Acts 8:26:39 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it. ”Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
In the above focus, we see Philip willing to spread the gospel to an Ethiopian, a stranger to him. The Good News he revealed to the eunuch was wrapped in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus came to redeem mankind from their sins. This plan of redemption from sin was in the mind of God from the beginning of time. Philip wanted everyone to hear this startling news that God came down in the flesh in the form of a man, known as Jesus. He desired the eunuch to know that there is life after death through and in Jesus Christ. All who put their faith in Jesus and IN HIS WORKS will be saved from eternal death and damnation. He explained to the eunuch what is meant in the Isaiah passage. This prophetic word is pointing to Jesus, He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. When Jesus went to the cross, He did not open his mouth to defend himself against the lies that the Jews put forth to justify their reason to have Jesus put to death. Pilate, who wanted to free Jesus from the sentence of death, asked Jesus to defend himself. However, Jesus kept silent, causing Pilate to be amazed at Jesus' unwillingness to defend himself. When Jesus was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. (Matthew 27:12-14) Pilate knew full-well Jesus was innocent of the charges put before him by the priests, but to tamper down the disruption this situation was causing the Jewish society, he submitted to the will of the people who were crying, CRUCIFY HIM. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Philip knew the fulfillment of this passage, so he sat with the eunuch, opening up the gospel to him: an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians). He explains to him that Christ came to earth as a baby, announced by the angels of heaven. Philip reveals to the Ethiopian that Jesus performed many miracles and wonders affirming He was sent by God to the world. Through Jesus, God’s great love for all people is manifested by making Jesus the ultimate and final sacrifice for all the sins of every man or woman. Jesus paid the full price for every person’s sins, giving each person right standing with a holy and righteous God. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) The eunuch was a man under the authority of the law; he worshipped God where God designated: the Temple in Jerusalem. But now Philip was showing him that God had freed him from these rules and regulations. He was free to worship God anywhere he pleased, for God would abide in him and not in earthy places or buildings.
Holiness is knowing Jesus Christ, not a lifestyle of following commandments and rules. Salvation, or being right with God for eternity, is God’s work, not man’s work. Jesus Christ is God’s gift to mankind. He did not come to earth by the will of the people, but by the will of God. Philip was a man of God, willingly sacrificing his life for the exposure of the Good News of Jesus Christ being the Messiah. He was a mouthpiece for God to anyone who would listen to him. For him and all Christians, salvation came through faith in Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Roman 10:9-11) The story is, YOU WILL BE SAVED, NOT THAT YOU MIGHT BE SAVED. For salvation is a finished work. When Jesus gave his last breath on the cross He said, IT IS FINISHED. (John 19:30) The purpose of God to save mankind from their sins has been completed by his sacrifice. The package of salvation has been wrapped, placed with a bow of eternal life on it, and handed willingly to whosoever will. All that is needed in God’s redemption plan is for the package to be opened by faith that He is a good God. Eternal life is within this gift. The promise from God is written there, Never will I leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5) A special name is written there, a new name given by God. This goodness of God was readily accepted by the eunuch. He wanted his belief in Jesus Christ to be confirmed by his baptism in water, knowing after baptism, his driver and all people in Ethiopia would know his commitment to Jesus Christ was steadfast and real. Baptism is a symbol before people that a death has occurred in your life by going under the water: the flesh and its sinful deeds are placed under the water for good. Baptism in water is also a symbol of a new beginning of real life, eternal life, when raised out of the water to a new world. The world will look different, the grass will be greener, the sky bluer, and the sun brighter. A new existence occurs when Jesus makes you a new creature, made in his image, no longer in the image of Adam. Adam because of his disobedience fell into death, finiteness, but IN JESUS, a life eternal is the inheritance of all people who embrace him by faith. No longer will God be near them because of their works, but God will be near them because of the works of Christ within them. The eunuch was so happy with this new understanding of life that he wanted to experience baptism in water as quickly as possible. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
The Ethiopian went away rejoicing, but we now see Philip led by the Spirit going to other people, other communities, to preach the gospel. The Lord suddenly took Philip away. Philip is known as a great missionary; his work extended over a period of twenty years. His four daughters continued the work of the Lord in Caesarea, for they were prophetesses. All the disciples, the deacons, and all the early Christians were in missionary work. When they were scattered throughout the region because of persecution in Jerusalem, they went everywhere with the Good News on their lips. The salvation message was so vibrant and real in their hearts that they could not contain it as a secret. They understood explicitly that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) They felt the great responsibility of spreading the salvation message to all people. They were not going to sit on the message or hide it in a closet. Instead, they were going to proclaim it readily to anyone who would listen. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15) Persecution had sent them out into the world. Even though under the threat of death, they were going to announce the Good News to the world. We see Peter and John doing that as they returned from Samaria to Jerusalem. They were not going to beeline their way home to Jerusalem after ministering to the Samaritans. As they journeyed home, they preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages. After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. (Acts 8:25) We find in Acts 8:40, Philip was led by the Spirit to preach in other communities, from Azotus to Caesarea, a 60 mile journey. As with these soldiers of the cross, so should we be today. We still have the commission by Christ to go into the world and preach the gospel. Philip journeyed many miles to share the Good News. And in his home town of Caesarea, his whole family became instruments of God. As Christians with the Holy Spirit resident in our lives, we should be artesian wells with the Good News flowing out to the world. Every Christian is a priest unto God and to the community where he or she lives. We exist as part of the living body of Christ; therefore, we should resemble Christ in our actions and deeds. Our integrity and goodness should shine wherever we go. The salvation message should be known by our words and actions. But if we are not artesian wells, flowing faith in Jesus to our communities, we can become stagnant pools of floating debris, reflecting the world. In the early church, disciples and elders were not only artesian wells of God’s salvation plan for all, they were volcanos of fire for God. Healing and wonders were associated with their ministry, opening people’s ears to the gospel. Let us not only be artesian wells of good words and works, but let us also be men and women filled with the power of God, painting the landscape with God’s presence and power. Yes, there are different gifts within the church of the living God; there are different assignments within the body of Christ, but all of us are priests, dressed in robes of righteousness and power. The Spirit told Philip “Go to that chariot and stay near it, see what is going on in his life. God is telling each of us in our communities, within our circle of friends, within our families, at our workplaces, go and stay near to the distraught and the hurting. Listen to them: what do they not understand about life? Then as Philip did, get in their carriage, explore their lives, and deliver to them the Good News. When you leave them, they will be rejoicing, knowing eternal life has come to them in the form of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice today, for Jesus lives in you!
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