What does Acts 9:12 mean?
Ananias is a Jesus-follower in Damascus who knows about the Saul who initiated the violent persecution of the church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). Because Saul later refers to him as "devout" (Acts 22:12), he may be a Gentile who worshiped the Jewish God before he became a Christian. He is not the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–6) or the future high priest whom Saul will offend (Acts 23:2; 24:1).Despite living 133 miles from Jerusalem, Ananias is still nervous that Saul, under the authority of the Sanhedrin, is coming to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers. Now, Jesus is telling him that Saul has reached the city and he needs to find him. On the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul in a blazing light and asked him why he was persecuting Him (Acts 9:1–9). For the last three days, Saul has been in a house, fasting from food and drink, and praying.
What's more, Saul is blind, and Jesus wants Ananias to heal him. Healing the blind is a miracle that is particularly associated with the Messiah (Isaiah 42:7). Only Jesus is credited with healing of blindness in Scripture—including here, where Ananias acts as something of a surrogate or conduit for Christ's healing. If Saul has any doubt about who Jesus is, this healing will end it. But Ananias needs more convincing.
Acts 9:10–19 explains how the greatest earthly enemy of the early church experienced a change of heart. Saul is a Pharisee-trained, Greek-speaking Jew and zealous persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:1–3). He asked for permission to hunt Jesus-followers in Damascus, but found Jesus, instead (Acts 9:1–9). Blinded by Jesus' glory, he has been waiting in Damascus for Ananias, a Jesus-follower. Ananias arrives and participates as as Jesus heals Saul from both physical and spiritual blindness. Saul is baptized and takes physical nourishment. Saul stays in Damascus for some time and immediately takes his extensive training in Jewish Scripture to argue that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. The Sanhedrin's hitman is now a target of his former allies.
Acts 9 sets the stage for the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Saul continues the persecution of the church by traveling to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers. Before he reaches the city, Jesus confronts him. Saul realizes Jesus is the Messiah and immediately starts spreading the news, first in Damascus and later in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Peter travels to modern-day Tel Aviv to heal a paralyzed man and bring a dead woman back to life. The miracles aren't unusual, but the story leaves him in Joppa, poised to take the next step in Jesus' mandate to be His witness (Acts 1:8).
