Click here for the Acts 9:20-25 PODCAST
20 Soon he went to the synagogues and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, “Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?” 22 Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24 but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25 Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket. ~ Acts 9:20-25
Today, we continue our study of Acts 9 where we learn of the dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus who was later named the Apostle Paul. Acts 9 opens with Saul of Tarsus breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. He traveled 150-miles from Jerusalem to Damascus to round up and imprison any believers in the Lord Jesus that he could possibly find. But, as he traveled on the road to Damascus the Lord Jesus intercepted him. After being made blind for three days and being able to see after, Saul emerged as a different man. It was on that road to Damascus that Saul became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul was blinded so that he could come to the place where he could truly see. After Saul lost his eyesight the Lord sent a man named Ananias to him and Saul was given his eyesight back. But, this time he saw everything differently.
In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 Soon he went to the synagogues and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, 'Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?'"
After spending some time with the believers in Damascus, Saul set out on the road seeking to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the unique things about becoming a believer in the Lord is that we often experience a sudden and dramatic break from our past. When this happened to me way back in 1981 my friends thought I had lost my mind. After his conversion, Saul preached the gospel everywhere he went. This man who was once convinced the Lord Jesus was not the Son of God was given a heck of a story so that he would be more believable. In fact, everyone who heard him was amazed at his change. When we come to the Lord, there will be changes in our lives but we must be careful to not base our acceptability before the Lord on the basis of any change He brings into our lives. No, it is only through the cross of the Lord Jesus are we made righteous in the eyes of God.
In v.22 of today's passage we read, "Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah."
The word translated "power" is used to describe the effects of what Saul preached. It became more and more evident that he had a newfound ability to speak with authority which blew the minds of his hearers. Since Saul was a Pharisee, he was fully versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. But, he had wrongly viewed those Scriptures through the wrong lens. It wasn't until his eyes were opened spiritually and he entered into a personal relationship with God through His Son that Saul could see that all of the Bible has one central figure, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saul spent hours “showing his hearers that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah.” This word translated "showing them" gives the sense of walking in one accord. Saul took the Scriptures and showed the people that it consistently spoke of the Lord Jesus. The idea behind this word brings with it the idea to compare and to examine as evidence, and to so prove it to be true. All of the Old Testament pictures given point us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether it was the sacrificial lambs of the Passover or if it the Tabernacle where the sacrifices were made, it all points us to the sinless One who came to remedy our sin problem.
Another one of these Old Testament pictures is found in Psalm 22:6 which reads, "But I am merely a worm, far less than human ..." This Psalm begins with, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" This of course was the fourth of seven sayings of the Lord Jesus while He hung on the cross. The Psalmist wrote, "But I am merely a worm." The crimson worm is a bit different than any other worm because it’s actually an insect with a shell and six legs. God created the crimson worm to live in the land of Israel, and have a life cycle that points us to one event: the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. When a mother crimson worm is ready to lay her eggs, she finds her way up a specific type of oak tree. She makes the long and difficult ascent up the side of the tree, knowing that she will not come back down again. She goes there to give life to her children by laying down her own life. Once she reaches her spot and secures herself against the wood, her shell turns into a hard, crimson shelter. It’s under this covering where her eggs are hatched. For three days, she provides protection for her children. She also provides life for three days as her babies feed on her body until she dies. Once she is dead, she produces a crimson dye that stains the tree and the children underneath her. It is at that moment that the babies become crimson worms for the rest of their lives.
In v.23-25 of today's passage we read, "23 Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24 but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25 Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket."
Life in Christ is one of hope and faith in what lies ahead. During this life we will encounter much pain and suffering. We do not have testimonies without tests. In order for our faith in the Lord Jesus to grow we must encounter challenges to our faith in Him. Our lives are in the Lord's hands and the time for our departure from this earth will happen when the Lord has determined it to be so. Paul’s letters repeatedly speak of suffering by those who are in Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:12 we read, "... all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Our willingness to endure persecution is in direct proportion to how sure we are of the gospel message.
