ACTS 9:1-19
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Acts 9:1-19 SEEING CLEARLY
Springford Baptist Church: June 4, 2023.
What makes the difference for Saul and turns his life around?
What causes him to change completely in his outlook and in look?
It is his encounter with Jesus. This is Saul’s personal transformation.
Saul experiences God and God’s call on his life in a way that is impossible to overlook.
Significant change is noticeable, isn’t it?
Saul undergoes dramatic change!
He goes from relentless determination to stop the spread of the gospel message and to silence followers of Christ to being a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ himself.
People would have been astounded by this!
They had come to know Saul as someone strongly opposed to the WAY. There is obvious recognition that his whole focus, his obsession was with maintaining the Jewish religious tradition as it had been represented.
There is a danger if anyone becomes so closed to God’s revelation that a person could completely miss the truth.
This is what had happened in Saul’s life.
He had opportunity to hear the truth, but stubbornly refused. There was only one way that Saul was willing to see things and that was his way.
Only a Damascus Road experience was going to get Saul’s attention and turn his life around.
Only this encounter with the Living Lord Jesus was going to be the event that allowed Saul to recognize the Truth. Only meeting with Jesus, convinced Saul that he needed to change to walk the road with Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
What in your life has God used as a significant event that has changed the way you see things?
-could be an unexpected opportunity
-could be something you have read or an inspirational speaker you have heard
-could be illness
-could be the death of someone close to you
We recognized last week that the man who had been unable to walk all his life (Acts 3:1-10) encountered God as a result of his physical weakness and deep need. There can be times of desolation when we feel far from God, that actually highlight our awareness of how much we want to be close with God.
Saul thought that he was acting on God’s behalf.
He thought that he was getting rid of a bunch of heretics that he believed were polluting the truth, but his determination to throw Christians in prison was leading him away from the truth and away from a close experience of God.
Jesus decides to intervene in Saul’s life in a remarkable way.
We do not have another conversion experience quite like this recorded in Scripture.
When the bright light from heaven shines in Saul’s eyes and the voice of Jesus speaks to him, his life as he had been living it, is brought to an abrupt halt.
Jesus intervenes to change Saul’s life, but he also intervenes to change life for the Christians that Saul was persecuting.
Notice that Jesus takes the persecution of His followers very personally.
When Jesus speaks to Saul on the road to Damascus, he doesn’t say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting my disciples, those who trust me”?
Jesus says, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute Me”? (Acts 9:4)
This reminds me that Jesus identifies with His followers. That is us. Whatever happens to us, whatever touches our lives affects Jesus because He loves us so much.
We can understand this to some extent because we know how we are affected by the things that happen to those we love deeply: our children, grandchildren or others.
We feel their distress and disappointment or pain.
Jesus took action because he had a different plan for Saul and Jesus had a different plan for his followers than to be persecuted and silenced by a misguided tyrant.
vs. 8…When Saul encountered Jesus, he fell to the ground. He discovers when he tries to open his eyes and to stand that he can see nothing.
He is at the mercy of those travelling with him to lead him into Damascus (their original destination) by the hand.
We are told that for 3 days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. (Acts 9:9)
Now Saul is willing to consider things differently. He is willing to change. The process that leads to his willingness to change is humbling.
vs.11 Finally, Saul is willing to see the truth. He is praying-exactly the right response when any of us wants God to give us direction and to reveal truth to us.
While Saul is praying there in Damascus, he cannot see with his eyes, but he can see what God shows him.
He has a vision of a man named Ananias coming to place his hands on Saul so that he can see.
This is what Jesus intends to happen, but initially Ananias refuses. Even those who are faithfully following Jesus like Ananias, or perhaps us, may have attitudes that need to change.
Our awareness of the need to change comes as it did for Saul through encounter with Jesus, experiencing God’s compelling Presence.
Scripture here describes for us the way that the Lord spoke to Ananias and convinced him to go to see Saul.
The reputation Saul held is again emphasized by the reaction of Ananias to the Lord’s instruction:
“Lord I have heard many reports about this man and the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority to arrest all who call on your name.”
(Acts 9:13,14)
This was an understandable and reasonable response on the part of Ananias, but Jesus has a change in mind for Saul! Things are not going to remain the same.
vs. 15 “This man is my chosen instrument…”
When God changes someone’s life, it is with purpose. More than just that single individual’s life changes. Other lives are impacted as well.
This was certainly the case with Saul’s conversion. Saul, who is subsequently known as Paul, is given a new reason for living.
Testimonies been given and songs have been written about changed lives.
Just as Saul had a widespread reputation for persecuting Christians, now he will have a widespread reputation for preaching and living the gospel, the Good News of Jesus.
When Ananias goes to visit Saul, he calls him “Brother Saul”. He recognizes him as part of the family, as a brother in the Lord.
Saul’s sight is restored and he is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Now Saul can see clearly. He has both physical and spiritual sight. These are both gifts from God.
How does God continue to call us to have our eyes opened to recognize Him for who He is and to be changed by our experience of Him?
Saul’s stubborn determination that He was carrying our God’s will when he was persecuting Christians is a challenge to each of us. Are there convictions we hold that are centered in our way of thinking, rather than God’s way?
Only as we are willing to become more like Jesus can we see clearly. When we do see clearly, there are attitudes and outlooks in our lives that Jesus can change. Are we willing to have our eyes opened and to see clearly? When we do see clearly, are we willing to be transformed by Jesus?