THE CONVERSION OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

 By: Jeff May

    Acts chapter 8 tells us about the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch.  I love the story because it is so simple.  Let’s observe six points about the Ethiopian.

            He was a seeker (8:26-27).  He’s already been to worship but he’s not done.  He’s still hungry.  He is still seeking.  On the way home, he’s reading from the book of Isaiah.  Great things are bound to happen!!  Here’s a man who wants to know.  Philip wants to tell.  Anytime two men like that hook up, salvation is almost certain to follow.  As one good preacher put it, “We are looking for people who are looking.”  What about you?  After the worship service, are you still hungry?  Does the Bible get tossed in the back seat or laid in some nook or cranny in the house until another Sunday rolls around?  Will you find yourself calling out, “Has anyone seen my Bible?”  You can’t find it because you haven’t picked it up since you last went to worship.  Not so with this Ethiopian.  He was a seeker.   

            He was humble (8:29-31).  Many people might have been offended with the question this man was asked.  Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  How insulting!  But the Ethiopian wasn’t offended.  He’s a humble man and humble men are teachable men.  His answer was, “How can I unless someone guides me?”  Try asking a Pharisee if he understands what he is reading and get ready for a verbal beating.  Remember the blind man in John 9.  Jesus gives him his sight and this common man simply says (I’m paraphrasing), “I was blind.  Now I see.  Jesus was in the middle.  Go figure.”  In seething anger and pride the Pharisees responded,  “You were completely born in sins and are you teaching us?”  They cast him out (Jn. 9:34).  It’s just hard to teach a proud man anything.

            He saw the cross of Christ (8:32-35).  The eunuch was reading the sad story of Isaiah 53 about a lamb being led to the slaughter.  Philip started right there and and preached Jesus to him.  Imagine the stirring in his heart as he realized that Jesus was that lamb.  The old rugged cross moved him as it has so many others since.  So…

            He acted with urgency (8:36-38).  Spotting water he said, “See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?”  Now that’s interesting.  Why is he talking baptism so soon?  Well, it’s because Philip preached Jesus to him (vs. 35).  You can’t preach Jesus without preaching baptism.  Jesus said that (Mk. 16:15-16).  It is here we see another reminder that baptism is essential to salvation.  He did it right then.  There were no quarterly baptisms in the New Testament.  Instead we see words like “that day” (Acts 2:41), “the same hour”, and “immediately” (Acts 16:33).  He took it personal.  “What hinders me from being baptized?” (vs. 36)  Good question.  Dear reader, if you are not saved, ask yourself the same question.

            He obeyed (8:38-39).  Maybe here we can notice a little detail about his baptism.  It was a burial.  He went “down into” and “came up out of” the water.  Scriptural baptism is immersion.  It reminds me of a man who took Bibles into an Indian culture and left them to be read.  When he returned, he returned with a bucket of water to use for “sprinkling”.  Arriving, he asked an Indian if he had read his Bible.  He replied, “Indian read Bible.”  “Are you ready then to be baptized?” asked the preacher.  To which the Indian asked, “You baptize Indian with bucket?”  “Yes” replied the preacher.  Then he heard, “Indian not fit in bucket”.  The Indian understood well.  Baptism requires much water (Jn. 3:23) for it is a burial (Rom. 6:4).

            He became a Christian.  He was nothing more and nothing less.  He was proud to be in Christ and wear His name with honor.   He was added to the all the saved – the church (Acts 2:47).  If you will just do what this man did, the Lord will save you too.  I once heard of a deaf and mute woman who appeared at an assembly of Christians.  She came forward when the invitation song was lead.  Taking her seat at the front, the preacher wondered how he could communicate and find out her need.  She had already thought about that.  She turned to Acts 8 and pointed to “See here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized” (vs. 36)?  He took his finger and pointed to “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (vs. 37a).  She then pointed to “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (vs. 37b).  Upon her confession, he baptized her into Christ.  How’s that for simple?  Just put your finger on the verse.  Do what it says.

            May God be praised for the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.