The Christ Connection

Main Idea

All biblical roads lead to Christ.

Outline

I - Led by the Spirit (vv. 26, 29)

II - The Divine Appointment (vv. 27-34)

III - The Good News About Jesus (vv. 35-39a)

IV - The End Result (vv. 39b-40)

Passage

Acts 8:26–40 ESV

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

I - Led by the Spirit

1. An angel told Philip where to go.

2. The Spirit directed Philip to the Eunuch.

The book of Acts is named as the acts of the Apostles and the early church. It has also been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit because of verses like these where the Spirit actively directed where He wanted His people to go.

As a man ‘full of the Spirit,’ Philip could listen to the Spirit’s voice and obediently act.

This was a bit of an Abrahamic call… to pick up and go to an undisclosed location for an unknown purpose. This shows the purity of Philip’s faith. And this wasn’t a cakewalk. The road from Samaria to Gaza was in the desert and was dangerous, not to mention that Gaza was a Philistine city. No Jew would want to go there intentionally.

It also shows the commitment he had to follow his Lord’s command. Remember, Philip was in Samaria, where he had just won over an entire people group. Through Jesus, God’s Kingdom had extended to the Samaritan people, and a potential enemy (Simon) had just been defeated. Philip had a thriving ministry in Samaria, and he could have flourished there and made a significant impact for the gospel. Yet, the Spirit called Philip to leave all that behind and hike a desert road toward Gaza. Could you imagine what Philip might have been thinking?

Can’t you see how easy it would be to question that call and justify staying where he was being fruitful? But did Philip do that? No. Instead, he models faithfulness for all Christians up through the present day. He didn’t question, and he didn’t fight.

“He rose and went.”

What simple and yet profound faithful obedience! It didn’t matter where. It didn’t matter if it was safe. It didn’t matter if it meant giving up a unique and fruitful ministry. God said go, and he went.

Have you ever had a similar experience where you thought you were being asked to do something different than expected? Or maybe you are a parent with kids who repeatedly ask you why they must do what you ask instead of simply doing it. What changes do you need to make in your life to exhibit such a simple yet bold faith? How much more can we mature in our faith if we accept that God’s ways are not our ways? If we stopped asking God to explain His reasoning to us and trust Him?

II - The Divine Appointment

God had a plan for Philip, but He also had a plan for one single individual person. God had His eye on this one Ethiopian Official traveling on a desert road on his way back to Northern Africa. There was a divine appointment in the works. So now the question is: who is this guy?

A Eunuch and Court Official

The title Eunuch has two connotations to it. One is simply to be a Court Official. The second is used for emasculated servants in royal courts and harems (or even men born impotent). These types of servants were common in Eastern Kingdoms and were considered highly trustworthy since certain temptations were removed (literally). It is challenging to know which applies to this man, though we know he is a designated court official to Candace (her dynastic title, not her name), the Queen of Ethiopia, who was in charge of her treasury. This is not the same region as the Ethiopia we know today, rather, it was the Nubian kingdom headquartered in Meroe in the OT land of Cush, which is in modern-day Sudan.

What was he doing?

He had journeyed to worship in Jerusalem and was reading the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 53:7-8) on his way home. This suggests he was likely a God-fearing Gentile and proselyte (religious convert).

Being a foreigner and a gentile, he would have been excluded from many parts of worship in Jerusalem. And, if he were emasculated, he would have been further excluded from worshiping in the temple according to the Mosaic law found in Deut. 23:1. So he was likely a double rejected during his time there. Think about how that would have made him feel. He traveled all that way to be treated so poorly, yet he was still seeking the Jewish God.

Here is something I had missed for years that I only recently saw as I was preparing for this sermon. This part of the Acts story reveals God’s love for his lost sheep. Remember the account of the lost sheep and how the Shepherd left the 99 in search of the one that went astray? We are seeing this play out right here!

Philip was just with the Samaritan people who eagerly and joyfully accepted the good news of Jesus… an entire people group! And now (though Philip hasn’t been told what his mission is yet), the Spirit was sending him to the one… to the outcast, the unlearned, to a single lost sheep who was earnestly listening for the voice of his master. Isn’t that beautiful?

And what was the Lord showing this Court Official? He led him to one of the clearest descriptions of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Old Testament - the account of the Suffering Servant!

Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (ESV)

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Do you understand?

As this lost sheep was searching for God, God pointed Philip in his direction, telling him to join the man’s chariot. So Philip obeyed. He made his way through the traveling entourage, and as he got closer, he could hear the Eunuch reading out loud (which was commonplace). Can you imagine Philip’s excitement when he heard Isaiah 53being read?!

Being from Ethiopia, it would have been abundantly clear from the dark skin that he was not inherently Jewish. When Philip reached the man, he asked a clarifying question: “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Philip wanted the man to know God and His Messiah, so he asked a simple question. That is an easy question we can ask ourselves as we read the scriptures. How many of us are guilty of skimming through a chapter and completely forgetting what we read just minutes later? Anyone? How many of us do that when reading a prophet like Isaiah? Do yourself a favor by slowing down and, after reading a passage, ask that question: Do you understand what you are reading?” We live in an age where anything is at our fingertips. You don’t have to sit and wonder what in the world is going on with all the strange imagery, the looming destruction of nations, and divinely dispensed wrath. You have dozens of biblical research tools in your pocket! Ask that one question and watch how your devotional life can transform and flourish.

How can I?

The Eunuch replies like most of us do when we read Isaiah. No… no, I don’t understand. This isn’t easy literature, Mr. Stranger. I didn’t grow up Jewish. I had no Rabbi teaching me the meaning of such things. How could I understand this unless someone helps me understand?!

Who better to explain the Passion of the Christ than the man who had just witnessed it and brought its message to the first group of outsiders?!

III - The Good News about Jesus

This wandering sheep was searching for the voice of his master, and the Master was calling him to His flock by sending an under-shepherd to point him in the right direction.

After reading Isaiah 52:13-53:6, the Eunuch asked Philip about verses 7-8:

Acts 8:32–33 ESV

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

Notice that the purpose of the suffering servant has already been shown: crushed for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and all that. Now, the Eunuch wants to know whom this is describing. Is Isaiah saying this about himself, or is this another person?

By God’s providence, the gospel gun was cocked, locked, and loaded, and Philip was fully prepared to pull the trigger. “Beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.” The word ‘beginning’ implies that Philip continued connecting the dots from other passages. We don’t know if it was just in the scroll of Isaiah or if the Eunuch had other scriptures available (remember, in the 1st century, they didn’t have leather-bound Bibles available at every merchant stand). What we do know is that Philip was ready and able to use the available scripture to shine the spotlight on Jesus. Maybe he got helpful advice from the two men on the Emmaus road… who knows. Wouldn’t that have been super helpful?

That should be a challenge for us. Do you believe the Bible is one story told by the best storyteller in existence? Can you see the Old Testament stories and historical accounts and see Jesus? If not, then it is a worthwhile pursuit. Trust me when I say that you will fall deeper in love with God when you see His majestic plan of redemption woven throughout the Bible.

If a man can preach one sermon without mentioning Christ’s name in it, it ought to be his last, certainly the last that any Christian ought to go to hear him preach.

Charles Spurgeon

The Follow through

Though the text doesn’t clearly state the Eunuch’s conversion, it is certainly implied. After believing in this Jesus - the lamb led to the slaughter, which took away the iniquity of His people - The Eunuch immediately wanted to be baptized. Who wouldn’t? The man who was a double-reject, who just experienced being kept at arm’s length while worshiping in Jerusalem, just discovered salvation and acceptance… of course, he wants to make a joyful public profession! We should all be so energized and excited to show others how much Jesus means to us!

It’s no far stretch to think that as they continued to search the Isaiah scriptures, Philip helped the Eunuch see himself in chapter 56:3-8!

Isaiah 56:3–8 (ESV)

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”

The double reject is fully accepted as a son and daughter of the living God!

Baptism

Now the question is… are there any good reasons why we can’t do this now? I mean, we are in the desert, and yet, there is a pond right over there! This is a fair question. Evidently, Philip didn’t think so. They were in the desert, and there was a body of water. Indeed this was God’s providence! So, the Eunuch stopped the chariot, and the men went down to the water where Philip baptized the Eunuch.

Abnormal logistics

The first thing that happens after the Eunuch comes up out of the water is that Philip takes an interesting mode of transport. Much like Elijah’s miraculous transport from earth to heaven in 2 Kings 2:11, Philip was carried away by the Spirit to Azotus (Ashdod in the OT). That is crazy! The distance from Gaza to Azotus is approximately 20 miles, and the Spirit, for reasons known only to Him, transported Philip from here to there like Scotty in Star Trek.

IV - The End Result

1. The Eunuch left praising God.

2. Philip continued his preaching ministry.

Azotus to Caesarea = 55 miles. Caesarea was a port city that was rebuilt by Jerod the Great and was Headquarters for Roman officials such as Pilate, Felix, and Festus and is also where we see Philip settling down later in Acts.

Conclusion

We all have the same call as Philip. Go and make Jesus known among the nations. I doubt many of us will be supernaturally snatched into the sky and placed in a foreign land. The miracle of this story isn’t Philip’s miraculous transportation. It is in how a holy God uses his people and His word to bring His lost sheep home.

Based on the story today, we can do this by:

1. Listening and yielding to the Spirit’s voice.

2. Know and understand the good news of Jesus Christ.

3. Love others enough to proclaim it to them.

Romans 10:12–15 ESV

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”