An Ethiopian is Baptized

May 21, 2023 Background Scripture: Acts 8:26 - 40 Lesson Passage: Acts 8:29 - 40 There is plenty to ponder in this brief passage of scripture. The topic speaks volumes when one considers that this Ethiopian was still a resident of Ethiopia. If he had become a citizen of Judea, there would not be as much to discuss about this. The fact that he was still residing in Ethiopia is a reminder of the Great Commission and final instructions given by Jesus to His disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" and "you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth". The salvation of the Ethiopian addressed nationality and geography. When Philip went to Samaria and evangelized, he was preaching beyond Jerusalem and Judea. However, he was preaching to relatives of the Jews whose land adjoined that of the Jews. The Ethiopian represented a different nation and a distant land. With his salvation, the gospel was being extended far beyond Jerusalem as it was unfolding to the end of the earth. This did not happen by chance. Philip arrived in Samaria as he fled the persecution against the Christian community in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the central location of the Christian congregation. They were not reaching out to others beyond Jerusalem as they were commissioned to do by Christ. The persecution scattered them away from Jerusalem; and as they went, they went everywhere preaching the word. This started the spread of the gospel beyond Jerusalem. While in Samaria, the Lord sent Philip south to a road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. Philip's obedience to the Lord's prompting should not be minimized or overlooked. After Philip arrived at the road, he saw the Ethiopian traveling on it. Then the Lord prompted Philip to get close to the chariot the Ethiopian was riding in. Philip ran to the chariot and heard the Ethiopian reading from the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. There is no other mention of the Lord prompting Philip after his encounter with the Ethiopian. Philip was evangelizing prior to this in Samaria. He understood the evangelistic opportunity. Philip started a conversation with the Ethiopian by asking if he understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian's response opened the door for Philip to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Ethiopian's interest in the Hebrew scriptures was a great place for Philip to start a conversation. When the Ethiopian admitted to not understanding the prophetic word he was reading, he invited Philip to join him in his chariot. Philip accepted his invitation and opened the scripture to him of how Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. The prophetic word the Ethiopian was reading had recently been fulfilled. Although they were traveling through desert wasteland, they came upon a body of water (let that sink in). Because the Ethiopian's thirst for the word of God had been quenched, he asked concerning his eligibility to be baptized into the faith. It has been said that baptism is to our faith what words are to our thoughts. Both are external expressions of our internal reality. Philip stated that baptism should take place if a person believes in Jesus Christ with all their heart. The Ethiopian made a clear and concise statement of his faith. Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and Philip baptized him. The Holy Spirit carried Philip towards the north and the Ethiopian went on his way towards the south. And with the Ethiopian, the gospel of Jesus Christ went further into the continent of Africa. Robert C. Hudson May 5, 2023