Why Are You Persecuting Me?
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Acts 09:04 (22:07; 26:14) And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Read the context: Acts 9
???
? What kind of light and a voice might cause Saul to "fall to the ground?"
? Why might Jesus have said "Saul, Saul?"
? How is Jesus' question to Saul similar to when God asked Adam and Eve "where are you?"
JNE: If you are like me, when my dad or mom called me by my full name, "JOSEPH NEIL," I knew I better listen. To our Christian ears Saul responded with an unusual question: "who are you, Lord?" He called Him "Lord," Whom we would assume was Jesus, but Saul didn't know. He obviously thought it was God"s ("Lord") voice. So, imagine his reaction when the voice answered, "I AM Jesus." Saul had been fiercely committed to the idea that Jesus was the imposter, the blasphemer, who paid with his life for the foolishness of his charade. Saul had come with strong men to capture and stop the followers of Jesus from continuing their rebellious movement. There was no one who could stand against them, at least no none had escaped them yet.
In the blink of an eye in the time it took for a brilliant sparkle of light, Saul was laying on the ground. The hunter became the hunted, the captor became the captive, the mighty became the meek. Then
came the question Saul was compelled to ponder. It wasn't "why are you persecuting my followers," it was, "why are you persecuting Me?" The idea had never crossed Saul's mind. Jesus was dead and gone, a non-issue. The followers of Jesus were the focus of Saul's persecution, and the persecution was justified because of their blind and zealous rebellion against the God of Israel. Saul was coming with authority and force, Jesus came with light and words.
Many of the questions God asks are for those who follow, or at least claim to follow Him. This is a question addressed to non-believers, to people who think of Christians as foolish, judgmental enemies. There are people who make both casual and serious sport of persecuting Christians. They should hope, and Christians should pray, that they see the LIGHT and hear the WORD, and realize that the One they have been treating so wrongly is the One Who loves them so much that He died to pay the penalty of their blind persecutions. They must ask the question "who are You, Lord?" Then they must sincerely ponder what the Bible says about this One Who can both stop us and start us in an instant, with arresting words or actions. Listen for God to call you by name, your full name, and possibly in a multitude of different ways throw you to the ground and ask you to seriously and humbly ponder Who Jesus Christ really is?
Read "The Gospel?"
Acts 09:04 (22:07; 26:14) And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Read the context: Acts 9
???
? What kind of light and a voice might cause Saul to "fall to the ground?"
? Why might Jesus have said "Saul, Saul?"
? How is Jesus' question to Saul similar to when God asked Adam and Eve "where are you?"
JNE: If you are like me, when my dad or mom called me by my full name, "JOSEPH NEIL," I knew I better listen. To our Christian ears Saul responded with an unusual question: "who are you, Lord?" He called Him "Lord," Whom we would assume was Jesus, but Saul didn't know. He obviously thought it was God"s ("Lord") voice. So, imagine his reaction when the voice answered, "I AM Jesus." Saul had been fiercely committed to the idea that Jesus was the imposter, the blasphemer, who paid with his life for the foolishness of his charade. Saul had come with strong men to capture and stop the followers of Jesus from continuing their rebellious movement. There was no one who could stand against them, at least no none had escaped them yet.
In the blink of an eye in the time it took for a brilliant sparkle of light, Saul was laying on the ground. The hunter became the hunted, the captor became the captive, the mighty became the meek. Then
came the question Saul was compelled to ponder. It wasn't "why are you persecuting my followers," it was, "why are you persecuting Me?" The idea had never crossed Saul's mind. Jesus was dead and gone, a non-issue. The followers of Jesus were the focus of Saul's persecution, and the persecution was justified because of their blind and zealous rebellion against the God of Israel. Saul was coming with authority and force, Jesus came with light and words.
Many of the questions God asks are for those who follow, or at least claim to follow Him. This is a question addressed to non-believers, to people who think of Christians as foolish, judgmental enemies. There are people who make both casual and serious sport of persecuting Christians. They should hope, and Christians should pray, that they see the LIGHT and hear the WORD, and realize that the One they have been treating so wrongly is the One Who loves them so much that He died to pay the penalty of their blind persecutions. They must ask the question "who are You, Lord?" Then they must sincerely ponder what the Bible says about this One Who can both stop us and start us in an instant, with arresting words or actions. Listen for God to call you by name, your full name, and possibly in a multitude of different ways throw you to the ground and ask you to seriously and humbly ponder Who Jesus Christ really is?
Read "The Gospel?"