“And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” – Acts 8:38
There are many wonderful lessons about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch that ends with this roadside baptism. Their encounter was completely arranged by the Holy Spirit but it wouldn’t have happened if Philip hadn’t obeyed the Spirit, left behind a successful ministry, and gone to the middle of nowhere. As a follower of Jesus, learn to be sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit Who lives in you. Learn to hear His voice speaking in your heart and obey Him in faith.
The eunuch was a man who clearly desired to know the Lord, but he didn’t know how. God rewarded that desire by introducing him to Philip. As a follower of Jesus, Philip had taken his faith seriously enough to be prepared to explain Scripture to the eunuch. Philip knew what Scripture the eunuch was reading and knew how to use it to point him to Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, invest time in studying the Bible for yourself every day and in small groups so that you too can explain the truths of the Gospel from the Word of God. Have a way to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those you encounter in your daily life. You are literally surrounded by people who need to know Jesus!
The eunuch believed and wanted to take the next step of obedience for a new believer, which is baptism. The eunuch was also uncertain whether he was permitted to take that step because his status as a eunuch excluded him from full participation in Judaism. Fortunately, Philip knew that the good news of Jesus Christ is good news for everyone! Rather than put obstacles in his path to obedience, Philip welcomed the eunuch into the faith. Philip knew the next step for him to take and performed that next step himself. As a follower of Jesus, make sure you know how a new believer can begin growing in Christ and make sure you aren’t putting stumbling blocks in their path which the Bible doesn’t require.
Every follower of Jesus should be ready to help someone else become a follower of Jesus and to help other followers grow in Christ. Are you ready? If not, seek intentional training and study to become ready to welcome people into God’s Kingdom. #FollowJesus