, “What did he do that upset them so much?” The answer: “He said, ‘Love one another, and even love your enemies.’” The demon replies, “Yep. That’ll do it.”

That is what Jesus testified to—the radical, counter-cultural love of God. And as his followers, that is our witness too.

The Fruit of Witness

To witness is to embody the fruit of the Spirit:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-control

These aren’t just private virtues. They are our public testimony. They are countercultural in every age—challenging vengeance with love, greed with generosity, indulgence with self-control.

To live this way is to bear witness to Christ. And it will always cost something.

The Final Word

At the close of Revelation, Jesus testifies:

“Yes, I am coming soon.”
— Revelation 22:20

Until that day, we are called to be faithful witnesses—testifying with our lives to the love and grace of God.

So again, the question: Is it worth it?

Only you can answer that. But my prayer is that you’ll hear the Spirit’s whisper: Yes. It is worth it.

Because one day, when we stand before Christ, we long to hear the words:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

👉 Question for reflection: What does it cost you to be a witness for Jesus today? And is it worth it?