“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus…” [Acts 9:10, NKJV]
When the Lord needed a man to receive and teach the truth to the zealous Pharisee Saul, who had “made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3, NKJV), he called on “a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias” [Acts 9:10, NKJV]. For the nature of this special need, God did not call on any of the apostles, nor a local elder, nor even someone already known for his work as an evangelist. He sought a man who is simply registered in Scripture as “a certain disciple”.
Even though he did not hold any special “title” or “position”, when the Lord called to him in a vision, Ananias responded: “Here I am, Lord!” [Acts 9:11, NKJV]. Like so many of the Jewish “fathers” before him (cp Abraham in Genesis 22:1; Moses in Exodus 3:4; Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8; etc), he understood that a disciple is a ready servant of the Lord and of His people (cp Mark 9:35). And even though he held no special “office” of teaching, he knew enough to be able to teach the boisterous and formally-trained Saul what he needed to know to be saved in Christ.
Ananias recognized that the word he was teaching was not his own - that a disciple simply follows and then shares his master’s teaching, speaking as it were “the oracles of God” (cp 1 Peter 4:11; Matthew 28:19-20; etc). In writing the book of Acts, Luke reveals to us that Ananias told Saul of the Lord’s plan to use him as an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ and then urged him to stop “waiting” - to “arise and be baptized, and wash away [his] sins, calling on the name of the Lord” [Acts 22:14-16, NKJV].
God was keenly aware that it would take a certain type of disciple to teach someone like Saul, who said later of himself that he was “…a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man” [1 Timothy 1:13, NKJV]. God had already used Andrew to appeal to Peter (cp John 1:40-42), Philip to bring Nathanael (cp John 1:45-49), and would later use Barnabas to bring John Mark (Acts 15:36-39). But this was no ordinary encounter. Saul carried official letters from the Jewish council that would grant him power to imprison any who claimed to follow Christ! (cp Acts 22:4-5) So frightening was the prospect of meeting this man, that at first Ananias questioned whether he actually should go [Acts 9:13-14]. But, emboldened by fuller knowledge of the Lord’s plan, as a good disciple he trusted in His master and accepted the task [Acts 9:15-17].
For whom would God designate YOU the “certain” disciple? Is there someone that you are especially suited to reach by your position or relationship? As a good disciple, do you trust the Lord and His word? [cp Exodus 4:10-12; Romans 1:16-17]
“Arise, and go to the street called Straight…” [Acts 9:11-12, NKJV]
Jesus made a promise as He spoke to His disciples during the three short years of His earthly ministry: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” [Matthew 7:7-8, NKJV]. This promise related to those who were seeking – but what Jesus added at the end was intended for those disciples who had already found Him. He challenged them, saying, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” [Matthew 7:12, NKJV]. Sometimes those who are seeking may not be doing so according to truth (cp Romans 10:1-3; etc). For this reason, there is a need for faithful disciples who will take the word of truth to them, just as they would want men to do for them if they were still seeking Him! (cp John 17:17, 20)
Sometimes, God allows us to see “behind the scenes” as He personally arranges for one who is seeking Him to receive what he asking for, to find what he is seeking, and to have the door opened to him. As Saul was seeking to serve God according to what he believed to be the truth (see Acts 23:1; 26:9-20), the resurrected Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus to show him he was in error (cp Acts 9:1-6). But it was Ananias whom God would use to teach Saul the gospel, which would bring him to fuller understanding and extend to him forgiveness from sin. When God appeared to Ananias, he told him where to find Saul, stating, “in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight” (Acts 9:11-12, NKJV). Through Ananias’ and Saul’s simultaneous visions, God showed them one another and arranged for their encounter under His terms.
There are no “chance” encounters in God’s design. Consider that God had already sent His servant Philip into the desert to preach the word to an Ethiopian eunuch who was seeking for Him (Acts 8:26-39). Later He would also arrange – through visions! – for Peter and Cornelius to meet, so that the gospel could first be preached among the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-6, 9-20, 28, 30-33).
With whom has God arranged an encounter for you? Are there those who are seeking Him that God has placed where there is opportunity for you to show Him to them? At work? At school? While on vacation? As you go about your daily affairs of life? We don’t get to see today just how God arranges these encounters, but we can be certain that for those who are seeking, we who are disciples should be doing to them as we would have them do for us – taking them the word of salvation!
“And Ananias went his way and entered the house” [Acts 9:17-18, NKJV]
God sent Ananias with very clear instructions: find Saul, teach him the gospel, and heal him of his blindness. Ananias was sent to extend the grace and mercy of God to a man who had harmed so many, even to the point of killing God’s servant Stephen! (cp Acts 7:57-8:3) It is only by the power of the gospel that men who appear to be heading in polar opposite directions can be brought together to serve the Lord in peace (cp Ephesians 4:1-3, 31-32).
Ananias would be used to heal Saul physically [Acts 9:12, 17-18]. Jesus and His disciples often did physical signs in conjunction with the preaching and confirmation of the gospel (cp Acts 2:22; 10:37-38; Mark 16:17-18, 20; Hebrews 2:1-4). But Saul’s physical blindness after encountering the Lord was in reality a “parable” of his spiritual blindness. The one who had gone with such confidence to lead others to prison for their faith (cp Acts 9:1-2) was now humbled, needing himself to be led by the hand (cp Acts 9:8). As Ananias laid his hands on Saul, God granted that “immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once” [Acts 9:18, NKJV].
But Ananias would also be used to heal Saul spiritually [Acts 9:17-18]. The real “opening” of Saul’s eyes came through the message of the gospel as Ananias preached to him (see 2 Corinthians 3:11-18; Acts 22:12-16; especially 26:14-18). Because Ananias was a faithful disciple and obedient to the Lord and to His difficult commission, the great persecutor Saul heard and obeyed the gospel! (cp Romans 1:17; Acts 9:31)
The Bible record doesn’t tell us a great deal about Ananias, but what we have been told is extremely encouraging! Ananias was a willing disciple who allowed himself to become a great tool in God’s service for righteousness’ sake. Through Ananias’ obedient service, the man who would become the apostle Paul heard the gospel, was converted, and in turn became instrumental in many conversions – even yours! May God grant us the courage and the opportunity to be disciples like Ananias, saying “Here I am, Lord” when He places those who are seeking Him into our path.