He fell to 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.” (Acts 9:4-5)
Persecuting the Church
Paul had been “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1) when he was stopped by a revelation of Jesus. Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting my people?” but instead, “Why are you persecuting Me?”. Persecuting God’s people is the same thing as persecuting Jesus. Saul was not directly persecuting Jesus since he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah. However, because Jesus is One with the Church, not only were God’s people suffering but Jesus was as well.
We see this oneness also expressed in the relationship of husband and wife – “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself (Ephesians 5:28). The Church, now as Jesus’ fiancée, will one day be the Bride of Christ. Paul later referred to the Church as the Body of Christ. So this is not just figurative language, but persecuting the disciples of the Lord is truly the same as persecuting Jesus! He is One with us and intimately acquainted with all of our sufferings.
Sharing in the suffering of Christ
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:26-27)
One suffering member of a body causes the whole body to suffer. In this analogy, think of your own body. You probably don’t normally think very much about your toes, but when you stub a toe or drop a heavy weight on it, suddenly it is the only thing on your mind! As we are joined to one another in the body, we also experience acute suffering when on member is suffering or persecuted. Because we are Jesus’ body, He also experiences the same suffering. Even if we are not directly persecuted or suffering, through are oneness with His body, we share in the suffering of Christ.
But it’s not just sharing in His suffering, we also share in His joys. “If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” If Jesus and the angels rejoice when a new member is added to the Body, we too participate in His joy, even as we do when a new baby is born to a family that has struggled to have children. What a privilege we have to share in His joy and even in His suffering, knowing that one day soon, all suffering will disappear and be transformed into eternal joy!
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11)
Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. (John 16:20-24)
