And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus identifies himself not just as "Lord," but as the specific Jesus Saul is persecuting, highlighting that harm done to believers is directly experienced by Christ himself. This moment forces Saul to confront that his fierce zeal is not serving God, but actively fighting against Him.
And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Saul, a zealous persecutor of the early Christian church, is on his way to Damascus to arrest believers. Suddenly, a blinding light from heaven strikes him down, and a voice calls out his name. In his shock and confusion, Saul asks who is speaking, and the voice reveals itself as Jesus, the very one Saul has been relentlessly persecuting.
Saul was violently persecuting followers of Jesus, but when Jesus speaks, He says He is the one being persecuted. How can this be?
This verse reveals a profound truth about the unity between Christ and His followers.
One with the Body
When Jesus declares, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' He's not just stating a fact; He's revealing a deep theological reality. What Saul was doing to Jesus' disciples, Jesus felt as if it was done directly to Him.
Love as the Connection
This connection isn't based on mere association but on love. Jesus loves His followers with an all-encompassing, selfless love. This love makes Him intrinsically bound to them. Therefore, any harm or hatred directed towards them is experienced by Him as a personal attack.
Implication for Us
This has incredible implications for us! It means when we suffer for our faith, we aren't alone. Jesus is right there with us, sharing in our pain. And conversely, when we show love and support to fellow believers, we are, in effect, showing love to Jesus Himself.
Jesus uses a vivid, ancient proverb to describe Saul's futile resistance. What does it mean to 'kick against the goads'?
The phrase 'it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks' is a powerful metaphor for the futility and danger of resisting God's pursuit of us.
The Goad and the Ox
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Imagine an ox pulling a plow, stubbornly resisting the direction it's supposed to go. The farmer uses a goad – a sharp stick – to direct the ox. If the ox kicks back against the goad, it doesn't deter the farmer or change the direction; it only injures the ox.
Saul's Resistance
Saul was convinced he was doing God's work by persecuting Christians. But his actions were directly opposing God's will, revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The light, the voice, the divine intervention – these were God's 'goads,' attempting to redirect Saul. His violent opposition only led to his own spiritual injury and immense distress.
A Universal Warning
This proverb applies to anyone who resists God's grace or the promptings of their conscience. Trying to fight against God's plans or deny His truth is like kicking against a sharp object – it only brings pain and harm to oneself, never to God.
Understand the original words
Iēsous · Greek Noun
The incarnate Son of God, the Savior of the world who died for human sin and rose again; the name signifies "the Lord is salvation."
This event wasn't just a personal crisis for Saul; it was a pivotal moment where Jesus directly identified Himself with His followers, showing that harm done to them was considered harm done to Him. This encounter fundamentally shifted Saul's understanding and trajectory.
c. AD 30-33
Stephen's Martyrdom
Stephen, a prominent early Christian preacher, is stoned to death in Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee, is actively involved in his persecution and gives his approval.
c. AD 33-36
Saul's Persecution Intensifies
Saul begins a systematic persecution of the burgeoning Jesus movement, seeking out believers in synagogues and homes, and even requesting authority to arrest them in other cities.
c. AD 33-36— this verse
Journey to Damascus
Saul travels to Damascus with official letters from the high priest to arrest any followers of Jesus he finds there.
c. AD 33-36
The Damascus Road Encounter
A blinding light and a voice from heaven confront Saul on the road to Damascus. Jesus identifies Himself and questions Saul's persecution of His followers.
c. AD 33-36
Saul's Blindness and Ananias
Saul is left blind for three days, during which he fasts and prays. God sends a disciple named Ananias to restore Saul's sight and commission him.
c. AD 36 onwards
Saul's Conversion and Ministry
Saul is miraculously healed, baptized, and immediately begins proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah in the synagogues of Damascus, shocking everyone.
Jesus explains that whatever is done to His followers is done to Him, directly echoing His words to Saul in this moment.
John 15:5This verse highlights the deep spiritual union between Christ and believers, explaining why Saul's persecution of the church was seen as persecution of Jesus Himself.
1 Corinthians 15:9Paul himself reflects on his past as a persecutor, calling himself the 'least of the apostles' because he persecuted the church, underscoring the gravity of his actions on the road to Damascus.
Galatians 1:13-14Paul recounts how he was aggressively persecuting the church 'beyond measure,' confirming the intensity of his actions that Jesus confronts him about.
Deuteronomy 32:15This Old Testament passage uses similar imagery of kicking against a goad when Israel grew fat and rebellious, showing this is an ancient and recurring theme of resisting God's discipline.
henryActs 9:1-9: "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,"
9:1-9 So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of D…
barnesActs 9:5: "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? - The word "Lord" here, as is frequently the case in the New Testament, means no more than "sir," John 4:19 . It is evident that Saul did not as yet know that this was the Lord Jesus. He heard a voice as of a man; he heard himself addressed, but by whom the words were spoken was to him unknown. In his amazement and con…
Jesus identifies himself not just as "Lord," but as the specific Jesus Saul is persecuting, highlighting that harm done to believers is directly experienced by Christ himself. This moment forces Saul to confront that his fierce zeal is not serving God, but actively fighting against Him.
Saul, a zealous persecutor of the early Christian church, is on his way to Damascus to arrest believers. Suddenly, a blinding light from heaven strikes him down, and a voice calls out his name. In his shock and confusion, Saul asks who is speaking, and the voice reveals itself as Jesus, the very one Saul has been relentlessly persecuting.
Saul, a zealous persecutor of the early Christian church, is on his way to Damascus to arrest believers. Suddenly, a blinding light from heaven strikes him down, and a voice calls out his name. In his shock and confusion, Saul asks who is speaking, and the voice reveals itself as Jesus, the very one Saul has been relentlessly persecuting.
"And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." — Jesus identifies himself not just as "Lord," but as the specific Jesus Saul is persecuting, highlighting that harm done to believers is directly experienced by Christ himself. This moment forces Sa…
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Last reviewed October 2026