But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. (Acts 9:22-24)

A Marked Man

Saul of Tarsus was a rising star in the Jewish community. He was a Roman citizen by birth, from the tribe of Benjamin, and a Pharisee. Saul was probably from a wealthy family that sent their son to study under the instruction of Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people. He was taught according to the strictness of the law and was zealous toward God with a fervent desire and passion. When Stephen argued before the Sanhedrin, Saul was present. As Stephen was dragged out of the city and stoned, Saul was there, witnessing and condoning the act of killing a disciple of Jesus. He could not imagine how his life would change in a few short years.

The persecution following Stephen’s death was intense. Led by the zealous Saul, the Jews came at the disciples of Christ with full fury, breathing out threats and murders. Saul was zealous to destroy those who followed the blasphemous teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He made it his personal mission to arrest, convict, and cast votes of death against both men and women. He heard there were disciples of Christ in Damascus and was given authority to travel 150 miles north to bring them back in chains. That would be his final trip as the persecutor of the church. Saul of Tarsus became a Christian —a follower of Jesus Christ —and a vessel of the Lord, carrying His name to the whole world.

The first few days after Ananias baptized Saul for the remission of his sins were spent with the disciples he had come to Damascus to arrest. It was an amazing time for Saul as he lived in the house of Judas and greeted and mingled with the disciples. Immediately, Saul began preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the synagogues of the Jews. This shocked the Jews who had welcomed the news that Saul was coming to Damascus to arrest Christians; yet here he stood preaching their doctrine. Everyone was amazed at the change that took place in Saul as he increased all the more in strength, confounding his fellow Jews concerning Jesus of Nazareth. His forceful preaching began to infuriate the Jews of Damascus. After enduring many days of Saul’s preaching, the Jews plotted to kill him. They watched the gates of the city, waiting for Saul to try to escape. By the grace of God, the disciple took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

The man who came to Damascus with full authority of the High Priest in Jerusalem, armed with chains, wagons, and ropes, was now fleeing the city like a bug. How different for Saul as he bounced along the wall of the city to be whisked away by disciples. He traveled the 150 miles back to Jerusalem, entering the city in a very different way than he had planned many days before. When Saul gathered with the Jerusalem saints, the brethren were scared of him, thinking it was a ploy to root out the followers of Christ. Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles to confirm that Saul was now a child of God and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Saul was a marked man by the disciples as the ruthless persecutor of the church. The saints in Damascus were fearful of the news that Saul was coming to arrest them. Some may have fled, but many stayed. Judas and his family remained, as did Ananias. Saul was marked as the enemy of the church. His zeal to persecute the church brought much harm to the people. Everyone in the church knew the power of Saul and his mission to eradicate the followers of Christ. They were afraid of him. After Saul became a Christian, he became a marked man by the Jews who wanted to kill him. Although the Christian’s marked Saul as a persecutor, they did not seek to kill him. When the Jews of Damascus learned of Saul’s conversion and his power to preach Jesus Christ, they had no choice but to kill their former leader. God intervened and Saul escaped. The Jews would continue to plague Saul, who later was called Paul. Eventually, Paul would die at the hands of the Romans through the persistence of the Jews. His death patterned the death of Jesus, who was brought before Pilate by the Jews and killed.

A disciple of Jesus is a marked man or woman. The mark of a lost soul is how the Christians look upon the individual, and their only prayer is to save the person. They have no desire to harm the person or to hate them, but to share the grace of God with them. After a person becomes a Christian, they become a marked man or woman because the world hates them. Jesus warned His disciples that if the world hated Him, it would hate His followers. A Christian cannot live like the world, which marks him as being different. It is impossible to live a godly life and not suffer persecution because the blood of Jesus Christ marks a Christian. Saul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for the cause of his Savior. Our hope should be the joy of being marked with the gospel of Christ as His followers and disciples. Wear your mark with joy, brethren.