You may have noticed by now that during the Easter Season, that is during the Sundays following Easter, until we reach Pentecost Sunday, we do not have an Old Testament Reading, instead our First Readings have been readings from the Book of The Acts of the Apostles. Instead of listening to the prophecies of old that pointed to Jesus we are looking at the early Church as the word of the resurrection of Jesus began to spread and as the early Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the means of the Word of God, began to grow.
Getting to our text, we read first of Philip’s calling. We begin at verse twenty-six, “26Now 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. 27And 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 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot’” (v. 26-29).
Our text begins by telling us that an angel came and told Philip where to go. He told him to go to a deserted road. Philip had been going north. The angel tells him to turn 180̊ and go south. Philip obeys and begins heading south.
It just so happened, coincidentally, that the Lord had lead an Ethiopian to use that same road. Here is where I would like to make an aside and say that I do not believe in coincidences and this is why: All a coincidence is, is God’s unseen hand moving in our lives. It did not just so happen that the Lord lead the Ethiopian to use this road. It did not just happen that the angel told Philip to go to this road. The Lord had in mind for Philip to meet and share the good news of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, with the Ethiopian. All we know about this Ethiopian is that he was an important official in Ethiopia and that he was a proselyte, in other words, he was a convert to Judaism. And because he was a eunuch, he was only a proselyte of the gate. Because he was a eunuch, because he was not a whole man, shall we say, remember only those, again, shall we say, those that were worthy could enter the inner court, thus he could not go into the inner courts and worship with the others.
The angel directed Philip to walk along beside the chariot and to listen as the man read from the book of the prophecy of Isaiah. The man must have been reading out loud, to himself, as was the custom of the people in those day. And as he was reading, being a newcomer to the faith, he did not fully understand what it was that the Word was saying to him.
Before we go on, one more note of interest. Our text tells us that the Ethiopian was in charge of the treasury of Candace. Candace is not the first name of the queen of the Ethiopians, rather it is a title. Very much like all the rulers of the Egyptians were called Pharaoh, so all the rulers of the Ethiopians were called Candace.
Getting back to the text. Our text continues with Philip opening the Scripture to the Ethiopian. We pick up at verse thirty, “30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ 31And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now 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. 33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’ 34And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (v. 30-35).
Philip begins by asking the question, “do you understand what you are reading?” This does not intend to mean that the Bible is difficult to read and understand, rather we have an indication that for a new Christian it might be more difficult to make connections between prophecy and fulfillment, especially if this is the first time you are reading it. And think about the time that this is happening. The Ethiopian is reading the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah and this prophecy had just been recently fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
The Ethiopian asks the question, “is the prophet speaking about himself or another.” His question is, “Is the prophet going to be killed, or someone else going to be killed?” Certainly his question is understandable especially for a first time reader.
Philip answers his question by beginning with this very passage of scripture and explaining the good news of Jesus. Philip’s “evangelism technique” is one which we would do well to follow. When someone asks about our faith, or asks a question about God’s word, we would do well to begin with that question and answer it rather than move to a different statement and be confusing. Remember, all God asks is that we are always ready to give an answer, a defense of our faith and we are ready as we are filled with the Lord’s Word through our regular and diligent use of the means of grace, through our reading God’s Word, having personal and family devotions, being in divine service and Bible class.
At this point our text does not give us Philip’s words, but simply says that he told him the good news about Jesus. The Isaiah text is for another day and another sermon, but let me say this, Isaiah’s words do remind us that Jesus is the suffering servant who gave His life on the cross that we might have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
God’s Word does what it says. God gives us His Word. His Word gives us His grace. His Word works faith in our hearts. The Ethiopian, through the word, was brought to the point where he knew that he wanted to be Baptized. We continue at verse thirty-six, “36And 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?’ 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And 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. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (v. 36-40).
How true the Bible is when it says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The natural response to hearing God’s Word is Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit, working through the Word, worked faith in this man’s heart and he was ready to be given even more of God’s gifts though Holy Baptism.
Notice that our text does not tell us the mode of Holy Baptism, whether the man was immersed or sprinkled. It does not mention the mode, because the mode is not what is important. What is important is that Baptism takes place and that it is done with water and Word.
Immediately following his Baptism the Ethiopian went on his way and Philip was taken to Azotus. God had further plans for the Ethiopian, for him to go back to his own country and share the Word of the Lord with his people. And as for Philip, God took him elsewhere to continue spreading the good news of salvation.
It is with great joy that we come to divine service to worship our Lord, to hear the good news of salvation; to hear the good news that our sins are forgiven because of Jesus’ life and death on the cross; to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; to be filled with His good gifts and blessings and then to take those gifts and blessings and share them with others. It is with great joy that we come to serve the Lord as His people in this place.
We have God’s Word. We can read God’s Word at home. We can come here and hear God’s Word. We can come here and hear God’s Word expounded. We have God’s Word which reminds us of our sins, that we sin in thought, word and deed, that we sin sins of omission and commission, that we are conceived and born in sin, that every inclination of our heart is evil all the time, and thanks be to God that we have His Word which reminds us that Jesus lived perfectly for us in our place, that He took all our sins upon Himself, that He gave His life for ours on the cross that we might have forgiveness of sins. It is through God’s Word alone that we are given, strengthened, and kept in faith. It is by God’s grace alone that we are given God’s Word, through which He gives us all His good gifts and blessings. And it is by faith alone, which our Lord gives to us through His means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments, that we are saved. Notice how it all points to God’s giving and our being given to.
And what is more, our Lord also gives us the privilege of being like Philip, that is the privilege of being witnesses of the faith that is in our hearts. We are witnesses in all we think, say and do. Our entire life shows forth the faith that is in our hearts as we, the priests of the Lord, in the priesthood of all believers, live our lives as living sacrifices for the Lord.
And we remember that we serve the Lord only as He works through us to serve Him. Again, it goes back to the Lord. He is the prime mover.
This morning we continue to celebrate the Easter resurrection. This morning we celebrate the gift of God’s means of grace, the gift of His Holy Word. We celebrate that the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to give us the good gifts and blessings He has to give, faith, forgiveness, strengthening of faith, life and salvation. We celebrate God’s gifts of Holy Baptism. Certainly, in our text we see faith given through the Word and then that faith’s desire was to be baptized, yet we also know from God’s Word that Holy Baptism in itself if also a Sacrament, a sacred act, a means of grace through which God gives faith as He reminds us through the Apostle Peter, that Baptism saves us. And we continue to celebrate God’s means of grace of Confession and Absolution as well as His Holy Supper. We celebrate that God works through such ordinary earthly things as water, bread, wine and His Word to give the good gifts and blessings He has to give. Indeed, we celebrate that He stirs in us hearts that give thanks to God for His gifts, faith, forgiveness, strengthening of faith, life and salvation. Indeed, we rejoice and say, to Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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