Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Acts 8:26-40
There are 4 main characters in Acts chapter 8.
Phillip, the Ethiopian eunuch, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
The EE was a treasurer, from Ethiopia, and was a eunuch. He was a court officer, in charge of all of the treasure that belonged to the queen. He most likely traveled more than a month to arrive in Jerusalem because he wanted to worship. We can conclude from this that he had zeal, or a desire to worship God. We find the EE sitting on his chariot reading the Bible, which shows us he had a desire to know God, and a desire to learn. He invited Phillip to come to his chariot to sit together. There was a difference in their social status between the EE and Phillip, but regardless of that fact, the EE was willing to listen to Phillip explain things to him. He was humble, receptive and had a teachable heart. After hearing the good news of Jesus, he was convicted and wanted to be baptized immediately.
This EE not only achieved worldly success, but had good character. He wasn’t lacking in terms of worldly standards. One might wonder, how can a man who has everything accept the good news of Jesus Christ? In the same way, we may look at someone in our lives who has everything and think, how could they need more? But just as this man did, they also may need the good news of Jesus in their life. He was reading Isaiah 53:7-8, which he found difficult to understand. Christians know this passage refers to the coming of Jesus, this passage was made in BC 700, the context in which this prophecy was made to people who were sinful, evil, Godless, and wicked. God was humiliated at that time because of their sinful actions of people and they were facing judgment from God. During this time, those people received a prophecy of a man, the son of God, who would come to bear their sins and iniquities. Because of their wrong doings, he will be killed but they would be redeemed through his death. Phillip was explaining all of this to the EE who hadn’t heard of the life of Jesus until this time. After he had heard this message, he decided to be baptized. He found the one thing that was lacking in his life.
No matter where you are in life, you need Jesus. He is the only way to restore the broken relationship between ourselves and God. That was the good news EE had been waiting for his entire life.
Phillip – He was led by the Holy Spirit. The clear evidence we are living a life by the Holy Spirit is by how we witness Jesus Christ. The Bible said when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be my witness to the ends of the world. He will remind you what Jesus did for us and reminds us what our Father’s heart is. Our Father is looking for the lost. Jesus’ heart is in the lost, just as he left the 99 to find the one lost sheep. Clear evidence of the HS in our life is our desire to help the lost; not by how successful we are in our lives, or our prayer requests are being answered, but how much we desire saving the lost.
The Holy Spirit spoke to Phillip and told him to go further to the desert. He told P to go to the chariot and start a conversation. He obeyed. Just as Phillip, when we hear the HS, we need to obey. Oftentimes we may question what we hear, or find excuses. If you find you have a holy burden in your heart, simply obey. There may be someone waiting for you.
This passage in Acts was written, not only about how EE met P, but how EE, who was ready to meet Jesus, came to know God through P. It’s not how we meet others, but how the people we meet can meet Jesus through us. We can’t expect there to be life in the desert, but the HS works in places that are unexpected. Not the places we are comfortable with, but the places that we are challenged by and make us uncomfortable. It is unexpected joy, just as we see in this passage.
We are all VIP focused at this church,and at the beginning of the year we identified VIPs. But what have you actually done for them?
Throughout this week, we can ask ourselves, who can be our EE? If you don’t have an EE, it’s because you don’t have the Holy Spirit in your life. Where can you meet your EE, and how can you help them find Jesus?
“Unless someone guides me, how can I possibly understand Jesus Christ? How can I possibly know the good news? How can my broken relationship be restored with God? How can I turn from my evil actions? Unless someone guides me”
This statement should break your heart and give you a holy burden.
Reflection Questions:
Reflect on the message. Who can be your Ethiopian Eunuch? Where could you meet your EE, and how can you help them find Jesus?
