Many Believed on the Lord

Turned to the Lord

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Two times in Acts 9 God did a mighty thing, and two times people came to Jesus. At Lydda, “all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord” (Acts 9:35). At Joppa, “many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9:42).

Turned. To turn means to change direction. Think of walking one way down a road and then turning all the way around.

Turned to the Lord. Turning to the Lord means turning away from sin and going God’s way. The Bible calls this repentance.

Believed on the Lord. Believing on the Lord means trusting Jesus. You lean your whole weight on Him, the way you sit down on a strong chair.

They go together. Turning and believing go together. You turn away from sin, and you trust Jesus to save you.

A whole area. Not just a few, but “all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon” turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35). God was drawing a whole area to Jesus.

Why it mattered. Aeneas walked again, but one day he would grow old. Tabitha lived again, but most likely she died again later. Only Jesus gives life that lasts forever.

The biggest miracle. The biggest miracle in Joppa was not only a woman sitting up. It was many hearts turning to Jesus.

It happened before. When Jesus raised His friend Lazarus, “many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus” (John 12:11). God’s mighty works lead people to His Son.

Children of God. The Bible says, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

The good news. We all have sinned. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Everyone who turns to Him and trusts Him is forgiven.

How it spread. “It became known throughout all Joppa” (Acts 9:42). People told other people. That is how the good news still travels today.

A changed direction. Turning to the Lord is not only for one day. It means following Jesus every day after that, the way you keep walking on a new road.

What we learn. God does wonderful things so that people will come to know Jesus.

What to do. Have you turned to the Lord? If not, you can do it today. Tell Jesus you are sorry for your sin, and trust Him to save you.

Acts 9 tells of two towns and two answers. At Lydda they “turned to the Lord” (9:35); at Joppa “many believed on the Lord” (9:42).

Epistrepho. The word for turned is epistrepho (say: eh-pee-STREF-oh), to turn around or to return. It pictures a person who stops, turns and faces a new direction.

Repentance and faith. Turning and believing are two sides of coming to Christ. Repentance turns away from sin; faith trusts the Lord. Paul later summed up his whole message the same way, “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

A whole region. “All who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon” turned (9:35). God was drawing a whole area to His Son, not only a few people.

Not by sight alone. Seeing a miracle does not save anyone. Some who saw Jesus’ own signs still did not believe. Faith is the heart’s answer to the Lord the sign points to.

The object of faith. They “believed on the Lord.” Faith is only as strong as the One it rests on, and the risen Lord is worthy of all our trust.

Received. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Believing on Him is receiving Him.

The sign, not the goal. At Lydda and Joppa the healings drew attention, but the result was faith in the Lord. It was the same after Lazarus: “many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus” (John 12:11).

For a time and forever. Aeneas’ strength and Tabitha’s breath were gifts for this life. Faith in the Lord brings life that does not end.

The word spread. “It became known throughout all Joppa.” News passed from house to house. Most likely Peter’s “many days in Joppa” (9:43) were spent teaching the new believers.

The gospel they believed. All have sinned. Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. Whoever turns to Him and trusts Him is forgiven and receives eternal life.

Application. Turning and trusting are not a feeling for one day but a direction for life. If you have turned to the Lord, keep facing Him every day.

God Bearing Witness

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Why did God let Peter heal Aeneas and raise Tabitha? The Bible gives an answer in Hebrews 2.

A great salvation. Hebrews calls the good news about Jesus “so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). The Lord Jesus Himself first told it.

Passed on. Then it “was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” (Hebrews 2:3). Peter was one of the people who heard Jesus and passed on His message.

God bearing witness. God showed that the message was true. He was “bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 2:4).

Witness. A witness tells what is true. God’s miracles were like God Himself saying that the message about Jesus is true.

Signs. A sign points to something beyond itself. A road sign points to a city. Miracles pointed to Jesus.

Jesus’ promise. Jesus told His disciples, “he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also” (John 14:12). At Lydda and Joppa, Peter did works like Jesus’ works.

Gifts of the Spirit. God also gives “gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 2:4). He gives them to help His people and to point others to Jesus.

Whose power? Peter did not have power of his own. He said to Aeneas, “Jesus the Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34). Jesus was working through His people.

Believe the works. Jesus also said, “believe Me for the sake of the works themselves” (John 14:11). His works showed that He truly came from the Father.

As God wants. Hebrews 2:4 says God gives these gifts “according to His own will.” He decides when to heal. Paul once had to leave his friend Trophimus behind, sick (2 Timothy 4:20).

When God says wait. God does not heal every sickness right away. That does not mean He does not care. He hears every prayer, and one day He will make His people well forever.

The greatest sign. The greatest sign of all is Jesus’ own resurrection. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and God raised Him from the dead on the third day.

What we learn. Miracles are God’s way of pointing to Jesus. The good news they point to matters even more than the miracles.

What to do. Pray for people who are sick, and trust God with the answer. Thank Him for the good news that Jesus saves.

Hebrews asks, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2:3-4).

Spoken, confirmed, witnessed. The Lord spoke the message. Those who heard Him, the apostles, passed it on. God added His own witness with signs. Peter at Lydda and Joppa was one of “those who heard Him.”

Signs, wonders and miracles. A sign points to a meaning. A wonder makes people marvel. A miracle is a mighty work of power. Aeneas standing and Tabitha sitting up were all three.

John 14:11-12. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Greater works. Jesus went to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. Many Christians see the greater works as the gospel reaching the whole world through His church.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 2:4 also names “gifts of the Holy Spirit,” given as God wills. They are given to build up the church and to point to Jesus, never to make the one who uses them famous.

Still His works. Peter never claimed the power: “Jesus the Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34). The works the disciples did were Christ’s works through them.

According to His own will. God gives signs as He chooses. Paul, who saw many healed, wrote, “Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick” (2 Timothy 4:20). God still loves the believer who is not healed.

The sign behind every sign. Every miracle in Acts rests on one event: Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. The resurrection is God’s greatest witness that the message is true.

Do not neglect. Hebrews warns against neglecting “so great a salvation.” The right answer to God’s witness is to believe it and trust His Son.

Application. Pray boldly for the sick, trust God’s will with the answer, and keep pointing people to the Savior every sign points to.

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