Rev'd Philip Heak
Robert Redford was asked once “Are you the real Robert Redford?”
Well, today in our Acts reading we heard a real story that is about seeing and believing.
The Acts reading today, Philip and the Ethiopian is all about encountering the reality of the Good news of Jesus.
There are a number of questions that I want to touch on today.
- Who is Philip?
- Who is the eunuch?
- Who do we see?
- What do we see?
First though, lets recap the story.
Philip the Evangelist was told by an angel to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, and there he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch, the treasurer of the Queen of the Ethiopians The eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home.
Sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah, he was reading Isaiah 53:7-8. Philip asked the Ethiopian, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He said he did not and asked Philip to explain the text to him. Philip told him the Gospel of Jesus, and the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. They went down into a water source, Philip baptized him.
So lets do the who’s who.
Who is Philip first of all?
There are two Philips in the Bible. Philip the Apostle, a disciple of Jesus and Philip the evangelist.
It’s Philip the evangelist that we are dealing with today.
PHILIP, “the evangelist”, is first mentioned in the Acts (vi. 5) as one of “the seven” who were chosen to attend to the administration of charity to the poor widows. . After the martyrdom of Stephen he went to “the city of Samaria,” where he preached with much success eventually reaching Caesarea.
Here some years afterwards, according to Acts 11 he is described as “the evangelistand he entertained Paul and his companion on their way to Jerusalem; at that time “he had four daughters which did prophesy.”
Looking at the Who, Philip the evangelist is obviously someone who had a gift for the spreading of the Gospel. He was someone who open to the promptings of the spirit and he felt the gospel was for everyone.
Who is the Ethiopian eunuch?
Ethiopia in Bible times is more akin to Sudan, not modern day Ethiopia. He was possibly Nubian, a people who still live to this day in Egypt. They are very distinctive with black skin and deep blue eyes,
The Ethiopian Eunuch, who is unnamed is a Royal Official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians.
Candace is not the name of the Queen but actually a dynastic title title. ”“Candace, queen of the Ethiopians” is a, like Pharaoh king of Egypt or Jabin
So we can say Ethiopian Eunuch was likely an official in Kandake/Candace Amanitore’s court, and was from the Nubian kingdom of Meroe, located in modern-day Sudan.
Today, a series of pyramids in Sudan mark the remains of the kingdom of Meroe.
Who is he. Well, he had been to Jerusalem. Probably what people called a God fearer. He was most likely not Jewish, but would have believed in one God. The passage he is reading is Isaiah Isaiah 53: A passage that speaks of the suffering servant.
Perhaps he identified with that passage because he himself would have been often an outsider.
As non-Jewish, he was only allowed in parts of the temple and he would have been restricted in what he could do, More than that as a Eunuch, he was part of a minority and black and foreign. Probably seen as a curiosity by most people. Here was a man, who despite his position, would have no offspring, no wife or intimate contact. And in many ways he was excluded from society.
Who do we see in the story:
We see the picture of a convert.
If we look closely at the passage, we can see that the Ethiopian had already some knowledge of Christianity. He knows that baptism is important. He has been on a journey.
He’s been to Jerusalem and now he is going home. He is still searching and that is why he is reading Isiah. Perhaps he had bought the scroll of Isaiah whilst in Jerusalem He is trying to understand.
God then sends him a messenger in Philip. There’s no doubt in the passage that God sends Philip to speak to the man.
Philip asks him what he is reading and then gently explains his questions. The Ethiopian then responds.
If you remember the person who asked Robert Redford are you the real Robert Redford. Well, the Ethiopian sees the real truth of the Gospel.
He then sees water and asks to be baptised. He is baptised and goes his way with great joy.
What do we also see?
We see God in control: God knew that the Ethiopian was searching and he sent Philip to show him the truth.
We see a God who is welcome to everyone: the eunuch was an outsider in every sense. Black, foreign, and a member of a sexual minority but Philip is sent to specifically seek him out.
It’s a simple story, but so many different layers of truth. Robert Redford was asked, “Are you the real Robert Redford.” Well this is a story of someone encountering the real Gospel.
A Christian in the first century met a man from Sudan on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. His name was Philip and he told the Ethiopian Eunuch “the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). That man responded in faith saying, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37).
May we also respond likewise.