Peter's Missionary Journey Series

October 21, 2023

Peter dominates the 1st 12 chapters of Acts. He is mentioned 53 times in Acts with 52 of those times occurring in chapters 1-12.

Peter traveled the country ministering to the believers as he went. One of the places he visited was the town of Lydda.

Lydda – Now the town of Lod, Israel

Lydda is 30 miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Lydda occupied a picturesque hollow in the plain of Sharon - surrounded by gardens and orchards. The town stood on the great caravan road between Babylon and Egypt, which meant trade for the inhabitants. The area was once known as “the valley of craftsmen.”

While at Lydda, Peter came across a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed for 8 years. There isn’t a recorded conversation between the two, Peter simply looked at Aeneas and said, “Jesus Christ has healed you. Get up and take care of your mat.” – short and sweet.

Immediately, Aeneas stood up. Those who witnessed this encounter turned to the Lord. Peter remained at Lydda until he was called to Joppa.

Joppa – Now the town of Jaffa, a suburb of Tel-Aviv, Israel

Joppa is 11 miles west of Lydda.

Joppa is a port city built on a 116 ft. rocky mound at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times the port was utilized for trade between with Egypt, Syria and Asia.

In Joppa there lived a godly woman named Tabitha – better known to us as Dorcas. {Both Tabitha (Aramaic) and Dorcas (Greek) mean gazelle}. We don’t know much about Tabitha. We don’t know her age, if she was married or if she had children. What we do know is that she was a disciple of Jesus and was “full of good works and acts of charity.”

She displayed her love for Christ in practical ways - continually working to meet the pressing needs of those around her. Her life was filled with acts of kindness and she was deeply loved for her charitable work amongst the poor and widows of the town.

She became sick and died. Her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Since Lydda and Joppa were not far apart, men were sent to bring Peter to Joppa. When he arrived at Joppa, he was taken to the room where Tabitha lay. All the widows stood around him weeping. The very clothes they wore bore witness to her love, but it wasn’t just the clothes -- it was her friendship and her willingness to get involved in their life struggles that brought them to tears.

Peter sent the women out of the room, got on his knees and prayed. He rose and faced the dead women,

“Tabitha, get up!” he said.

She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter took her hand, helped her up and presented her to the believers.

• Acts 9:42-43 - This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Caesarea – Israel

Caesarea is 40 miles north of Joppa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Caesarea was an ancient port city and the capital of Roman Judea. It was once a Phoenician trading village, but became a Jewish village in the 1st century BC under the Hasmonean kings. In 63 BC, the village was annexed by Rome. In 22 BC, significant building projects were commissioned by Herod the Great and the town was renamed Caesarea in honor of Cesar Augustus. Construction included: a deep-water harbor, storerooms, markets, wide roads, baths, temples, imposing public buildings and a palace for Herod.

When Judea became a Roman province in 6 AD, Caesarea replaced Jerusalem as its civilian and military capital and became the official residence of its governors. It became known as the administrative, economic, and cultural capital Judea.

Every five years, the city hosted major sports competitions, gladiator games, and theatrical productions in its theatre overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Cornelius lived in Caesarea. He was a Centurion in the Italian Cohort. He was a believer in God who was known for his generosity.

One day, God appeared to him in vision instructing him to send some men to Joppa to locate Peter and bring him back to Caesarea.

The next day, as Cornelius’ men were approaching Joppa, a hungry Peter went up to the roof of the house. While waiting for lunch to be served, he had a vision.

The sky opened and something resembling a sheet came down. In it were all kinds of unclean animals. Peter was instructed to get up, kill and eat.

“I have never eaten anything unholy or unclean!” He protested.

“What God has made clean is no longer unholy or unclean.” Came the response.

This conversation was repeated 2 more times than the sheet was taken back to heaven.