Saul (Paul) Escapes in a Basket

Paul Escapes in a Basket
Acts 9: 10-25

This story takes place right after Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, please see our story Jesus Appears to Saul on the Damascus Road..

After Jesus appeared to Saul, he became blinded and some people led him to Damascus, and Jesus appeared to a man named Ananias who was told that Saul was Jesus' chosen person to teach the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. Jesus told Ananias that Saul had been given a vision, that a man named Ananias would come and put his hands on him, and that his sight would be given back to him.

Ananias knew that Saul had done bad things to the Christians, but he obeyed the Lord Jesus and went to the house where Saul was, and put his hands on him and said "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus that appeared to you has sent me so you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately Saul could see, and he arose and was baptized. Isn't that wonderful? Even though Ananias knew that Saul had done bad things, he called him "brother" because Jesus had told him that Saul was now a Christian. And so should we also be kind and love other Christians.

After that Saul (who was also called Paul) had some food, and felt stronger. And he stayed for some time with the disciples (followers of Jesus) who were living in Damascus.

And right away, Saul went to the synagogues (where the Jews worshipped) and preached to them that Christ is the Son of God. Everyone that heard him preach was amazed, because they knew that Saul had many people killed that were Christians before he met the Lord Jesus, and they thought that maybe Saul would take them to the chief priests too. They didn't understand that now Saul was also a Christian, and that is why he preached about Jesus.

After Saul had preached for quite awhile, the Jews met and thought about how they might kill Saul, and they watched for him day and night at the gates of the city.. But Saul knew what they were planning to do. So at nighttime, the disciples took Saul and let him down the wall of the city in a basket, and then he went to Jerusalem and tried to stay with the disciples there. But they were all afraid of him, and didn't believe that he was now a disciple too. But a man named Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and told them that Jesus had spoken to Saul, and how he preached with boldness in Damascus about the Lord Jesus, and so Saul stayed with them.

Memory Verse: Acts 9:15..."go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles..."

Questions:
1 Why did Jesus send Ananias to Saul?
2 What did Ananias know about Saul from before he became a Christian?
3 What did Ananias call Saul when he went to see him and why did he call him that?
4. Why do you think the Jews wanted to kill Saul?
5. Why do you think his friends let him down in a basket?

Answers:
1. To put his hands on Saul so that his sight would be restored.
2. He knew that Saul had done bad things to Christians
3. He called Saul "brother" because Jesus told him that Saul was his chosen person to preach to the Gentiles.
4. Because he was preaching about the Lord Jesus, and they didn't believe in Jesus.
5. Because the Jews were watching by the gates and they wouldn't see Saul come down in the basket so he could get away.

V. Gross/Feb'04