THE MAIN IDEA
Meeting Jesus changes everything.

Paul’s testimony parallels the testimony of all believers in three parts...

BEFORE MEETING JESUS
The apostle Paul’s life is significant because his conversion gives us very strong evidence that the testimony about Jesus is true. Paul’s conversion is significant for three reasons. (1) He was not one of original disciples who walked with Jesus and directly witnessed his resurrection and ascension. (2) Paul went from trying to destroy Christianity to trying to make the whole world Christian. And (3) Paul had the most to lose by giving his life to Jesus. He came from a very prestigious and wealthy family. He was a Roman citizen, but raised in the heart of Jewish culture, receiving the best education possible. Basically, Paul was on the fast track to wealth, power, and prestige. And yet, Paul threw all of that away when he gave his life to Jesus. So Paul was either crazy or lying or telling the truth. But the evidence in Acts and in his letters tells us that he was not crazy. And why would he give up all his advantages and even his life for a lie. For Paul, everything about his life before meeting Jesus was worthless. And the only way any of this makes sense is if Paul was telling the truth.

MEETING JESUS
Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus is given three times in the Book of Acts, which tells us how really significant this encounter was for Paul, as it is for all of us. When he met Jesus, Paul was confronted with three realizations that completely changed his worldview. First, Jesus says, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me?” Paul had to confront the question of why he was he doing what he was doing. Second, Jesus says, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Paul had to face the realization that Jesus was in fact alive, in which case the Christian testimony must be true. And third, Jesus says, “Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.” Paul had to face the realization that there was a new direction and purpose for his life. The question we have to ask ourselves is why Jesus did not come to Paul sooner? Paul knew the Scriptures inside and out. He knew that the Messiah was coming. He knew that there would a resurrection of the dead. Could it be that for the briefest moment, Paul allowed himself to wonder if the Christian testimony was true, and that is what gave Jesus an opening so that that Paul could encounter the risen Christ?

AFTER MEETING JESUS
Ananias gives us a model of what it looks like to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Ananias didn’t have to go very far, but he went and made a disciple of Paul. He baptized him in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which is all about enfolding people into the community of believers. And then Ananias gave Paul the commission that all believers are to obey, which is to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to all people of what we have seen and heard. Of course, most people have never literally seen Jesus and never will. But Jesus said that those who have not literally seen Him and yet believe are more blessed than those who have seen Him and believe. Because to not see and believe requires more faith. So even if we have not seen, we have certainly heard the good news of Jesus Christ. We bear witness to Christ by sharing that good news and by obeying that great commission that we heard.

DISCUSSION QUESTION
What is the proper response to meeting Jesus? Are you moving in the direction of that proper response or away from it? If away from it, why? (Being still is moving away.)