Who are You Lord?

Acts 9:1-25 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link on links page)

The Conversion of Saul

9 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, ² and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; ⁴ and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, ⁶ but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” ⁷ The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; ¹⁶ for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” ¹⁷ So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; ¹⁹ and he took food and was strengthened.

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, ²⁰ and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ²¹ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

²³ When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, ²⁴ but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; ⁴ and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”       Saul recognized that this person who was speaking to him had authority over him, he recognized that this one was worthy to be called Lord. Saul did not yet have the revelation though that it was Jesus. The revelation that Jesus is the Christ comes to people in different ways. For some it comes through reading God's word, others see His love, mercy and grace touching them through others who are Christ's followers. Some experience a life changing event and recognize the hand of God and Jesus in that moment. For Saul, who was definitely an A-type personallity, it required that the Lord knock him to the ground and blind his physical eyes, so that he had no choice but to look up and see and hear with his spiritual senses.

The text continues:   And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, ⁶ but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” ⁷ The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.      Saul was three days without sight, the same amount of time Jonah spent in the belly of the whale when he had tried to run from the call of God on his life.  Jesus had said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, when they asked Him for a sign from heaven:    The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. ² But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? ⁴ An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.      Saul now is having his own "belly of the whale" expeience. Sometimes God puts people in a place where there is nothing they can do but look up and ask who are you Lord.

When we finally come to that place, the place of seeking the full revelation of who Christ is, He will answer us. Jesus says: ⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.(Matthew 7:7-8)   The ironic thing is that Jesus also says:  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.(Revelation 3:20)

Jesus is really the one who knocks first on the door of our heart and mind. He waits patiently and continues to allow the circumstances of our lives, both the good and the bad, to bring us to the place where we ask who are You Lord.  

God calls on His  servant Ananias, to go and lay hands on Saul to restore him. Ananias responds with some hesitation, knowing the reputation of this evil man Saul.   God assures Ananias that He knows what He's doing. The text says:     But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; ¹⁶ for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”    We too need to be willing to do as Jesus says:  " love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45)  No matter how many evil terrorists our military eliminates, there are more to take their place. But, if we join with God in praying that they come to the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, they might change and do as Saul did, go from persecuter to preacher.  

 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” ²² But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.    There is nothing more powerful than the testimony of a changed life.   Saul died to his old ways during those three days. He was raised up into a new life. God even changed His name to Paul. When we finally come to the end of our selves and ask; Who are You Lord? All the old is gone. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.    We are raised up, like Saul, into a new life.

Today if you know that Jesus is the Christ, if by whatever means He has made that real to you, then all that is left for you is to rise up and walk in the fullness of His calling and commission for your life, testifying and even like Paul,  proving that this Jesus is the Christ. 

If you don't know the Lord, then know this: He does indeed stand at the door and knock. God will use every circumstance in your life, the good and the bad, to bring you to the place where you look up and say; Who are You Lord?    When you ask He will  be faithful. He will open the door and come in. Your life will never be the same.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, precious Holy Spirit, thank You for never stopping until I answered the knock on the door of my heart. I know that You Jesus, are the Christ. I ask that You fill me and empower me with the Holy Spirit, so that Like Paul, through my life and my words, I too would prove to others that Jesus is the Christ.   Amen