In the first chapter, we saw that Paul was a young man in God's plan. Paul became the very instrument, the very vessel, God used to carry out what was on His heart. As Christians, we also need to be persons in God's plan, so we first need to see what God's plan is.
Acts 9:1 tells us that Saul was "breathing threatening and murder against the disciples of the Lord." The Holy Spirit uses the word "breathing" to express what was in this young man. He did not merely threaten the disciples outwardly, but his persecution of the Christians was something from within him. His entire being was in it. When you do something and your entire being is in it, that very thing becomes your breathing. Acts 9:1 does not say that Saul was breathing threatening and murder against Jesus Christ but against the disciples of the Lord, against the Christians. Saul "went to the high priest" (9:1) to get the authority to persecute the disciples even more. While he was on the way to Damascus, the Lord intervened and revealed Himself to this young man.
"And as he went, it came about that he drew near to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him; and he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (vv. 3-5). Although Saul was a young, strong man, the light from heaven caused him to fall to the ground. The Lord also told Saul, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (26:14). A goad is something that pricks, like a pointed rod used to urge on an animal. By this word, the Lord let Saul know that He was the Master and that Saul was in His hand and under His yoke. When an ox is not obedient, his master will use a goad to urge him on. Many times the ox will kick against this goad. The Lord let Saul know that he was persecuting his Lord, his Master, the very One who controlled him.
The voice did not say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting My disciples, My followers, My believers?" But the voice said, "Why are you persecuting Me?" In Saul's realization he was persecuting the followers of Christ, the disciples. He never thought that he was doing something against Christ Himself, that he was persecuting Jesus. No doubt, Saul was puzzled by the question—"Why are you persecuting Me?" Thus, he asked, "Who are You, Lord?" (9:5). Saul called Him Lord because the voice had its source in the heavens. "Lord" here equals the word "Jehovah" in Hebrew. He recognized that this was the Lord who is in heaven, yet he must have wondered how he could persecute someone in the heavens, when he actually persecuted persons on this earth. The Lord answered Saul's question by saying, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (v. 5).
On the very day that the Lord Jesus met this young man, He gave Saul a clear vision that He is one with all His believers, that all His believers are one with Him. When you touch the believers, you touch Jesus. When you persecute them, you persecute Christ because they are one with Christ and they are Christ (1 Cor. 12:12). If the disciples, the followers, the believers of Christ, are not united with Christ as one, and they are not Christ Himself, how could Christ ask Saul, "Why are you persecuting Me?" It was as if the Lord were saying to Saul, "You have to realize that I, Jesus Christ, am one with My disciples. I am the Head; they are the Body. I and they are one person, one man." To Saul this was a unique revelation in the entire universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person—the wonderful "Me." This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph. 5:32), and laid a solid foundation for his unique ministry.