Paul’s encounter on the road to Damascus was a shocking turning point. The experience took Paul by surprise. He had been strongly against Jesus and his followers.  He believed it was his duty to stop this new movement, which he saw as a threat to Israel’s purity and its relationship with God.  Paul thought calling a crucified man the Messiah and welcoming Gentiles without requiring circumcision went against the Torah. His passion for the Torah led him to oppose the early  Messianic movement. He was very serious about his divine duty to destroy the dangerous messianic movement. 

But then Jesus appeared to him, claiming Paul for himself. In that moment, Paul saw that the crucified Jesus was truly the Lord, and he was called to serve him, especially in reaching the Gentiles. This was an act of unexpected and undeserved grace. Paul was deeply grateful and made grace the central theme of his life and message.

This experience completely changed Paul. He had to do a complete about-face, acknowledging that he had been wrong about Jesus and that this crucified yet exalted Jesus was God’s Messiah. Yes, he realised he had been wrong about Jesus. Now, instead of being zealous for the law, he was zealous for Jesus, the Messiah. And as a result, the one who once persecuted Jesus’ followers became the one who was persecuted.

This life-transforming encounter shows us the power of grace.  May we, who now live under grace, continually open ourselves to God’s undeserved favour.  Only as the God of grace carries on the work he began in us are we transformed with ever-increasing glory.