Transcript

Kim Shin Jo, a gentle pastor from South Korea, used to be a trained killer.

In January of 1968, Jo and a team of assassins descended from North Korea, slipping through the woods in a daring attempt to kill the president of South Korea.

The team of 31 commandos made it to within a few hundred meters of the president’s residence before they were intercepted.

A fierce battle ensued, killing 30 South Koreans. All of the North Korean soldiers were killed, except one who escaped, and Kim Shin Jo, who was captured.

After months of interrogation, and through a surprising friendship with a South Korean army general, Kim Shin Jo’s hard heart started to soften.

Later he would confess, “I tried to kill the president. I was the enemy. But the South Korean people showed me sympathy and forgiveness. I was touched and moved.”

The South Korean government eventually released Kim Shin Jo. Over the next three decades he worked for the military, became a citizen, and then married and raised a family. Finally, he became a church minister, as Kim Shin Jo found new birth and God’s grace through the power of Christ.

And despite his betrayals and sins, an army officer accepted him, befriended him, and believed in him. At one time he was the enemy of the South Korean people, but in the spirit of Jesus Christ, they surprised him with the startling gifts of belonging, forgiveness and even citizenship.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul was once the enemy of the followers of Christ. He had come to arrest, bind, and have believers in Jesus Christ in Damascus put to death.

But after his conversion on the road to Damascus, people like Ananias and other believers in Damascus (after overcoming their fear), showed Paul great grace and mercy, as they befriended him, welcomed him into the family of God, and even saved his life.

Acts 9:10-16: “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

“And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 

“And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

“Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 

“And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

“For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

In verse 10, the Lord appeared to a follower of Christ, by the name of Ananias, a highly respected and faithful Jewish man.

Acts 22:12 describes Ananias as “a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there.”

The Lord gave Ananias directions to another man’s house in Damascus where he would find Saul of Tarsus. Interestingly, “Straight Street” in Damascus still exists and is one of the main thoroughfares running 3 miles long east to west through the ancient city.

The “behold,” in the Lord’s words, “for, behold, he prayeth” is significant to show Ananias that something has changed with Saul, and the Lord was calling attention to it. Humbly now, he prays, and thus Ananias did not need to fear him.

Right from his conversion, we find the apostle praying. He was a man of prayer as we see clearly in his epistles. He lived his words to “Pray without ceasing.”

William Barclay says this, which mirrors what took place in the conversion of Saul, “When we trust Christ, we enter into three new relationships. (1) We enter into a new relationship with God. The judge becomes the father; the distant becomes near; strangeness becomes intimacy, and fear becomes love.

“(2) We enter into new relationship with our fellow men. Hatred becomes love; selfishness becomes service; and bitterness becomes forgiveness. (3) We enter into a new relationship with ourselves. Weakness becomes strength; frustration becomes achievement; and tension becomes peace.”

The Lord told Ananias about a vision given to Saul while he had been praying and fasting for 3 days, that a man named Ananias would come and restore his sight. This was grace in how the Lord comforted Saul to show him his blindness was only temporary.

When the Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision and said his name, Ananias responded “Here I am, Lord.” He sounded like Isaiah when he saw the Lord on His throne, high and lifted up, and he told the Lord, “Here am I. Send me!”

Likewise, Ananias had placed himself at the Lord’s disposal, ready to do what He asked. But after he heard what the Lord wanted him to do, it was, “Whoa, wait a minute here.” And he changed his mind!

Ananias didn’t want to go see Saul. You can’t blame his hesitancy really. He had a terrifying reputation, and Ananias didn’t want to get close to him. Word from Jerusalem had arrived before Saul, so those at Damascus knew he was coming and why.

And Ananias tells the Lord about the harm he had done to the Lord’s saints in Jerusalem and how he had been given authority to drag off to prison all that call on the Lord’s name in Damascus.

He tells the Lord all this as if He didn’t already know! But the Lord was patient with the fears of Ananias. And that’s encouraging!

The Lord again instructs him to go, but then knowing of Ananias’s need for more information, He revealed His purpose for Saul in order to bolster Ananias’s courage.

And speaking of His name, the Lord said “for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My NAME before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My NAME’S sake.”

Paul would bear the Lord’s name to three groups. First, before the Gentiles, the non-Jewish nations of the world. Because as Paul stated in 2 Timothy 1:11, “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

The order here is significant. Gentiles listed before Israel is not the norm. This demonstrated that something has changed in God’s dealings with man.

Israel was before the Gentiles in God’s past dealings. And Gentiles were to come through Israel to find salvation. Israel was supposed to be reached first.

But God saved Paul and sent him to the Gentiles because, according to His perfect plans and purposes, after the stoning of Stephen, God was turning to the Gentiles.

Paul’s second area of ministry was to kings. He would speak to those at the top, to minister to those who were in positions of authority and influence.

Throughout the book of Acts you find the record of his appearing before governors Felix and Festus, King Agrippa, and later even the emperor of Rome.

Paul’s third area of ministry was to the children of Israel. There is another subtle reference to Israel’s fall here in the fact that Paul bear the Lord’s name, not to Israel as a nation, but to the children of Israel. Paul would minister and reach individuals from both the Jews and the Gentiles, who would be made part of one Body.

Then the Lord revealed to Ananias how his ministry and impact would be made through great suffering for Christ’s sake. He was called to suffer, and suffer much. As the Lord said that He would show him HOW MUCH he must suffer for Him.

And this same man would later write to the Philippians and tell them from experience that “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil. 1:29).

And Paul suffered for the Lord all the way until he was martyred at the hands of Rome for his faith.

Acts 9:17-18: “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

“And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Going from fearful confusion to a quiet resolve, a now emboldened Ananias obediently went to the name and address of the house where Saul was located on Straight Street. (Judas’s house: Not Iscariot!).

It’s important to note that the Lord sent Ananias to Saul, not Peter, James, or John or any of the twelve. The choice of Ananias for this task made it clear that Saul of Tarsus was not dependent upon the Twelve, something Paul strongly pointed out in his epistles. His apostleship and message was separate from the twelve.

Finding the house, and being let in by Judas, Ananias entered and saw the still-blind Saul, who was praying. Ananias put his hands on him. This touch communicated Christ’s love from Ananias for a fellow-believer.

Then he communicated Christ’s love by his greeting: “Brother Saul.” Saul was now a part of the family of God, and as such, we are all brothers and sisters. Saul’s former enemies whom he persecuted, were now his friends and spiritual family.

We never know how much a caring touch or kind word might mean to someone.

Ananias has been called one of the forgotten heroes of the faith. One author said this about him: “The great majority [of believers] are the Ananiases of the world, the errand runners, if you will, doing precisely what God has asked them to do…

“There are countless numbers of them serving Christ behind the scenes the world over. Most we will never meet, we’ll never know by name. They are content to remain the shadows…Nevertheless, they are giants of the faith because of their selfless, understated acts of obedience to God.”

Ananias then explained to Saul his double purpose for coming to him. It was to restore his sight, as well as so that he would “be filled with the Holy Ghost.”

The Spirit had already been active in Paul’s life in convicting him and regenerating him. Now the Spirit would fill and indwell him, the first member of the Body of Christ, and as is the case with every member of the Body of Christ.

When the Spirit indwelt Paul, this is the first time that the Spirit indwelt someone outside the land of Israel. This took place in Syria.

And this again points to God’s purpose for Paul in sending him to the nations and all those who would be saved and indwelt with the Spirit outside of Israel.

In verse 18, after Ananias explained why he was there and Paul received the Spirit, “immediately there fell from his eyes, as it had been scales: and he received sight.”

Described only as Doctor Luke could diagnose it: “scales fell from Saul’s eyes.” Something physical fell from the eyes of Paul that had kept him blind for three days.

Then Saul went through the physical ceremony of being water baptized. So why was Paul baptized when he would later declare that there is only “one baptism,” the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation?

First, Paul was already saved before this water baptism. Ananias called him “Brother” before it, and Saul was saved by faith alone on the road to Damascus. We follow Paul’s pattern of just believing “on Him [Christ] to life everlasting” (1 Tim. 1:16). The terms under which Paul was saved did not include water baptism.

Saul’s conversion was the first step in the direction toward the transition away from God’s program with Israel in turning to the Gentiles.

The salvation of the leader of the world’s rebellion against Christ by grace and the call of a new apostle separate from the twelve were the first departures from the prophetic program.

But this program would be gradually displaced by God’s program with the Body of Christ. And the message of grace for the Church would be revealed to Paul over time.

We see this also by how the Holy Spirit was imparted to Saul with the laying on of hands and his sight was miraculously restored. That’s not how the Spirit works today.

Likewise, here at the doorstep of the transition from law to grace, from Israel to the Body of Christ, water baptism was still being carried out.

And as the Lord would later reveal to Paul, water baptism would be superseded by a greater truth, the greatest truth: we are complete in Christ!

Acts 9:19-25: “And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

“And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

“But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

“But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

“But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

“Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.”

A guy walked into a dentist’s office and said, “I think I’m a moth.” The dentist replied, “You shouldn’t be here. You should be seeing a therapist…” The guy replied, “I am seeing a therapist.” The dentist said, “Well then what are you doing here?” And the guy said, “Your light was on.”

The light had gone on for Paul at his conversion as to the truth of who Jesus Christ truly was and that He was risen from the dead.

These verses show the 180-degree change in Saul after his conversion. Instead of arresting believers in the synagogues, Saul instead preached in those very synagogues of Damascus.

Before his conversion, all Paul could think of was what he could do to Christ and His followers, but immediately after, all he could think of is what he could do for Christ.

Like a racehorse, Saul burst out of the gate fast in his ministry and boldly preached Christ and that He is the Son of God.

Saul’s unexpected conduct, understandably amazed and bewildered the Jews who lived in Damascus, who knew his past and the reason why he had come there in the first place. They could not comprehend the drastic change in him. It was stunning.

As his ministry in Damascus continued, Saul confounded and stirred up the Jews in the synagogues, as he proved that this Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

The word “proving” in the original Greek means “to knit together.” Saul’s messages were skillfully woven together from the Scriptures. And word by word, verse by verse, point by point, he knit the Scriptures together as he taught and presented an air-tight case for the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the “very Christ” or Messiah.

And as he brought this truth forward from the Scriptures, the Spirit worked through His Word, and it convicted its hearers.

Instead of responding to the Word and allowing their hearts to be open to believe, many closed their ears and hardened their hearts in their unbelief.

And the initial astonishment of the Jews then turned to rage. Often, when the Word is proclaimed and the Spirit convicts, it angers its hearers. (Save your preaching…)

Verse 23 says that “after that many days were fulfilled,” or as time went on, the Jews felt the situation became intolerable. Paul ministered in Damascus for 3 years.

And Paul’s proclamation of the truth over that time infuriated the Jews who did not believe in Christ, to the point that they “took counsel” and plotted against the life of this one who had once been their champion but who was now a “turncoat.”

Their star persecutor had switched his allegiance, and now he was a liability to them and became the target of their deadly persecution. So the hunter becomes the hunted. The one who came to kill becomes the one they want to kill.

Thus Paul began to experience what the Lord promised, “For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My NAME’S sake.”

Luke does not tell us how, but the plot to kill him was discovered by Saul.

Later in Acts, we learn about another Jewish plot to ambush and kill Paul. This plot was revealed to him by his nephew, who heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks where Paul was being held and he told Paul.

Some way or another in this case, the plot was known to Paul.

To prevent his escape, the Jews “watched the gates day and night to kill him.” It’s important to note in verse 24 that they watched the gates, but not the wall.

Damascus was a walled city, and it was a high wall. The gates in the wall were the only conventional means of escape.

And the Jews watched the gates, because they didn’t want him to just leave or escape the city, they wanted to him to die.

Paul’s preaching created such controversy that, for those who did not believe and were enemies of the truth, the best method to end it was to kill Paul.

In 2 Corinthians 11:32-33, Paul gives more information about this thrilling account. “In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.”

The unbelieving Jews who hated Saul enlisted the aid of the Gentiles and stirred up the civil authorities, something they did at other times in the Book of Acts.

Aretas was king of the Nabateans (which was a region that included Arabia). He ruled from around 9 BC until 40 AD. The governor mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11:32 was a ruler in Damascus, placed there by King Aretas, to govern the city.

The local Jews plotted the attempt on his life, and the governor of Damascus supported them. He cooperated with the Jews in their attempt to apprehend Paul. So this was a joint military/religious plot against God’s servant.

The governor guarded the city with a garrison of soldiers to prevent his escape. The Jews watched the gates, and the soldiers were all over the city.

And behind the scenes, this was all the work of Satan. The former persecutor had been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear Son. Satan could not take away his salvation, thus he tried to silence his testimony.

Then ironically, the ones whom Saul had come to Damascus to arrest, save his life. The Jews hatched their plot, but the disciples and followers of Christ “wove” their own plot with a woven basket!

People lived in the walls of ancient cities. In Scripture, we learn how Rahab the harlot lived in the wall of the city of Jericho. Likewise, Damascus had apartment houses in its wide, high walls, and windows for those houses were on the outside of the wall.

In the dead of night, Saul was taken by the followers of Christ into one of those houses in the city wall and put into a basket.

The word that Luke uses for “basket” here in the original Greek is the same word used for the baskets of leftovers from the Lord multiplying the 7 loaves and a few small fishes at the feeding of the four thousand.

In the New King James Version, Mark 8:8 reads, “So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven LARGE BASKETS of leftover fragments.”

The word used by Luke to describe Paul’s basket means that it was a LARGE basket. Then in 2 Corinthians 11 when Paul described his escape from Damascus, he used a word that refers to a ROPE basket. A rope was wrapped and woven into a basket form and somehow tied all together.

And a rope basket would’ve been strong enough to hold a full-sized man.

Paul’s basket escape reminds me of Moses, and how he was delivered in a basket as well. Exodus 2:3: “And when she [Moses’s mother] could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.”

The ark of bulrushes lined with slime and pitch was just a water-proof basket. When Israel’s male children were being slaughtered under the edict of the Pharaoh, Moses’s life was spared by Pharoah’s daughter finding him in a basket in the Nile.

Thus, the one who the Lord revealed the law to was delivered from death in a basket. And the one who the Lord revealed grace to, was also delivered in a basket.

Since the city was filled with soldiers looking for Paul and the Jews were watching the gates, escaping down the wall was the only option.

Under the cover of darkness, Paul was taken by the followers of Christ in Damascus to an apartment house in the wall.

In the past, Rahab had let out the Israeli spies “by a rope through the window.” In Paul’s case, he was let out by a rope basket through a window.

In the house, a long rope was fastened to the basket and Paul then got in it. The disciples then lifted him out the window. And while Paul held on tight with both hands, his friends lowered him away, quietly, carefully and cautiously, slowly but surely, farther and farther and farther down, until the basket struck the ground.

Then the apostle of grace stepped out of the basket, gave a wave to his friends above, and all alone he went out into the darkness and escaped out of his enemies’ hands.

After this, you could say Saul was a basket case! Saul had quite the entrance and exit from Damascus. He entered the city blind and he left in a basket!

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul’s reference to this event was the culmination of the narration of all his sufferings that he explained in that chapter, such as receiving 39 stripes from the Jews 5 times, 3 times beaten with rods, being stoned once, three times suffering shipwreck, being in hunger, thirst, perils, cold, weariness, pain, etc.

He gets to the end of all these sufferings and he lists this circumstance as the peak. This escape by the basket had been a humiliating and embarrassing experience.

But he gloried in it. This was one of the most meaningful experiences in Paul’s life. Why? This was a man of great authority, having personally met and seen Jesus Christ and being called by Him as the Lord’s apostle to the nations.

This was a man who the Lord used to reveal and proclaim His message of grace for today, who reached so many for Christ, planted churches, spoke to kings, performed miracles and mighty deeds.

But he departed Damascus in humiliation and dependence, abjectly conscious of his own weakness and inability to control the situation.

He was unable to match the earthly power of his enemies. He was no match for all these people who would have killed him had they captured him.

He HAD to get out of there. And he was delivered by God through the agency of fellow believers, not by his own strength and ability.

Just previous to his testimony about the basket, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:30: “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.” He gloried in his infirmities because as Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

“I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

By this basket experience, he learned humility and dependence upon Christ. And dependence on Christ in our weakness is where we find true strength.

Without this humiliating experience, Paul would have never learned how much he needed Christ for strength in his life and to carry out his ministry.

And so Paul gloried and boasted in this basket escape, because of what he learned through it: how much he needed the Lord.

Often by the experiences of life, the Lord teaches us how much we need Him. We all need Him. And when we depend on him, we find the truth of the Lord’s words to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”