I Saw The Light!

Acts 9:3-6 "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

There is an inseparable union between Christ and His followers. Jesus know what goes on in this world and the scripture which states “Why persecutest thou me?” Speaks to Saul's direct attack on the body of Christ. (Matt. 18:5-6). Remember, Saul was a Pharisee and he was a proud man. To fall before the Lord would be humiliating, but to fall on his face before this Light is a very humbling experience. This voice from heaven leaves no doubt who it is when he hears it. "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" The voice coming from Jesus is saying that Saul is persecuting Him. Remember Saul is a religious man who thinks he is doing right, so this will come as a great shock to him.

The scripture above depicts Saul as a rebellious beast that fights against the prod (against the pricks) of its master (Acts 26:14). He is persecuting Jesus in that he is afflicting the body of Christ. When someone does something for or against a Christian, Jesus Christ not only knows but feels it just as we do (Matt. 25:35-40). Like the old gospel songs that says, "He knows just how much we can bear" Jesus is moved with the feeling of our infirmities. We see here, that Saul has been just like so many sinners before they come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They and he, were going headlong to destruction. We see Saul was putting himself in great hardship to do this deed, thinking it was right in his own sight. He hadn’t stopped to consult with God and make sure he was on the right course. Self-indulgence gets many on the wrong path. Jesus, at some point in time, comes in nearness to each of us with His glorious Light. It stops us dead in our tracks and creates a point at which we can follow Jesus to eternal life, or follow the way of the world to destruction and hell.

Notice here, that Saul calls Jesus Lord. He recognizes that this is the Lord of the universe.

Saul is wise in that he asks his name, so that he too, might worship Him. We see that this encounter of Saul with the Light of the world will change him forever. Saul has wanted to please God all along; he just didn't know the will of God. You cannot do the will of God, until you know the will of God. This dramatic encounter that Saul experienced, happens to very few people. I believe the Lord did this, because of His foreknowledge of what Saul would do. The Lord pricks our heart and sometimes we do not accept it. The Lord tells Saul; he has been fighting against Him. Thank God that Saul listen to voice of God which changed his life and the life of many. Saul saw the light!