Something extraordinary happened to Saul of Tarsus while he traveled the road to Damascus. Recently, he had become a persecutor of his fellow Jews who believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Saul thought that he was serving God while persecuting those who confessed the rejected Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah and Savior.

Saul, however, had been rejecting the solid evidence that Jesus is the Messiah who served God and His people, died on the cross and was buried, and indeed who rose again the third day and ascended to heaven forty days later. Saul was awakened to the truth when Jesus of Nazareth appeared to him from heaven on the Damascus road. This encounter made Saul realize what he was doing in his blind hatred. The voice that called him was not from the world of Judaism or mysticism. Instead, it was Jesus, the Messiah Himself! He died on the cross at Passover but, amazingly, rose from among the dead on Sunday morning. Forty days later, He ascended to heaven. After some time, He called, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Then the persecutor became His devoted servant. Today the same voice, through the Holy Spirit, presents the gospel of God’s grace. He is calling and challenging people to repent of their sins and turn to the true and living God: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:28–29).