God had revealed His mission for Saul to Ananias before Ananias prayed for Saul. Acts 9: 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.[1] Paul gives his testimony of the Damascus road experience three times in the book of Acts. The first telling is Acts 9:1-19, the second is Acts 22:3-21, and the third is Acts 26:9-20.
In the third telling, Paul shares more details about what Jesus told him on the road to Damascus. Acts 26: 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’ [2]
A Vision in Jerusalem
God’s plan to send him to the Gentiles and not the Jews must have been shocking for Saul to hear. Saul considered himself to be an elite Jew. Philippians 3: 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.[3]
Saul had to escape death threats in Damascus by escaping through the city wall in a basket. He then went to Jerusalem and boldly preached that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. The Jerusalem Jews pushed back against this message. Saul had trouble believing that the Jews would refuse the Gospel. But God continued to guide Saul.
Acts 22: 17 “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’
19 “ ‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’
21 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ” [4]
God Has a Mission for Each of Us
As we can see from the story of Saul, God has a sense of humor. He sent a zealous Jew to preach to Gentiles. God often has surprising assignments for each of us. He desires that we all come to faith. Then He will work through us to build His Kingdom here and give us the promise of eternal life with Him.
Ephesians 2: 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.[5] Our good works can never save us; only faith in Jesus can. But in gratitude to Jesus, we want to serve Him by fulfilling the plans He has for us. Just as God’s mission for Saul brought Him glory, so will our obedience to His plans.
To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/from-enemy-to-emissary
[1-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.