So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” – Acts 9:6 NKJV
Have you had a personal encounter with the Living God?
Saul, an enemy of Christ, religious zealot and persecutor of true followers of the Way (the Apostles and others) encountered the risen Christ. Saul was a stumbling block to those who would claim Jesus as our Lord and our God.
Saul of Tarsus’ encounter with the risen Christ is no less significant than an earlier encounter of Moses with God in the burning bush. This man, a leading disciple of the Temple is zealous for God; yet before this personal encounter Saul was galvanized against the risen Jesus, God Incarnate.
Saul comes to the unknown: as Moses approached the unknown and as we each approach God in faith; for God has drawn us into His Presence. We have come from our place of complete understanding onto the Holy ground of marvelous mystery.
God IS. Jesus IS.
Now what must I do?
Saul had asked the risen Jesus at this moment the obvious question: NOT just, ‘what are you?’, but, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
Saul had finally bowed down in humility to Jesus Christ, Son of God. Saul in worship finally bowed down in humility as we we all must at the moment we encounter Jesus as ‘our Lord.’
Acts: 9:4 ESV And falling to the ground he 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.”
“Who are you, Lord?”
Is that what you ask of Jesus now that you have met Him?
Lord, ‘kyrios’: This ‘relationship‘ between Jesus and a ‘Christian’ believer and follower is used over 100 times in the Acts of the Apostles. This relationship of Jesus as Lord is to show you, dear brother or dear sister in the Lord, and to show me Who Jesus IS and who we are to become in our relationship to Him as our Lord.
he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord
the possessor and disposer of a thing
the owner; one who has control of the person, the master
in the state: the sovereign, prince, chief, the Roman emperor
is a title of honour expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master
this title is given to: God, the Messiah
Before we bowed down to Christ as our Lord we were stumbling blocks to those who would believe, yet witnessed in us how Christ was NOT our Lord.
- Jesus was: before He was born of Mary.
- Jesus was: before He was crucified on the Cross
- Jesus was: as He appeared in His broken flesh to the Apostles
- Jesus was: when you were born
- Jesus IS: in this very moment and place
- Jesus IS: when your flesh must die
- Jesus will BE: in the resurrection of souls for ALL time and eternity!
What must we do, Lord?
The answer of Christ is as individual and personal as our new relationship with Jesus as our Lord.
For Saul who would become known as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, the answer was clear and specific:
Acts 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
When we first encounter our risen “Lord,” we may also be blind. We will be told what to do.
IF Jesus is your Lord, take HIS hand and allow your new Lord to lead you into the city of faith.
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