v1 Saul “breathed threats and murder” against the disciples of the Lord.
Anyone’s heart can be changed by an encounter with Jesus. It his HIM working THROUGH us that matters – not so much us being Him. We have junk that people see. However, we are to REPRESENT Him as best we can so that people DO see Him.
v6 What could Saul have possibly been pondering after his encounter with Jesus? Heaven opens; a light shines; Jesus asks Saul why he is persecuting Him; Saul falls down and loses his sight. Then, Jesus simply tells him to get up and go into the city.
“So he, trembling and astonished…”
v11 “Go to the street called Straight…” What is the significance of “Straight”?
v10-16 Ananias gets a vision. He volunteers to God freely: “here I am”, and then he gets his marching orders. He is the one who has to go to Saul, and he knows that Saul is there to throw the believers in jail or worse. So, Ananias gives God information and debates like we all do when hit with an offense of God.
v15 “But the Lord said…” God is not so concerned with our complaints and gripes back to Him when we dont want to obey. But, He did tell Ananias a little about His plan.
v17 Once again, we see the laying on of hands and the filling of the Holy Spirit.
v18 “Immediately” scales fell…
v20 “Immediately” he preached the Christ…
v23 After Saul spends many days (how long is many?) preaching Christ, the Jews turn their sights to him to kill him. Funny how believers attract persecution.
v26 Saul tries to join the others, but they dont believe him. It is through his actions and the testimony of others who saw him in action that folks started believing. How many new believers experience this same phenomenon?
v29 The Hellenistic jews are first mentioned as those wanting to kill Saul. They were the Greek jews. Greek = logical, education – not faithful or believing.
v34 “Jesus the Christ heals you…” “JESUS THE CHRIST HEALS YOU” Get up. Go do something. Aeneas made his bed. Must have been quite a thing after 8 years of being stuck in it. Why would he make his bed? Is it because that was the very vessel of his captivity? He now had dominion over the very thing that held him? Aeneas cleaned up that which owned him and v35 all in Sharon and Lydda saw him and turned to the Lord.
v36 TABITHA