UNLESS SOMEONE EXPLAINS IT TO ME

Acts 8:26-40
Key Verse 8:31

1. Read verses 26-31. Where did the Lord send Philip? Who did Philip meet on the desert road? What was the eunuch doing? How did Philip begin a conversation with him? How was the Lord involved in this meeting? What does this show us about the Lord?

*The Lord told Philip through his angel to "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" (26).

*He met an Ethiopian eunuch. Ethiopia was located near the northern tip of Africa, south east of Egypt. A eunuch is a castrated man. It is most likely that this man was castrated as a boy and employed for service in the royal palace (to protect the women in the palace from any advances). But verses 27-28 tell us two important things about him. 1) He was an "important official" and in charge of all the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians. 2) He was on his way to Jerusalem to worship and read the Bible on his own. He was making a long journey to worship God according to God's direction to go to Jerusalem, the place where God put his name.

*He was reading the Bible on his way to Jerusalem. He had gained much in this world and was very successful, but he was looking for God. Attending worship services and feasts was not enough. This man also read the Scriptures to know God.

*The Spirit told Philip to go to the chariot and stand near it. Philip obeyed and understood the Lord's purpose in the situation. He immediately opened a conversation with the official by saying, "Do you understand what you are reading?" (30). He opened up a way of discussion between them. The eunuch replied, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" Then he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

*The Lord was directly involved in all of the steps of this meeting. He began by sending Philip to the desert road. Then he told Philip to stand near the chariot of the eunuch.

*The Lord sent a Bible teacher specifically for this man. The eunuch was searching for God, but God already saw the Ethiopian and prepared a way for him to know God through his servant Philip. The Lord wants all people to hear the good news about Jesus Christ and he is working actively through his servants to accomplish this. It is the Lord's work to bring us to Jesus. So the Lord operated as the director, Philip his agent, and the Eunuch the recipient. Thank God for sending us Bible teachers at just the right time!

2. Read verses 32-35. What scripture was the eunuch reading? How might the eunuch have related to the man mentioned in that passage? What did he ask Philip? How did Philip respond? How does this passage from Isaiah begin to tell the good news about Jesus? How was this good news for the eunuch? 

*Isaiah 53:7-8. This passage speaks about a suffering servant of the Lord. 

*This man probably felt a personal connection with the servant described in Isaiah. In service to his country Ethiopia, this man had been emasculated. Despite his “important official” status, respect, or wealth, surely, he felt humiliated and wronged. He could not have any descendants and his life would pass away from the earth. He probably thought about having a family and felt empty. But the eunuch had read this passage the wrong way, thinking that Isaiah was talking about him. He only focused on the sad parts of this passage, although the rest of the passage has many good things to say.

*Verse 34: "The eunuch asked Philip, 'Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?' " 

*Verse 35: "Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." 

*Isaiah prophesied about Jesus' sufferings. Jesus is the Lamb of God who shed his blood for the sins of the world. He suffered injustice at the hands of sinful men, falsely accused, beaten, mocked, and then crucified. But the good news is that God raised him from the dead on the third day. He suffered for our sins and opened the way of eternal life for all who believe in him. In Jesus we have forgiveness, hope, and a new life in fellowship with God and look forward to his kingdom. 

*No one could understand the eunuch's frustration in life. He had no hope or meaning.  He tried to find something for his life in worship. But he wasn't sure what he was doing. But through Bible study he found out that God understood him fully and sent Jesus to give him eternal life. He could have hope and meaning in life. In Jesus, the eunuch can have the hope of glory and many spiritual descendants. For once he could be thankful about his life and have vision.

People need Bible teachers. There are so many people out there looking for someone who understands them. They're really looking for Jesus. But they don't know unless someone explains it to them. 

>>So the Lord sent a Bible teacher to this man. What sticks out is that Philip was a prepared Bible teacher. He could speak about the good news of Jesus from this passage just as the eunuch pointed out. He “began with that very passage of Scripture.” He was an excellent Bible teacher. And he spoke about Jesus in just the way that the eunuch needed to hear. His example was to go out to sheep, to know how to speak to them to give the right answers, and, especially, how to tell the good news of Jesus from any passage. 

>>Jesus’ sufferings are indeed difficult to understand. Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand the meaning of his sufferings until Jesus rose from the dead. Once, Peter even said to Jesus, “Never, Lord! You shall never suffer like this.” But Jesus explained to his disciples the meaning of his sufferings as the good news of the gospel over and over again. Eventually, they got it. And now Philip is the fruit of Jesus’ explaining the meaning of his sufferings so that Philip could now do it for someone else with clarity and effectiveness. It is hard to understand Jesus’ sufferings today, because we don’t like to suffer. But it is the good news of Jesus that he suffered, died, but was raised from the dead to bring forgiveness of sin and hope for eternal life for all who believe in him! 

3. Read verses 36-40. How did the eunuch respond to the good news about Jesus? What happened to Philip? What did he do beginning at Azotus? What can we learn from Philip about serving the Lord? 

*1) He asked to be baptized when he saw some water along the road. It meant that he decided to accept the good news about Jesus personally, repent, and make a public confession before God. 2) Rejoicing. He had great joy when he received the good news about Jesus. 

*The Spirit took him away after the baptism and sent him Azotus. 

*He preached the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

*Philip displays very clearly the importance of being a ready servant of the Lord who is useful to the Master.

1) Philip was ready to listen to the Spirit’s leading and the Lord’s direction at any time and in any capacity. He was free to do what the Lord wanted. Philip did not serve his own interest at all. He served his ministry according to God's leading, and not his own desires, preferences, or agenda. 

2) Philip was also a prepared Bible teacher who could teach the good news about Jesus from the Scriptures, in just the right way to the person who’s listening. 

The Lord sends Bible teachers out into the world and into peoples lives. Those who serve the Lord with a pure heart and are willing and ready to obey all his directions can be used as the Lord's instrument of salvation for many lost people. May the Lord send you to his lost flock—to the right person at the right time—to tell them the good news about Jesus through the word of God. May God help us to go deep into his word and know Jesus.