Acts 9:1-22
A great persecution started with the death of Stephen.
Saul was present at Stephen’s stoning, and was going house to house to arrest Christians.
He hates them so much that he wanted to travel 200 miles to another region to find Christians to arrest and bring to Jerusalem.
When he was close to Damascus, a bright light from Heaven shone down on him, and a voice called to him, asking why he was persecuting Jesus.
This was one of seven times that God calls someone by the name twice.
Saul immediately refers to Jesus as ‘Lord’, and asking Him what He wants Saul to do. Jesus tells Saul to go to Damascus and wait.
Jesus told Ananias to go to Saul to restore his sight. Ananias is alarmed, and explained to God all the terrible things that Saul has been doing to Christians. When God calls us, we don’t need to explain to God what’s going on – He already knows.
Ananias goes, and calls Saul ‘brother’, accepting Saul as part of the Christian family. He lays hands on Saul and Saul received his sight.
Saul is baptised, and immediately starts preaching Jesus at the synagogues in Damascus, to the amazement and confusion of the Jews.
There is so much irony in this passage.
– He went to Damascus to arrest those of the Way. Now he is part of the Way.
– He went into Christian houses to arrest Christians, now He is in their houses eating with them
– God had to blind him, so that he could see.
Romans 8:28 – God can do anything in your life, turning around impossible situations.
We are all qualified to witness for Jesus – we all have our own story of how God has worked in your life. That’s all we need, that’s how Saul started.
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