Acts 9 - Increasing Miracles with the Right Focus

The ninth chapter of Acts has a central focus on increasing miracles as the disciples kept their focus on the Lord, despite misgivings about the instructions. The events continue from the previous chapter where the first disciple, Stephen, is killed by Saul, who begins rounding up others who were following Jesus. The disciples scattered, and the Holy Spirit moved in great measure, increasing the number of Christians everywhere they went. Now, in Acts 9, Saul intensifies his efforts. He petitions the leaders of Jerusalem for permission to seek out the disciples of Jesus where they have fled to other cities.

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from Heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are you, Lord?”

And He said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:3-9 ESV)

Saul is seeking the disciples of Jesus to imprison and kill them, yet, when the Lord addresses Saul, He says, “Why are you persecuting ME,” not “them.” We are the Body of Christ. When someone attacks us, they are attacking Jesus.

Saul is zealous for God, eager to do what He thinks God wants. He was just blind to the truth of what God was doing because he was raised in a corrupt religious system. Jesus is Truth. In His great mercy, Jesus removed Saul’s ability to see the world that had misguided his righteous zealousness for God. Encountering He who is Truth, caused him to be blind to the world.

This is what each of us needs to do to do righteous works for God. All our lives the world tells us what is good, what is right. Many churches have begun listening to the world, just as Israel had, and they are telling us what is right, but it is according to the world. So many Christians are going through life like Saul: very passionate for God, but heading in the wrong direction.

We need to shift our focus from the world to Jesus and be willing to do whatever He requires of us. This means turning our focus from the world's way of doing things and what the world says is right. We need to focus on our new Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 ESV)

Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21 ESV)

Jesus paid the debt for our sins that we could not pay. By doing this He becomes our Lord. The word “lord” means owner, master. Being owned by Jesus is great because we get to be with Him where He is when we die: we get to go to Heaven, not by our merits, but because He did what was necessary that we could not! Even more than that, if we will obey Jesus, He will reveal Himself to us while we are on Earth!

Simply stating Jesus is Lord is not enough: we must be willing to submit our will to the will of God. This is how we show our love to Jesus: we are willing to learn about Him and do what He says. If we do not do this, we are not really owned by Him: we call ourselves a Christian, we can even say Jesus is our Lord, but what is truly in our hearts is shown because we are not willing to learn His ways so we can do them.

We have a “covenant” or agreement with Jesus when we take Him as Lord. The word Testament means covenant. We should be reading and learning about what Jesus expects of us in the New Testament. There are great benefits to obeying Jesus, even when we have misgivings about it. Let’s continue reading:

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”

And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” (Acts 9:10-12 ESV)

Saul was fasting and praying, seeking God. Even though he had done so much wrong, God showed up! Saul received a vision even though he had killed a disciple. God is bigger than our mistakes if we will seek Him with all our hearts, truly seeking His truth and not just the answers we want.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My name.” (Acts 9:13-16 ESV)

So many of us crave to really, really, hear clear instructions from Jesus. One of the necessary ingredients to receive strongly is to be willing to act upon what the Lord says to you. It is a bit funny that Ananias tells the Lord about Saul, as if God doesn’t know who he is. This is a gentle and respectful way to argue with the Lord about the instructions.

There is a good reason. He is being told to go and pray for the person who was leading the persecution against the disciples. Worse than that, Saul had promised to imprison anyone praying in the name of Jesus, and this was exactly what Jesus was asking him to do. Surely it would be better if this man remained blind and unable to hurt them!

The Lord is so very patient and kind with us. He didn’t get mad because Ananias had misgivings about the instructions, Jesus gave more information to reassure him which also gives us insight about how God works.

Saul had killed at least one disciple, a person devoted and doing God’s will. He had also been prosecuting all those following Jesus, coming against those using the name of Jesus. Now, Saul would be used by God to repair that which he had damaged. He would be told in advance what this would cost him. If we will seek the Lord with all our hearts, He will reveal all we need to know. This information was enough for Ananias:

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. (Acts 9:17-19 ESV)

Ananias goes forth boldly declaring that Jesus sent him. Saul not only received his sight, but the Holy Spirit as well. The scales falling from his eyes brings a literal demonstration of what Saul will write later:

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16 ESV)

Talk about speaking from experience! Saul had literal scales over his eyes because he was not understanding the scriptures and had hardened his heart against Jesus. Once he agreed to receive Jesus, the veil, or scales were removed and he could finally see, both literally and spiritually. And boy did he see!

Saul began learning from the disciples and did a complete 180: He began to preach in the synagogue about Jesus being the Son of God! This is why Jesus blinded him instead of killing him! The leaders who had approved his mission were greatly upset by the conversion and set out to kill him. Saul had to be rescued by the very people he had come to persecute, as they snuck him out of the city via lowering a basket down outside the walls.

Returning to Jerusalem, Saul did not receive a warm welcome from the disciples, but the Lord had his back.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:27-30 ESV)

A third-party recommendation is when someone else recommends you to people they know. This type of support is often the most effective, as it was in the case of Saul. Barnabas was known to the disciples, so they took his word that Saul’s conversion was legit.

Saul was a Pharisee, He knew the scriptures. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit, but perhaps he wasn’t yet working fully with Him. Saul argued with the Hellenists, the Greek speaking Jews, but miracles didn’t accompany his preaching at this time. Once again, his preaching caused others to seek his death. The disciples sent him back home for a time of seclusion and learning, which, from other scriptures, we know would last for 13 years.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. (Acts 9:31 ESV)

Now that the passionate ringleader of persecution of the church had been removed, the church grew and spread rapidly. The Greek word phobos (pha-bas) is translated as fear but more fully means reverence for one’s husband. The church looked to Jesus as the Protector, the Provider of the church. And the Holy Spirit brought the comfort and encouragement they needed!

The disciples remained faithful and focused on the Lord even when what Jesus said to do didn’t make sense. More than this: they practiced forgiveness. They forgave Saul who had killed one of their own and persecuted many. Because of this, the rest of Acts 9 is filled with the increasing miracles of Peter who prays for healing for a man who was bedridden for eight years and the woman who had died:

So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. (Acts 9:39-42 ESV)

Peter followed the example of Jesus. He put all those who did not have faith out of the home. This is the first example of one being brought back to life through the prayers of the Apostles after Jesus leaves. The works of the Lord continued to increase after they remained focused on Jesus, following His instructions, even when it didn’t seem wise. God knows what will happen. If we will follow His lead, it will work together for good!