Barnabas Takes a BIG Chance
Jesus had turned Saul's life upside down. And now He was using Saul to do the same to the Jews of Damascus. This one time bitter enemy of Christ was now boldly proclaiming that the Man from Nazareth is both Messiah and Son of God. And as he grew in His faith, Saul used the OT Scriptures to prove it in the synagogues.
At this point, the Damascene Jews have had enough (v23). The Sanhedrin had sent the former Pharisee to put out this brush fire in Syria. Instead he poured gasoline on it. Revival was breaking out in Damascus. Jews were turning to Jesus for salvation. The Jewish leaders decided to put a hit on Saul. This would be the first in a long line of assassination plots against Christ's Apostle to the Gentiles. That's what can happen when you go rogue for Christ.
Somehow, Saul gets word of the contract on his life (v24). When he tries to make a break for it through the city gates, he sees that Jewish officials have posted a 24-hour guard at each one. This is a big problem. Damascus is a walled city. But the disciples had a plan (v25). One dark night, Saul's fellow disciples lower him through the city wall in a basket. This is the same method of escape used on more than one occasion in the OT (Josh 2:15; 1Sam 19:12).
Saul makes his escape to Jerusalem (v26). It's been three years since he left the city on his assignment to terrorize Christ's followers in Damascus (Acts 9:1-2; Gal 1:17-18). How will he be received on his return? The Jewish leaders will no doubt be on the lookout for this traitor. His only hope is to find the few disciples of Jesus that remained in the city.
But Christ's followers wanted absolutely nothing to do with Saul. "They were all afraid of him, for they did not believe he was a disciple." Clearly they thought this was a transparent plot by Saul to infiltrate their ranks and take them down from the inside. They simply weren't buying the fact that their bitter enemy was now their new best friend.
That's where Barnabas steps in (v27). Luke introduced him to us back in Acts 4:36. His real name is Joseph. He's from Cyprus, a large island in the Mediterranean. He's a Jew, a Levite in fact. At some point, he became a follower of Jesus. The apostles started calling him Barnabas. That's Aramaic and means "Son of Encouragement." Barnabas was clearly one of those guys that made you feel good to hang around. He believed in people. Well, it's probably better stated that he believed in what God could do in people!
Barnabas took a HUGE chance. He believed that Jesus had truly gotten ahold of Saul and transformed him. This was an enormous risk. This was a leap of faith that could cost Barnabas his life. If Saul truly is a mole, Barnabas would likely face the same brutal death as Stephen.
But Barnabas takes the ultimate risk of introducing Saul to the apostles (v27). According to the letter to Galatia, Saul met Peter and Jesus' younger brother James (Gal 1:18). None of the others were in town at the time. Barnabas puts not only his reputation but his life and the lives of the others on the line. Little did the Cypriot realize how much his relationship with the man from Tarsus would change his world over the next few years.
He tells them about how Jesus had blown Saul's doors off on the Damascus Expressway. He tells them that Saul "had seen the Lord who spoke to him." This is important. VERY important. The fact that the risen Jesus appeared to Saul and spoke to Saul changes EVERYTHING. It certainly had changed Saul. Barnabas goes on to describe how this former Jewish special agent went on to boldly preach Jesus to the Jews in Damascus. Apparently, Barnabas must have spent some time in the Syrian capital and witnessed this amazing turnaround.
As a result, Jesus' apostles take Barnabas' word and accept Saul. Barnabas had earned the reputation as someone who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk (Acts 4:36). Saul began to do the same thing in Jerusalem that he had done in Damascus, "preaching boldly in the name of the Lord" (v28). Clearly, he didn't fear the reprisal of the Jewish leadership. This was all thanks to Barnabas' faith in what God could do in the lives of even his worst enemy.
What do you and I believe God is capable of? Can he get ahold of our greatest nemesis, our biggest bully, our worst tormentor and turn them around? And when He does, what is our reaction? Will we reject them? Or will we take a the chance and accept them?
Barnabas knew that Jesus had taken the chance on him. This is not about seeing Barnabas as some great example to follow. It is about believing in a God who can transform the worst of His enemies into His greatest missionaries.
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