Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Acts 8:26-39
Psalters: 51, 295, 75, 291
Preparatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. The Ethiopian.
    1. He is an Ethiopian (descendant of Ham); a man of some authority – the treasurer of “Candace” (a title) for the queen.
    2. He was leaving Jerusalem, where he went “to worship” (27c).
      1. He was evidently a proselyte of the Old Testament faith
      2. And he had a copy of part of the Old Testament scripture, which he is reading.
    3. God wanted Philip to work with one soul, so He sent an angel to direct Philip.
      1. Philip obeys the heavenly message to go on the desert road not knowing why he was to go there (27a).
      2. In God’s eyes, this soul is precious and it is the time set in His counsel that this man be given fuller light of the gospel.
  2. Philip sees a group of travelers, and is prompted by the Spirit to join them (29).
    1. As he goes alongside, hear hears a man reading out loud a passage of Scripture (28).
    2. The evangelist is given a wonderful opening for the conversation is about Scripture and a great passage: Isaiah 53:7,8.
      1. It is a passage about the humiliating suffering of Jesus, made necessary to be the Savior of His people from their sins.
      2. Philip preached Jesus (35), not getting side-tracked into non-essential points (easy to do with the prophetic scriptures).
    3. The Ethiopian was obviously a man of sincere and profound interest in God’s Word.
  3. The Ethiopian heard and believed as God worked in his heart the good news of Jesus, the Savior.
    1. Upon seeing water he asked Philip: What hinders me to be baptized?” (36b).
    2. The only requirement was whether the Ethiopian believed with all his heart (37a).
    3. The Ethiopian’s simple and complete answer: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”  What marvelous faith!
    4. Philip recognizes the work of the Spirit and they both walked into the water (not under it).
    5. And he went his way rejoicing in the God of his salvation (39).