The Vision
“Ananias!” The voice was clear. “Yes, Lord,” Ananias answered. “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you arrive, ask for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He has just had a vision in which he saw a man named Ananias come in and lay hands on him so he could see again. “But Lord,” Ananias exclaimed, “everybody’s been talking about this man and the terrible things he’s done to the believers in Jerusalem. And now he’s shown up here in Damascus with papers from the Chief Priest, authorizing him to arrest every believer in town!”
But Jesus said, “Go! I’ve picked Saul as my personal representative to take My message to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the people of Israel. I’m about to show him what he must suffer for My name.”
Obedience and Transformation
Ananias obeyed Jesus and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw on your way here, sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up, was baptized, and then sat down and ate a hearty meal. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. Then he went right to work, preaching in the meeting places, saying “Jesus really is the Son of God!”
Everyone who heard him was amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who persecuted Jesus’ followers so badly in Jerusalem? Didn’t he come here to drag even more Christians off to jail?” Every day, Saul’s preaching got more powerful. Soon the Jews in Damascus couldn’t argue with him or refute his proofs that Jesus was the Messiah.
Escape and Acceptance
After a while, they decided to kill Saul, but he found out about their plot. He escaped from the city by being lowered over the city wall in a large basket. Back in Jerusalem, Saul tried to join the disciples, but they didn’t trust him yet. Then Barnabas, a trusted friend of theirs spoke on his behalf, “The Lord dramatically revealed Himself to Saul on the road to Damascus. Since then, Saul has laid his life on the line, boldly preaching in the synagogues in Jesus’ name.” After that, the disciples accepted Saul as one of them. Saul preached boldly in the name of the Lord all over Jerusalem. When the Jews there attempted to kill him, the other believers got him safely out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then sent him on to his hometown of Tarsus. It was God’s plan for Paul to write books of the Bible, not to die as a zealous new convert! In the years that followed, Saul, who had changed his name to Paul, escaped death repeatedly…
To Be Continued…
Date: 9th September 2023
Martyr: Saul of Tarsus
Location: Roman Empire, 35. AD
Source: Jesus Freaks
Author: DC Talk and The Voice of Martyrs
Suffering Saturday 055
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