Sermon for Easter 3, May 4, 2025
Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Acts 9:1-22 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2and 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. 3As he went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.” 7The men traveling with him stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. 8They 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. 9For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink. 10There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11The 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. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he can regain his sight.” 13Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15The 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. 16Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17Ananias 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.” 18Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. 19And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days. 20Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21All 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?” 22But Saul continued to get stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. (EHV)
From persecutor to apostle, Jesus changes lives.
Dear friends in Christ,
It’s probably a bit difficult to picture ourselves in the example of Saul. Most of us have never been blatant persecutors of the Christians we meet. Furthermore, it is unlikely that we will be sent out as apostles to the world. Yet, the truth remains that our story is more like Saul’s than any of us might care to admit. You see, Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30) That sounds like Jesus was speaking prophetically and specifically about this man, Saul, doesn’t it? However, the truth is, He was speaking about all of us in our natural state.
I suppose it is possible that you may be growing tired of hearing me say that you are by nature enemies of God, but I pray that isn’t the case. It really has to be the starting point of consideration about our salvation. We enter this world completely unaware of the true God, and being unaware of His love, we are, because of the inheritance of sin from our parents, completely and actively enemies of the Lord Jesus.
Today, much of the world imagines that babies are born innocent and pure. Likewise, Saul’s friends in Jerusalem considered him a pious champion of the faith of Abraham, Issaac, and Jacob. Later in his life, Saul, then called Paul, would explain with shame how he had considered himself while hating Jesus, “If anyone else thinks that he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; in regard to zeal, persecuting the church; in regard to the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)
The reality in both Saul and newborn babies’ cases is the exact opposite of what Jesus’ enemies imagine. Paul was violently opposed to Jesus. Newborn babies have no knowledge of Jesus or His saving grace. Thus, like Saul, we all were once against Jesus in thought and action. By outward appearance, Paul looked to his friends like God’s great warrior, but after meeting Jesus, Paul understood the reality of his sinfulness and his desperate need for the Savior.
Thank the Lord that by God’s grace, Jesus didn’t leave us to the natural outcome of our lack of saving faith. On the outside, our rescue may not seem as dramatic as the way Saul was brought to believe in Jesus, but the truth is we all met our Savior when He chose to come to us to direct us away from our previously hopeless condition. Therefore, From persecutor to apostle, Jesus changes lives.
To redirect the great persecutor, Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus just as that man was intent on doing more of his murderous work. Saul had the letters authorizing his nasty deeds in his hand. The same high priests who falsely accused Jesus were complicit in this plot to destroy Christians. However, no one is able to defeat God’s plan to save sinners. Therefore, Jesus met Saul in the road, called to him with a stern reproach, and changed his future forever.
When the vision was ended, Saul had been blinded by the Light. His associates led him by the hand into the city but Saul saw nothing and ate and drank nothing for three days. Jesus then sent Ananias to the stricken Saul with this command, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.”
This is where the rubber meets the road for you and me. While we might sometimes imagine that our faith could be stronger if only Jesus came to us personally, we are actually beneficiaries of Jesus’ loving care shown to us through those apostles He called into the service of the Word by His immediate call. Saul, who we know today as Paul, along with the eleven apostles who had walked with Jesus as disciples during His life here on earth, each was called to carry the Gospel out into the world and fulfil the task Jesus assigned before ascending to His Father’s side in heaven: “Go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
For three days, Saul was blind to the world. However, his whole previous life, he had been blind to God’s love in Jesus. It is only after those scales fell from his eyes that Saul could see clearly what Jesus had done for him and for all of us. It immediately changed Paul’s life and activity. He was baptized into the Christian faith, and instead of hunting believers in Jesus in order to imprison and/or kill them, Paul began to teach the people, from the Old Testament scriptures he knew so well, that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Thus, on account of Jesus’ intervention with His worst enemy, a transformation in spirit took place, and “Saul continued to get stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”
From then on, though Paul suffered greatly in the efforts and travels of his ministry, his work in testifying to the world and recording explanations of what Jesus did to reconcile us with God has brought us the Good News through which the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, so that we too can believe in Jesus and receive forgiveness of all our sins, peace and reconciliation with God, and the sure and certain hope of life everlasting in heaven.
Back in the here and now, you perhaps sometimes feel that your work isn’t as important as Paul’s. Maybe you feel like a lesser Christian than the apostles who gave so much to bring the Gospel to the world. Yet, Jesus never commanded us to do or be anything more than the roll He calls us to. First, He tells us to repent and be baptized. He tells us to love our neighbor as He has loved us. He tells us also to share the Good News of His life, death, and resurrection as we are able to those around us. Through His disciple, Peter, we are instructed, “Regard the Lord, the Christ, as holy in your hearts. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)
In all this, it is most important that we remember that we don’t save anyone, especially ourselves, but rather through the faith worked in our hearts in the hearing of the Gospel and gifts of the Sacraments, Jesus has brought us into His kingdom of grace with all the benefits He has earned and granted to those who believe in Him. Therefore, we don’t have to be Paul, or Peter, or John. Neither do we have to, nor can we, do anything to add to our position in God’s kingdom.
On the other hand, Jesus has accomplished everything needed to reconcile us with God, and by Jesus’ direction, the Holy Spirit has worked faith in the hearts where and when the Good News of Christ Jesus is preached among those God calls to faith. Consequently, as we live and walk in the true faith, trusting in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, His light is shining in the darkness reflecting off of us upon those around us, so that From persecutor to apostle, Jesus changes lives. Amen.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all. Amen.