Acts 9:19-25 – and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
“and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Saul had fasted for three days and so he needed a time of recuperation. He had not only fasted from all food, but also from all drink. Add to this all he had just been through. Remembering that he had been an enemy of the Lord’s, persecuting His people, the whole of the three days fasting, contemplating the new direction of his life and praying continuously must have simultaneously been exhilarating, bewildering and maybe frightening.
“Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” The original twelve apostles (even traitor Judas Iscariot) had received face to face, live with Jesus training. Wow! Paul (Saul) also was taught face to face by Jesus. He didn’t have the three years with Jesus during His earthly ministry, but he would have a lot of one-on-one training with Jesus. In fact, like the first apostles were personally called by Jesus, so was Paul. Paul was not brought to Christ by any man, but by Jesus Himself. In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul lets the Galatians know that the Gospel he preached to them was not a Gospel taught to him by any man, but was received directly from Jesus. In fact, after Saul was converted by Jesus he did not seek teaching from any man, but grew in the Lord as he sought Jesus in prayer and received great revelations from Him (Galatians 1:16). Receiving a godly education is a marvelous thing, but Paul savored that He was directly saved and taught by Jesus. In reality, no-one truly grasps the deep meaning of the Word unless taught by God (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13-14).
Saul had been called to preach first to the Gentiles. Yes, also to Jews, but his main ministry was to the Gentiles and their rulers. Yet he first went to the synagogues to preach to them. We understand that he did have authority from Jesus to also preach to the Jews. Paul loved his people the Jews. He loved their customs and traditions. It is easy for us to understand. Even today we see that a person whose eyes are opened and come to Jesus often struggle to leave behind the traditions and culture that have been so much a part of their lives. How much more so Saul since the Jews were the keepers of The Law and who had symbols and types of so much of what Jesus fulfilled. He loved them so much that in Romans 1:1-5 he writes that he would suffer being accursed if only his people, his race, the Jews, could be saved. Wow!
“All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” When we see a rock star, or rap artist, or anyone famous who comes out of a life of debauchery to live for Jesus, we are amazed. The original, and sometimes continuing platform they have to speak to large numbers of people can be a wonderful witness to many people. Lives can be changed. Paul was Jewish rock star. He was a Jew among Jews and now he was preaching Jesus. He had been at the murder of Stephen and had agreed with it. He had hated those of The Way and now He was of The Way. Yes people took notice. Yet, though Saul amazed many, the reaction to his first sermons was not overwhelming conversion but instead aversion. He went first to the Jews, but he was called to be the apostle to the gentiles.
“Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,” As the Lord taught and grew Saul the message he preached became more and more powerful. Saul was an expert in the Hebrew scriptures of God and he was able to show the Jews through their own scriptures how Jesus is the Messiah. Yet when the Jews were confounded and had no answers to Jesus, or to Stephen, they resorted to murder. They feared that Saul that would lead the people to Jesus. So, common to how they treated their own prophets, Jesus and Stephen, they plotted to kill Saul.
“but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.” True to their modus operandi the Jews colluded with the government to kill Saul (2 Corinthians 11:32). However Saul was warned and so the people who he had led to the Lord protected him by lowering him through an opening in the city wall so that he could depart unnoticed. Once again a person being used of God is invincible as long as the ministry the person is called to is incomplete. Not untouchable, but invincible, because God is that person’s defender and protector. Family, Hebrews 13:8 states “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Just as God has always made the people he uses invincible during their ministry, so He does for us. Not that there is not trouble or harm, but we cannot be stopped, though perhaps delayed, and we cannot be killed while our ministry remains to be completed. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are with us. We are protected by them and they will never stop loving us and so they never stop providing for and protecting us. We need only be busy in His will for our lives and to patiently and unshakably stay true to Him and to what He has for us to do. Family, the true superhero of this world is Jesus and we are His people. May we walk in the preordained footsteps that He has given us. In them we find all the great promises He has given us through Jesus our Lord and Savior. Praise our faithful God! Praise God, praise God, praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.