The Jesus I Thought I Knew (Acts 22:6-11)

Scripture: Acts 22:6-11

Today’s Word

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.” (Acts 22:6-11, NIV)

Background

Paul is telling his story before a crowd trying to kill him at the Jerusalem temple. Speaking in Hebrew, he confesses his past. Saul thought he knew more about “Jesus” than anyone. He received the finest theological education under Gamaliel, was an expert in the Law, and knew all about those who followed Jesus—who they were and what they believed. So he headed to Damascus with complete confidence. But the Jesus he met was not the Jesus he thought he knew.

Key Terms Made Simple

• Damascus: The capital of Syria, about 150 miles north of Jerusalem. Saul was heading there to arrest followers of Jesus.
• Noon: Around 12 PM, when the sun shines brightest. A light brighter than this indicates a supernatural experience.
• Jesus of Nazareth: The very Jesus that Saul thought was dead and finished. But He was alive.
• Persecute: To harass, imprison, and harm people because of their faith.

Key Expressions to Notice

1. “Who are you, Lord?”
   • This question is striking. Saul thought he knew everything about Jesus, yet now he’s asking “Who are you?”
   • It shows that the Jesus Saul knew and the Jesus he just met are different.
   • We often think we know about Jesus, but when we truly meet Him, we experience someone different enough to ask “Who are you?”
2. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting”
   • This must have shocked Saul. The Jesus he knew was a “false messiah” who died on the cross.
   • Yet that Jesus is now alive, speaking to him. Moreover, He appears in glory that compels Saul to call Him “Lord.”
   • Everything Saul was certain about collapses in an instant.
3. “Why do you persecute me?”
   • Saul never persecuted Jesus directly. He only persecuted those who believed in Jesus.
   • Yet Jesus says “you persecute me.” Jesus and His believers are one.
   • Saul thought Jesus’ followers were “heretics,” but they were actually people who had met the real Jesus.
4. “What shall I do, Lord?”
   • A complete shift from “I know” to “Please teach me.”
   • Someone who truly meets Jesus no longer boasts in their own knowledge and certainty, but asks “What shall I do, Lord?”

Main Points of the Text

1. The Jesus Saul Knew: Saul knew much about Jesus—a carpenter’s son from Nazareth, an agitator who died on the cross, a false prophet who broke the Law, a myth created by his disciples. To Saul, Jesus was “a finished story,” and Jesus’ followers were “heretics to be corrected.”
2. The Jesus Saul Met: But the Jesus Saul actually met was completely different—alive, in heavenly glory, someone who must be called “Lord,” one with His people. All of Saul’s knowledge and certainty collapsed in a moment.
3. Collapsed Certainty: Saul was certain he was doing the right thing for God. But what he thought was for God was actually opposing God. The people he persecuted as heretics were the ones who had truly met Jesus.
4. A New Beginning: “Who are you, Lord?” With this question, Saul’s new life begins. He no longer relies on what he knows, but asks the One he met: “What shall I do?”

Applying to My Life

1. The Jesus I Know vs. The Real Jesus: How much do I know about Jesus? Biblical knowledge, doctrines, theological information… But could the Jesus I know be different from the real Jesus? Am I believing in an image I created, a Jesus reduced to what’s comfortable for me?
2. The Danger of Certainty: Saul was so certain. Even while persecuting people, he believed he was doing the right thing for God. What about me? Am I too certain that my thoughts, my faith, my ways are right? Could that certainty be causing me to judge and condemn others?
3. Asking “Who Are You?” Again: Ask Jesus this question today: “Lord, who are you?” Earnestly seek to meet not the Jesus I think I know, but the Jesus who is truly alive. He may be far greater, more glorious, and different than I thought.
4. People United with Jesus: Jesus said persecuting His believers is “persecuting me.” That brother or sister I judge, criticize, or ignore might actually be one with Jesus. I need to reconsider how I treat others.

Think About It

1. I think I “know” about Jesus. But if Jesus appeared now and asked, “How similar is the me you know to the real me?” what could I answer?
2. Like Saul, am I living with certainty that I’m doing “the right thing” “for God,” but actually heading in a direction contrary to God’s will? How can I know?
3. Among those I judged as “heretics,” “wrong faith,” or “incorrect,” might there be people who have met Jesus more genuinely than I have?
4. If I lived asking these two questions daily—”Lord, who are you?” and “Lord, what shall I do?”—how would my life change?

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