Acts 9:23-43 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
There are lots of great lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Acts 9:23-43. Let’s go!
Acts 9:23-28 (NIV)
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired 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.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
On verses 23-28: Here we see different groups of people responding to Saul differently. Some (his former allies) want to kill him (v23-24). Others (his new converts) want to protect him (v25). Some were afraid of him and doubt his intentions (v26). Barnabas believes in him and advocates for him (v27). Just as Barnabas advocated for Saul and spoke on his behalf so that he could join the apostles’ team, so Jesus Christ stood in the gap for us and spoke on our behalf so that we could join His team.
Acts 9:29-31 (NIV)
29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.
30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
On verses 29-31: In Jerusalem Saul is attracting so much attention from his debates with the Grecian Jews about Jesus that people try to kill him, just like they did in Damascus. So the church thinks it best to send Saul to a safer place like Tarsus, his hometown. Humanly speaking, you might think that Saul leaving the church in Jerusalem would negatively impact the growth of the church in Jerusalem. After all, Saul was the biggest persecutor of the church, became a Christian himself, and this high profile convert to Christianity is bold and articulate in preaching about Jesus. “We need him here!” you might think if you were part of the church in Jerusalem. Yet Saul’s departure actually leads to a time of unprecedented peace and growth in the church. It goes to show that the building of God’s church does not depend on any one individual but on Jesus Christ Himself and all the people – high profile or not – who are willing to be used by Him.
Acts 9:32-35 (NIV)
32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.
34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up.
35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
On verses 32-35: At one time in Peter’s life, Jesus called him “you of little faith” and asked him “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) That same Peter is now proclaiming Jesus Christ’s healing over the sick and paralyzed and they are being healed, this time in the town of Lydda. When you let the Holy Spirit touch your life and He does, you go from “you of little faith” to someone through whom God can do amazing things for His glory. If you’ve had a “you of little faith” moment recently, here’s believing that that experience is teaching you some important lessons so that you can step into your real identity and destiny as a witness for Jesus.
Acts 9:36-37 (NIV)
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.
37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.
On verses 36-37: In the city of Joppa, a female disciple called Tabitha becomes sick and dies just when she was busy doing good and helping the poor. Those believe in the law of karma would say, “Tabitha must have done something bad in the past to warrant this.” But the truth is that God allowed this suffering to happen because He was writing a greater story with Tabitha’s life. In this case, her friends and family get to see that greater story unfold before their very eyes in the verses that follow.
Acts 9:38-39 (NIV)
38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
On verses 38-39: The fact that all the widows (society’s most vulnerable) were crying and showing the clothing that Tabitha made for them reminds us of this important lesson: The greatest measure of a life well lived is how well that person loved others during their lifetime. When you die, may people remember you not for what you took from them but what you gave to them.
Acts 9:40-43 (NIV)
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive.
42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
On verses 40-43: In Luke 7:22 Jesus reports what has been happening in his ministry: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Now we see the same things happening through Jesus’ disciples, as God uses Peter to raise Tabitha back to life and many are turning to faith in Jesus Christ.
Another lesson we can learn from God raising Tabitha back to life: God is a restorer. The more you get to know Him, the more you’ll see that the reason God allows death is ultimately so that He can show His resurrection power. As C.S. Lewis has said, God is not in the business of making bad people good, but making dead people alive. In some cases, as we see here in Acts 9, it’s God actually raising a physically dead person back to life on earth. And in other cases still, it’s God taking a dead soul and making it alive and full of purpose on earth like never before. And in all cases where a person has trusted Jesus as their Saviour, it’s God enabling that person after they die to experience a far greater life in heaven.
Holy Spirit, thank You for every lesson I can learn from Your Word today. Thank You that in You there is resurrection power, hope after failure, and life after death. Thank You that no matter what, no matter who leaves or goes, You will build Your church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
