Acts 9:36-43 | "Power in Prayer"

Public Reading of Scripture [Acts 9:36-43]

Acts 9:36–43 ESV

36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

Pray

Introduction

Throughout the book of Acts, God is presented as working miracles that when they become known, lead to faith in Jesus.

The miracle of all miracles is not the healing of paralyzed man, or even the raising to life of a woman who has died, but the miracle of all miracles is when God gives life to those who are dead in sin, so they might experience a new birth and live a new life in Jesus — a life in which they will never die again.

After the conversion of Saul, Luke records a series of miracles that the Lord works by Peter.

These miracles are leading up to an important event - the new birth (conversion, coming to faith) of a man named Cornelius, a Gentile, an outsider to the Jewish faith, who will be welcomed into the Christian faith.

And the gift of the Holy Spirit will be poured out on Gentiles and the good news about Jesus will go forth to the end of the earth.

But before this event, God is divinely positioning Peter for what will take place next.

And God does not waste times of positioning.

God’s power is demonstrated in the journey as much as it is at the final destination.

When I travel, I want to get where I am going, and I don’t want to stop along the way. Travel for me is wasted time.

Walking with God is not like that. Every step, every stop, is a destination when walking with God. Every moment matters.

The journey is how God positions us to be his instruments and witnesses for Jesus.

It is in the “passing through” moments where the power of God is most often on display.

God is a God of the way. He does not work only in a temple or in a certain city (Jerusalem), but God works in these days by His Spirit in a different temple, the temple of the bodies of His people wherever their feet walk. (see Keener, Acts).

Peter will eventually arrive at his destination of Caesarea where God will use him to witness to Cornelius and his household.

Caesarea was the place that Philip the Evangelist, the one who was a witness for Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, ended up after he had “passed through” and “preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.”

Now, sometime later, Peter is journeying this same way. And he comes to these towns where Philip would have either preached Jesus or the message would have travelled from his preaching. The testimony of Jesus would have been scattered and planted and believed in these places because of Philip’s preaching as he passed through.

In the first place Peter arrives, a placed called Lydda, Peter finds a man named Aeneas, bedridden, because he had been paralyzed for eight years.

Acts 9:34–35 ESV

34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

This is follow-up ministry. This is pastoral ministry.

Philip the Evangelist brought the first wave of the gospel, and Peter follows reinforcing that message. It is more than just words — Jesus is alive and has the power to heal! Jesus Christ raises up those who are bedridden and disabled because of disease.

And at witnessing this healing, many turned to the Lord. It was obvious that Peter’s actions pointed to Jesus.

Some suggest Peter had a spiritual gift of healing. Whatever gift God gives you by His Holy Spirit, he gives it so that people will be turned to the Lord, or strengthened in the Lord. God will position you in places to use His gift.

Being positioned in Lydda, the Scriptures now turn to a development in Joppa, some ten-twelve miles away.

Acts 9:36 ESV

36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.

Tabitha is first introduced as a disciple. It is likely she was one who believed Philip’s preaching about Jesus when he passed through.

She is a female disciple.

Luke, as he writes his gospel account and Acts, is careful to point out often that being a follower of Jesus was not limited only to men. Women were also disciples, and he records women as having an important place in the faith.

(Luke 8:1-3) “...Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” [They had much to offer in service to the Lord] (Luke 10:38-42) Mary and Martha. Later in Acts we’ll learn of Lydia (Acts 16:14-15), and a woman named Damaris (Acts 17:34).

Tabitha was one of these women disciples. Tabitha is the Aramaic name meaning “gazelle.” Luke’s readers speak Greek so he translates her name with the Greek “Dorcas” which means the same - gazelle, or deer.

The Scriptures do not tell us the significance of her name, but Luke only translates a name three times in Acts.

Once with Joseph who is called Barnabas “his name means ‘son of encouragement’ (Acts 4:36). Again with Tabitha, and another with Elymas to come later (Acts 13:8).

This translation of her name is meant as an attention-grabber. It records with specificity an event that took place with an actual person that would become widely known.

With this story of Tabitha, it is also a reminder that the power of Jesus that will be displayed in her is a power that translates culture and language, in keeping with the mission of Acts for the testimony of Jesus to translate from Jerusalem to the end of the earth!

Tabitha is introduced as a disciple, and also as one who was “full of good works and acts of charity.”

In the Scriptures you might think that the only good works for God are those works of teaching, preaching, healing. . . but here God highlights a woman who was kind. She was a giver. “Acts of charity” means she had mercy and cared for others who were in need. The fruit of the Spirit was evident in her life.

This mercy and generosity was her gift from God, and she was using it for the Lord to benefit others. Such “acts of charity” will play a prominent role in the story of Cornelius in the following chapter.

Tabitha is a disciple of Jesus that serves others, and Cornelius will be someone who does not know Jesus, but will serve others.

Both have an encounter with the living God! Not because of their good works, but their works are not unnoticed by God and are emphasized in Scripture. Their works represent the mercy God has for those in need.

The Greek language adds another emphasis not captured in this English — it says “she was full of good deeds and charitable giving which she was constantly doing.”

This is necessary to say, that she was constantly doing these good works, because what comes next in verse 37 brings a stop to her works.

Acts 9:37 ESV

37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

Tabitha’s constant good works and acts of charity did not keep her from illness and death. It is in “those days” — the days of her good service, that she died.

A common question is “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Or in this case, “Why did such a bad thing happen to a person who did such good?”

That’s the tension God wants you to feel at this point. To think about how good your works can be, and yet even being a person who does good things will not keep you from the reality of death.

Being a disciple of Jesus will not keep a person from illness, and death. Following Jesus and doing good does not guarantee a pass from suffering.

Tabitha died.

The last record of death in Acts was Stephen, a servant in the church, a preacher of Jesus, and the Scriptures say that Stephen “fell asleep.”

But here, Tabitha dies.

That word for “death” is used to draw our attention to the finality of her condition.

The constant good works and charity has now ceased. Without a miracle of God, death prevails and prevents good works pointing to faith in Jesus’ name.

Acts 9:38 ESV

38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.”

The disciples knew Peter was near. God had positioned Peter near.

They had likely heard that God had used Peter to heal Aenas. Perhaps God might use Peter to heal Tabitha?

They ask for him to come without delay.

The Jewish custom was to bury a body before sundown. But faith is implied on the part of these disciples in Joppa, for they place her body in an upper room and call for Peter.

Faith is present believing that the Lord might yet do a work!

Acts 9:39 ESV

39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

The text reveals more detail concerning Tabitha’s good works. Specifically, she made tunics and garments for widows.

Widows are especially near to the heart of God. Widows and orphans — those who are most vulnerable, who in this culture are dependent on the care of others.

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

This was the religion of Tabitha.

It was those who were most blessed by her works of faith that were weeping at her death.

They were showing Peter what clothes Tabitha had given, with the language suggesting they were wearing the clothes she had made.

Acts 9:40 ESV

40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

Why did Peter put all of the widows outside?

This is exactly what Jesus had done when he healed the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5).

In that account, there was a commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. They laughed when Jesus said Jairus’ daughter was only sleeping, and Jesus put them outside.

Peter does likewise here. It is a pastorally sensitive thing to do.

Grief is powerful, and can cause people to lose control in emotion. To doubt or lose faith when they otherwise would believe. In their grief, if they had witnessed the miracle of God, they may not have the capacity to remember later what they had seen.

So Peter puts them out, kneels down, and prays.

Did you notice, in this account, that God is not mentioned as acting? Of course, He is acting, but He is not mentioned as acting. There is no mention of “God spoke, or God raised, or God did this or that....”

Only one word links what happens in this miracle to the work of God, and it is the word “prayer.”

The attention will be drawn to Tabitha being made alive again, but for the believers such equal attention should be drawn to the fact that she was made alive because Peter prayed!

“Peter knelt down and prayed.” The power of God is displayed here, through prayer.

Peter doesn’t raise Tabitha. Jesus raises Tabitha. But Jesus does it through Peter who prayed . . .

I imagine Peter asking the Lord what to do.

Perhaps he reminded Jesus of how he witnessed Jesus raise Jarius’ daughter?

Or perhaps in that prayer Jesus reminded Peter of that occasion and instructed him to do likewise here to remind everyone else that the same power that raised Jarius’ daughter is still alive to raise Tabitha!

So Peter says “Tabitha, arise!”

“And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”

In the power of Jesus that thing — death — that prevented the works of God from proceeding forth from the service of this woman is reversed, and she lives again!

Acts 9:41 ESV

41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

A reuniting occurs — Tabitha is presented alive to the widows and also to the saints!

Why did God raise Tabitha? Will God do this today? Does God do this today?

G.Campbell-Morgan points out raising the dead is something Jesus did very rarely, recorded on only three occasions.

In every case: Jarius’ daughter, the young man of Nain, and Lazarus - Jesus did it to comfort those who were mourning.

But every person that was brought back to life was brought back into suffering again. They were brought back from a place of peace to turmoil, to grow old, to experience more conflict. And to one day — die, again.

But yet even in this, the Lord had a purpose beyond comforting the mourning.

As with the other miracles performed in Acts, this miracle was performed to further the testimony of Jesus.

Acts 9:42 ESV

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

The work itself did not save anyone, but making it known caused many to believe!

Jesus had given all preachers a new and true illustration to use in their preaching!

The clothes Tabitha had made now became clothes with a testimony.

The miracle did not belong to Peter — but it clearly displayed the power of Jesus because many believed not in Peter, but in the Lord!

This miracle had the fingerprints of Jesus all over it!

Acts 9:43 ESV

43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

Positioned yet again for the work the Lord would do next.

Conclusion

Was Tabitha raised to life because she performed good works or acts of charity?

Or was she raised because she was a disciple? To comfort the mourning? Or care for the widows?

The Scriptures do not tell us why.

But Tabitha’s life being restored is a prelude to the resurrection we all will experience one day soon.

Jesus said:

John 5:25–29 ESV

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

We all have only one life to live. All will be raised to a resurrection.

What will our life be known for? Why kind of resurrection will we be raised to?

Jarius’ daughter died again. Lazarus died again. Tabitha died again.

But the good news about Jesus says that Jesus will never die again.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Jesus died once for all sin, being judged in our place. He offers forgiveness from sin and a new life if we believe in his name.

Throughout the book of Acts, God is presented as working miracles that when they become known, lead to faith in Jesus.

The miracle of all miracles is not the healing of paralyzed man, or even the raising to life of a woman who has died, but the miracle of all miracles is when God gives life to those who are dead in sin, so they might experience a new birth and live a new life in Jesus — a life in which they will never die again.