Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 9:15-19
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
15 But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Commentary:
9:15 In the remainder of Acts, Saul (later called Paul) preaches to Gentiles and also to kings (Agrippa II, ch. 26) as well as to the children of Israel, since in each city he always goes first to Jewish synagogues.
9:17 Ananias’s laying his hands (see note on 6:6) on Saul was a physical symbol of the invisible power of the Holy Spirit coming to heal Saul from his blindness and dwell within him in new covenant fullness (see note on 2:4).
9:18 something like scales fell from his eyes. This physical event was also a symbol that Saul’s spiritual blindness had been overcome and he could now see and understand the truth (cf. 2 Cor. 3:14 for a related image). (Note that the change of Saul’s name to Paul [which will be first reported in Acts 13:9] is not connected with his conversion; he continues having a right to both names, the first Jewish, the second Roman; Paul continues to call himself [and to be called] Saul until his ministry in Cyprus [13:9].) was baptized. Through baptism Saul made an immediate public declaration of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
9:17 Ananias’s laying his hands (see note on 6:6) on Saul was a physical symbol of the invisible power of the Holy Spirit coming to heal Saul from his blindness and dwell within him in new covenant fullness (see note on 2:4).
9:18 something like scales fell from his eyes. This physical event was also a symbol that Saul’s spiritual blindness had been overcome and he could now see and understand the truth (cf. 2 Cor. 3:14 for a related image). (Note that the change of Saul’s name to Paul [which will be first reported in Acts 13:9] is not connected with his conversion; he continues having a right to both names, the first Jewish, the second Roman; Paul continues to call himself [and to be called] Saul until his ministry in Cyprus [13:9].) was baptized. Through baptism Saul made an immediate public declaration of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Questions:
- In verse 17, Ananias refers to Saul as “Brother Saul.” This seems to be a pretty big oxymoron given how viciously he had been attacking believers. But this just goes to show how far Saul had come and what a miracle God had done in his heart. The first takeaway from Sunday was that a “Brother Saul” means that Jesus is LORD! Saul’s life was transformed when he met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. Jesus is Lord because he rose! This dramatic transformation is well documented by historians. He went from hunting believers to giving his life to converting people INTO believers. This is some of the strongest evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. How does historical evidence like this affect your faith in Jesus? How much confidence does it give you that your Savior is alive?
- Luke tells us that something like scales falls from Saul's eyes and he is once again able to see. This is a physical metaphor for what God had done in Saul's heart. He was blind to the truth and his passions were misplaced. But now his eyes had been opened to the truth that Jesus was the Messiah. We can all have blind spots from time to time. We can be blinded to the truth of God's Word and His ways in favor of our own limited experience and wisdom. When was the last time you prayed for God to open your eyes to the truth in a situation? When was the last time you prayed for wisdom?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would have confidence that your Savior is alive.
- That you would consistently pray for the wisdom of God.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
6. Is the Bible God’s Word? Jesus proved He is God by rising from the dead and said the Old Testament was God’s Word and gave authority to the Apostles to write the words of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that all the words of the Bible are God’s Word.
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
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