OUR LORD SHINES BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN

Following is part of Paul the Apostle's  account of his experience that he testified before King Aggrippa who was trying to decide what crime Paul was guilty of. 

Paul described the incident that occurred on the road to Damascus that changed the course of his life. 

"While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’"  - Acts 26 verse 12 - 14

Thus did Saul ( soon to be Paul ), experience an encounter with the Lord Jesus.

The salient section is the description of the appearance of Jesus as light from heaven which was brighter than the sun. 

The glory of God was made manifest as a brilliant light that out-shone the midday sun that resulted in the temporary blinding of Paul.

This blinding light is characteristic of the appearance of Jesus when he is not in a veiled state. Jesus most frequently appeared in a veiled state where he would easily be mistaken for an ordinary person. 

Examples of such appearances are when he appeared to Mary Magdalene at the tomb and she thought He was the gardener. Another event was when Jesus appeared to the two men on the road to Emaus where Jesus walked alongside the men for a while and they mistook Him for a random person.

In some cases however, Jesus appeared in blinding light and that was the life-changing event that Paul experienced.

The scriptures say, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

                         - Isaiah 60 verse 1 - 3

Amen.