As they travelled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What’s to stop me being baptised?”... Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. Acts 8:36-38
I’m sure there are times in your life when everything just seems to go wrong - plans don’t work out, people miss appointments, a car or a computer misbehaves, a child gets sick and... well, grrr!
It happens to all of us. But occasionally, on the other hand - just very occasionally! - everything seems to go right, and this time instead of grrr! it’s wahay!
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a perfect example. The events run like clockwork.
Here is this man - something like the chancellor of the exchequer of the queen of Ethiopia. He’s sitting in his splendid cart travelling home with his entourage from a visit to Jerusalem. Though almost certainly not himself a Jew, he obviously has an interest in the Jewish faith, for he is reading the Old Testament scriptures. God’s servant Philip hears him reading (people tended to read out loud in the ancient world), so he runs up to him and gets into conversation.
In a very short time the subject turns to Jesus, the eunuch becomes a believer, and Philip baptises him. How’s that for a good day’s work?
Let’s come completely clean and say: I am hoping that somebody reading this today will do just what the eunuch did then - believe in Jesus and get baptised. Could that somebody be you?
See how perfectly the details of the story slot together...
The eunuch is in just the right frame of mind. He has been worshipping God in Jerusalem, and now he is filling his mind with the Bible.
Philip is in just the right place at the right time. He has been in Samaria, north of Jerusalem, when an angel tells him to head south towards the city of Gaza, perhaps some fifty miles away. It is there he happens (pure coincidence, of course!) across the Ethiopian’s convoy.
The Ethiopian is reading just the right part of the Bible. Not Leviticus or the Song of Solomon (fine though of course they are) but Isaiah 53, one of the most gospel-soaked passages you could imagine: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice...” The Ethiopian is intrigued by this, but puzzled too: who is this “he”? who can this mysterious person be? Is the prophet writing about himself?
Philip is just the right person to explain. He isn’t one of the twelve (that’s another Philip), but he has been appointed as one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:5-6), and has been evangelising in Samaria. So what better person to “begin with that very passage and tell him the good news about Jesus”?
I imagine the conversation must have gone on for some little time, because Philip had a lot to fit in. But not too long, because the essence of the gospel is really very simple: Jesus, God’s Son, suffered and died to bring us forgiveness of sins, and then rose again to give us new life. All we need to do is gladly receive him by faith.
Some water appears at just the right moment. Yes, right there in the desert! “Look, here is water” points the eunuch. Well, fancy that.
The eunuch asks just the right question: “Why shouldn’t I be baptised?” Why not indeed? Presumably he has picked up some understanding of baptism either in Jerusalem or from Philip.
Philip did just the right thing: he and the eunuch “went down into the water and Philip baptised him.” Can you picture the scene? - as the sun blazes out of a blue sky, the eunuch, with all his companions and servants, are gathered round to witness this strange event. Some, perhaps, were completely puzzled by what was going on; others just curious; others, perhaps, respectful and very serious. But who cared? - the eunuch “went on his way rejoicing”, for this was the day his life changed for ever (and the day too, incidentally, when the gospel came to Africa).
And why shouldn’t it be the same for you? Perhaps for a long time you have been thinking about putting your trust in Jesus and yielding your life to him. Well, why not take a leaf out of the eunuch’s note book - for he didn’t waste any time, did he?
All right, I don’t imagine it will be practical to get baptised this very day, but why not set things in motion by talking to some appropriate person in your life? You need to mean business (if I can put it that way), and you need to be clear what you are doing. But as long as you do, I confidently predict that you will do just what the eunuch did: you will “go on your way rejoicing”.
May God bless you indeed as you do so!
Here is a prayer you might like to pray...
Lord God, here and now I declare my faith in the crucified and risen Jesus, and receive him as my Lord and Saviour. I claim the forgiveness of all my sins and the gift of eternal life. Please help me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to live a life of trust and obedience until that day when I see Jesus face to face. Amen.
I’m sure there are times in your life when everything just seems to go wrong - plans don’t work out, people miss appointments, a car or a computer misbehaves, a child gets sick and... well, grrr!
It happens to all of us. But occasionally, on the other hand - just very occasionally! - everything seems to go right, and this time instead of grrr! it’s wahay!
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a perfect example. The events run like clockwork.
Here is this man - something like the chancellor of the exchequer of the queen of Ethiopia. He’s sitting in his splendid cart travelling home with his entourage from a visit to Jerusalem. Though almost certainly not himself a Jew, he obviously has an interest in the Jewish faith, for he is reading the Old Testament scriptures. God’s servant Philip hears him reading (people tended to read out loud in the ancient world), so he runs up to him and gets into conversation.
In a very short time the subject turns to Jesus, the eunuch becomes a believer, and Philip baptises him. How’s that for a good day’s work?
Let’s come completely clean and say: I am hoping that somebody reading this today will do just what the eunuch did then - believe in Jesus and get baptised. Could that somebody be you?
See how perfectly the details of the story slot together...
The eunuch is in just the right frame of mind. He has been worshipping God in Jerusalem, and now he is filling his mind with the Bible.
Philip is in just the right place at the right time. He has been in Samaria, north of Jerusalem, when an angel tells him to head south towards the city of Gaza, perhaps some fifty miles away. It is there he happens (pure coincidence, of course!) across the Ethiopian’s convoy.
The Ethiopian is reading just the right part of the Bible. Not Leviticus or the Song of Solomon (fine though of course they are) but Isaiah 53, one of the most gospel-soaked passages you could imagine: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice...” The Ethiopian is intrigued by this, but puzzled too: who is this “he”? who can this mysterious person be? Is the prophet writing about himself?
Philip is just the right person to explain. He isn’t one of the twelve (that’s another Philip), but he has been appointed as one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:5-6), and has been evangelising in Samaria. So what better person to “begin with that very passage and tell him the good news about Jesus”?
I imagine the conversation must have gone on for some little time, because Philip had a lot to fit in. But not too long, because the essence of the gospel is really very simple: Jesus, God’s Son, suffered and died to bring us forgiveness of sins, and then rose again to give us new life. All we need to do is gladly receive him by faith.
Some water appears at just the right moment. Yes, right there in the desert! “Look, here is water” points the eunuch. Well, fancy that.
The eunuch asks just the right question: “Why shouldn’t I be baptised?” Why not indeed? Presumably he has picked up some understanding of baptism either in Jerusalem or from Philip.
Philip did just the right thing: he and the eunuch “went down into the water and Philip baptised him.” Can you picture the scene? - as the sun blazes out of a blue sky, the eunuch, with all his companions and servants, are gathered round to witness this strange event. Some, perhaps, were completely puzzled by what was going on; others just curious; others, perhaps, respectful and very serious. But who cared? - the eunuch “went on his way rejoicing”, for this was the day his life changed for ever (and the day too, incidentally, when the gospel came to Africa).
And why shouldn’t it be the same for you? Perhaps for a long time you have been thinking about putting your trust in Jesus and yielding your life to him. Well, why not take a leaf out of the eunuch’s note book - for he didn’t waste any time, did he?
All right, I don’t imagine it will be practical to get baptised this very day, but why not set things in motion by talking to some appropriate person in your life? You need to mean business (if I can put it that way), and you need to be clear what you are doing. But as long as you do, I confidently predict that you will do just what the eunuch did: you will “go on your way rejoicing”.
May God bless you indeed as you do so!
Here is a prayer you might like to pray...
Lord God, here and now I declare my faith in the crucified and risen Jesus, and receive him as my Lord and Saviour. I claim the forgiveness of all my sins and the gift of eternal life. Please help me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to live a life of trust and obedience until that day when I see Jesus face to face. Amen.
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