Christ’s Final Appearance
I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, It is hard for you to kick against the goads. (Acts 9:5 NKJV)
The twelfth and final appearance of the resurrected Christ was to Saul the Pharisee, who became Paul the Apostle. Paul himself described his conversion: “Then last of all He [Jesus] was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8 NKJV). John, as he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos also had a vision of the resurrected Christ, but he began his account by saying that he was “in the Spirit” (Rev. 1:10). So the experience fits the pattern of a vision that conveyed a revelation (Rev. 1:1), and not as a physical resurrection appearance. Paul, however, on the Damascus road, described his experience as similar to those of the other resurrection appearances. He saw and conversed with the resurrected Christ.
Being “out of order” means nothing: we cannot put God in a box: This resurrection appearance speaks to us about Christ being the Head of His church. He saves, He directs, He calls, He enables, He redeems, and leads as He will. We must let Him be Lord. News of Paul’s salvation at first gave rise to doubts, then gave cause for rejoicing, but later, as he rose to positions of influence, we see jealousies came (Phil. 1:15). Paul as a Pharisee had resembled the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, who was unforgiving toward those who were less righteous than he was. Yet as a Christian he came to resemble the Prodigal himself, who had opposed Christ and fought against His purposes, but then was elevated by grace to leadership, and some Christians then became to him like the older brother to the Prodigal. Paul learned to live in grace with both of those realities, as we all must in some way or another.
The resurrection appearances all except for this one happened within a forty day period (Acts 1:3). There was then a ten day gap between the Ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9) and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church (Acts 2:1). The appearance to Paul happened, it is estimated, within the first few years of the Church’s experience, between A.D. 31–36, well after the ascension. The church in Jerusalem was established, churches were reported as having sprung up in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria (Acts 9:31), and a strong Christian community established in Damascus of Syria before Paul came to faith. The Ascension of Christ was well in the past. But, nevertheless, Christ appeared in His resurrection body for His own purposes, to save Paul and send him into the world as a witness.
This says something of the resurrection body: That the resurrected Christ appeared to Paul after the Ascension tells us that His resurrection body, and our resurrection bodies which we shall receive, is able to travel back and forth between the two realms of heaven and earth. Christ had no further transformation from His resurrection to His Ascension. In fact, the angels were emphatic, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11 NKJV). This will also be true of our resurrected body. As Paul wrote: “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption” (1 Cor. 15:42 NKJV).
Christ’s intimate interaction with Paul: A consistent aspect of each resurrection appearance is the personal, confidential nature of them. Mary Magdalene, the apostles on the road to Emmaus, Thomas, Peter, John — each recorded a personal and intimate experience with Christ. Christ told Paul that he was like a stubborn farm animal who was kicking against the goads, or the proddings of God. The words put God in the role of Creator and Master of Paul, the Omnipotent One who is able to use every circumstance to communicate His will. He had been directing Paul in a certain direction, leading him to trust in Christ. Paul had fought against these leadings of God.
We know of the martyrdom of Stephen, that Paul was there giving his ascent to the stoning (Acts 7:58 and 8:1 and 22:20). No doubt the manner of Stephen’s death, his boldness in his testimony, his fearlessness and faith in his death, his peace and serenity made their impact on Paul. The anger and the “murderous threats” that Paul was breathing out against the Church (Acts 8:3 and 9:1) reveal the anger and conflict of Paul’s own heart. He described himself as a “blasphemer, persecutor, and a violent man” (1 Tim. 1:13).
Paul’s conversion: Paul cannot explain his conversion in any other terms but that he repented of his sins and trusted in Christ, becoming obedient to Him. His first response to Christ gave a hint of his conversion in that he called out to Christ, “Who are you, Lord” (Acts 9:5). Yet it is inconclusive and the word “Lord,” or kurio in Greek, could just be another form of “Sir” (John 4:19, for example). But somewhere there was genuine faith, trust with an intent to obey. He said to King Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).
Paul, in describing his conversion emphasized his awareness of his sin, describing himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). He magnified the work and grace of God, saying “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10). He gave no formulaic approach to conversion except the simple gospel message: “That the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23). The formula was in hearing the gospel and, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, believing in Christ — the “hearing of faith” as he described it to the Galatians (Gal 3:1–5). To the Philippian jailer Paul said it succinctly and clearly: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).
The testimony of the resurrection: Twice more in the book of Acts Christ’s appearance and Paul’s conversion experience were recorded (Acts 22:3–21 and 26:2–23). It was not that Paul’s personal conversion was essential for everyone to hear, rather the significance of it was that he too had seen the resurrected Christ.
And for the church, the experience of Paul was remarkably similar to the experiences of others: intimacy, calling, and commissioning. Paul not only become saved, but he also received his calling and commissioning to go into the Gentiles and proclaim the gospel.
For us the profound message in this appearance is that Christ is Lord of the Church. He will do what He decides to do. We cannot limit Him, rather we may only listen to His voice, and follow as He leads.
