Jesus’ Last Words 8 – Who Are You, Lord Grace Lutheran Bible Study 1. After Jesus’ ascension, he mainly interacts with people invisibly. But he’s been willing to break that general rule at times. Today we’ll see one early example of the usually invisible Jesus showing himself to Saul (later called Paul), and how it affected him. Acts 9:1-2 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them to Jerusalem as prisoners. 2. The thought pattern of Saul and others may have gone something like this: “So this group is saying that an influential teacher died and rose from the dead. This belief is spreading, and it’s really disrupting normal life, religious and otherwise. Solution? Let’s lock ‘em up in prison and stop this thing from spreading.” What do you think of this thought pattern?
Acts 9:3-9 3 As he went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.”
The men traveling with him stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. 8 They raised Saul up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see anything. They took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink. 7
3. Saul had his plans, Jesus had other plans. So why break his usual way of dealing with people in the New Testament era? Why show up in a blinding light with Saul, but not with hardly anyone else?
4. Why are you persecuting me? Wait a minute, Saul couldn’t touch Jesus. He was only persecuting people who believed in him. Why does Jesus say, “persecuting me” ?
5. Who are you, Lord? There is perhaps no more important question to figure out. It doesn’t get asked because of blinding light and audible voice; what causes people to grapple with the question today?
6. What are some answers to that all important question?
7. “I am Jesus.” Couldn’t he have given him a more detailed answer? Something more like the Nicene Creed? Why such a short and simple answer?
8. Blind for 3 days without food and drink. This was total life disruption for Saul. Do life disruptions of this magnitude still happen today? How does Jesus still use such times to prepare people to know him more deeply?
Acts 9:10-19 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. In fact, at this very moment he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he can regain his sight.” 13 Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. 16 Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Ananias left and entered the house. Laying his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw on your way here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength. 9. Jesus could have gone back to Saul and cured his blindness. Why get Ananias involved?
10. Jesus could show up and deal with you himself. But often he uses intermediaries. When have people like Ananias appeared in your life?
11. “He’s my chosen instrument…. I’ll show him how much he must suffer.” Why is suffering necessary for someone to be Jesus’ chosen instrument? Does it always have to be that way? Is it that way for us?
12. Laying on of hands, baptism, being filled with the Holy Spirit, scales falling out of his eyes. These are the things that changed Saul from blind, confused traveler to new believer. Are those kinds of things for us too, or just for special people like Saul?
Acts 9:19-22 Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days. 20 Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All who heard him were amazed and said, “Isn’t this the one who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? Didn’t he come here for this very purpose: to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul continued to get stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 13. Who is Jesus? Saul went from “a lie to be stomped out,” to “the Son of God, the Christ.” How did he so quickly become not just a believer, but also a proclaimer of Jesus?
14. What’s your answer to the question: Who is Jesus? How have you arrived at that answer?
15. Ever hear about Jesus from a person you’d never expect to be a believer? How challenging is it to believe that someone has really turned their life around so dramatically?
16. Saul continued to get stronger. How do you explain his increasing ability to confound people and prove that Jesus is the Christ? How can you grow in that same ability?