The Ethiopian Eunuch

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Second Corinthians three seventeen, Lord of Freedom, we come before you with grateful hearts, thanking you for the gift of freedom found in your spirit. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom. We praise you for breaking the chains that once bound us, setting us free from sin and shame, helping us to step boldly into this freedom, casting off the weight of our pasts. Give us the courage to live untethered by fear or regret, fully embracing the new life you offer. May we walk in the light of your truth, confident in the freedom that is ours through Christ. Let our lives be a testimony to your liberating power. In jes a mighty name, we pray, Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. You are listening to the Jesus Podcast. Remain here for another dramatized story inspired by the Book of Acts and the birth of the Church. If this podcast has blessed you, make sure to follow so you never have to miss an episode. Abde humbly marched into his master's chamber. He had served the royal family as a eunuch for most of his life with militant submission. For his outstanding service, he was made overseer of the Treasury of Kendrake, the Queen of Ethiopians. But despite what other Palace officials had deemed good fortune, as the middle aged man slowly working his way up the system, he often day dreamed of freedom from his responsibilities. Though he carried an air of status, he felt humiliation and shame for the life he let. Though he would never dare admit so outwardly, he felt he had sacrificed any hope of finding his purpose in life to serve the Queen. Any solace for what he felt was a wasted life had to be found on his own. He did his best to carve out time for himself, hiding the fact from his master. He saw brief moments of comfort through reading. He would let his mind get lost in counterfeit feelings of freedom as he read through tales of men and women throughout the ages. Most recently, he had stumbled upon the ancient writings of the Israelites. His mother had taught him and his siblings about the Queen of Sheba when they were children. He remembered listening to the tales of the woman who had put her faith in the Lord after seeing the splendor of Solomon's expansive kingdom. He had stowed the scrolls away in a wooden chest where he kept the rest of his belongings, tucking them away with the other works he had collected over the years. But the word of the God of the Jews wouldn't leave his mind. He found himself pulling it out regularly, hardly leaving any time to gather dust as some of the other scrolls had, Did you hear me? Abde? Abde stared at the king, unable to hide that he had been lost in thought. His silence was palpable. The King's hardened features melted away into a caring gaze. You seem burdened of mind, nobleman, that maybe it's best to reassign you. Abde tensed. Was this where all of his life striving fell apart? The king recognized the panic set into Abde's eyes. He gave a warm chuckle. No, not like that, Abney. You've been a faithful steward of the queen's riches. 00:03:58 Speaker 2: What I mean to say, perhaps it would do you some good to travel, get some fresh air and explore other lands. 00:04:08 Speaker 1: In a flash, Abbey's countenance reversed. Vivid pictures of lands from his readings filled his mind. He dreamed of adventures through new and exciting nations. Doing his best to hide his wide grin, he politely nodded to his master, I. 00:04:25 Speaker 2: Have some debts to be settled with a man in Sidon. Take what supplies you need before heading out tomorrow, and on your way back, take some time for yourself. 00:04:37 Speaker 1: Abde's eyes flicked with excitement. If he traveled north, perhaps this was his chance to visit the Holy City of David. With his maps charted Forseidon, but his heart set on Jerusalem, Abde strode out of the king's chambers with a lively kick in his step. 00:04:58 Speaker 3: If you're going to dedicate your life to the Gospel, you'll find that you are going to meet people that you never thought you would meet, and be taken places you never thought you would ever go. Welcome to the Jesus Podcast. A year of story showcasing the depth of Christ's love and the glory of God's truth through cinematic storytelling and honest reflection. We've been going through a miniseries on the Birth of the Church, showcasing stories from the Book of Acts on how the Holy Spirit and Christ worked through the early Church to transform the world. Today, we're going on a little road trip with Philip. The trip starts on a dusty, deserted road, but ends in joy, transformation and a splash of baptismal waters. Yes, we're talking about Philip's unexpected meeting with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts eight twenty six through forty. This is a story that teaches us about obedience, divine appointments, and the power of the Gospel to reach across every boundary. 00:05:52 Speaker 1: Let's go. Philip, Peter, and John had all successfully returned to Jerusalem. They had excitedly told the believers about the move of the Spirit through the people of Samaria. They rejoiced with the angels in heaven at those who were being saved. Saul may have had his vile thumb pressed against the people of the Way, but God's hand was unfazed in painting a masterpiece across the globe. The pharisees forceful tyranny only seemed to quicken the spread of the brushstrokes. The Apostles were determined to advance through every obstacle, growing radically through the experience fighting the enemy's schemes had become just as fruitful to their spiritual health as it had been to jump starting the spiritual life of others. 00:06:45 Speaker 2: Peter and John, I must thank you again for traveling all the way to Samaria, and not only that, but for continuing to preach there even after I left. 00:06:54 Speaker 4: We were glad to take part in the work plassified state here. I would have had to listen to James grumble about not getting to see Emma. It seems my big brother has become the baby. 00:07:05 Speaker 2: Hey, you said you missed her too. Don't act like we all couldn't do with some family time. Family time or not. I'm just thankful to be able to rest for a bit between journeys. 00:07:19 Speaker 1: The other apostles concurred with Philip. The work was fruitful, but the days were still long. They didn't admit it often, but ministry was exhausting even if they did have the Holy spirit. Even the followers of Jesus, whose yoke was easy, required rest just like every other human. Without adequate attention to their own relationship with God, they risked burning out. 00:07:47 Speaker 2: If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to take the afternoon to go to the temple and pray. 00:07:53 Speaker 1: The temple courtyards resonated with the sound of pious worshipers. Philip happily greeted them, he passed them by. He was in no rush, for he had established the habit of praying constantly wherever he went. He found the act of doing so at the temple simply helped him remove the distractions of everyday life. But God's presence was just as near in the sanctuary of the temple as it was in the dulness of doing laundry. As he walked through the outer courtyards, he bumped the shoulder of a man whose eyes were glued to the temple's peak. He was an Ethiopian, and by the looks of his robes, Philip assumed him to be of respectable status. Philip waited willingly as the man apologized. 00:08:43 Speaker 4: Please excuse me, I've just never seen anything quite so magnificent. Dare I say, divine, I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you. 00:08:52 Speaker 1: The stranger's smile caught Abdey off guard. It seemed that rather than being bothered by Abdey's distracted stare and meandering, he was almost pleased to have run. 00:09:03 Speaker 2: Into him, and no inconvenience at all. I was just in the middle of praying. It seems the Lord would like me to add you. 00:09:11 Speaker 4: To the list. 00:09:13 Speaker 1: Philip strode off without another word, merely reciting a psalm. Abde tilted his head in fascination, but was soon pulled away by more sights to be halted. It was Abde's last evening in Jerusalem. Zion had surpassed the humble nobleman's life long expectations. He had done his best to indocrinate himself with the culture, customs, and even cuisine of God's people, even though he had to admit he preferred some of the traditions of home, particularly the food. His visit to the temple was unmatched by any wonder he had set his eyes on before. He couldn't help but imagine the King's jealousy if he were to see the stone beauty adorned with old more brilliant than his own crowd. The stars began to break through the black canvas of the night sky. Abde sat on the rooftop of the house where he was staying. He could hear the bustling of the King's servants down below, packing up before they set off for home in the early hours of the morning. He inhaled the cool air deep into his lungs, locking in the memory of the scent of freshly baked rosemary and olive bread. Across town, Philip sat on the rooftop of the Apostles House. He too, admired the stars above. On quiet nights alone, he enjoyed the impossible challenge of counting the stars, pretending he was Abraham, obeying the Lord's rhetorical request. Philip's eyes caught a shooting star. The meteor plummeted through the Earth's atmosphere with incredible blue and white tails dancing behind it. Philip's face showed his confusion when the rock didn't disappear, but continue to stream through the night sky toward Earth. In an instant, the light streaked above his head. He covered his eyes as the celestial body crashed heavily before him. From the silence of the surrounding houses, he could only presume that he was the only one who had seen or heard the anomaly. Through his fingers, Philip saw a glowing silhouette. The shape resembled that of a man, but any discernible features were hidden under a blanket of light. Philip debated on running into the house to retrieve the other apostles, but his decision was made for him when the figure began to speak. The voice was both elegant and straw. 00:11:57 Speaker 5: Philip, the Lord sends you south. Go down the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. Keep his word close at heart. 00:12:08 Speaker 1: Philip wasn't sure if he was supposed to respond to the angelic messenger. Questions filled his mind, but the light oscillated before ascending into the sky. Philip watched as it raced into the heavens with the same speed by which it had come to him. The following day, Philip packed his bag as the disciples asked him questions about his illuminated nighttime visit. Thomas rested his elbows on the table as Philip grabbed fruit from the bowl beside him. 00:12:42 Speaker 2: For the hundredth time. Yes, so you're saying it was an angel and all it said was go down to Gaza, would it, though, Hm? If only every decision was made that obvious, sure would make listening to the spirit a lot easier. 00:12:59 Speaker 1: Phil Bilip gave him a knowing look. Thomas paused to contemplate the idea. It was true that, by his own stubbornness, he had refused to believe Jesus had returned until he touched the scars with his own hands. Maybe Philip had a point. Such blatant signs would require little faith from Jesus followers, which wasn't something the Lord had ever been a proponent of. With a full pack and a heart strengthened by the Lord's promise to use the apostles as witnesses to the ends of the earth, Philip set off down the desert road to Gossip. He had expected to spend more time in Jerusalem, but the Lord had other plans. Philip wasn't upset by the fact, but his extraversion was struggling with the constant travels alone. It was midday when he could see the cloudy trail of a chariot up ahead. A voice reverberated in his mind, only audible to the apostle. 00:14:00 Speaker 4: Go to the chariot and stand near it. 00:14:03 Speaker 1: At first, Philip thought maybe his own mind had given him these instructions to cure the onset of loneliness he was feeling, but the thought wouldn't leave his mind. He heard the voice again. He felt like a rope had been fastened around his waist and was now pulling him towards the chariot. Philip quickened his pace. The chariot laboriously treked the stony ground, groaning over every rock and crevice, making it easy for the apostle to make light work of the distance between them. Philip ran along the left side of the chariot. The horses neighed at their new guest before bending their necks low under the weight of their carriage. Philip could hear amain reading. He inclined his ear just barely to hear over the sound of the creaking wood and straining animals. Words were familiar to the jew. Philip closed his eyes as the man read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Philip smiled. The voice was familiar to him. He peered over the edge of the chariot to confirm his suspicions. He whispered to himself, Ah. 00:15:20 Speaker 2: Once again, the Lord. 00:15:22 Speaker 1: Has answered my prahaps Philip waited for a pause in the reading before interjecting. 00:15:28 Speaker 2: Excuse me, fine, nobleman, do you understand the words you are reading. 00:15:33 Speaker 1: Abde's head poked out from behind his scroll. In surprise, he peered over the edge of the chariot and took note of the apostle. It was running with unusual ease at such a swift pace. 00:15:46 Speaker 4: Oh hello, I failed to see you there. I was entranced in my reading. Well, that's the funny thing about understanding such things. How could one grasp the meaning of the text unless someone explains it. 00:15:58 Speaker 1: Suddenly Abde realized the absurdity of the scene and invited Philip to join him the chariot. 00:16:05 Speaker 4: I'm sure this would be much easier for the both of us if you were to keep my company up here. Servants, stop the chariot. 00:16:13 Speaker 1: The chariot came to a halt as the horses reared their hoofs. They gladly welcomed the break and had no problem telling their masters as much with abrupt shakes of their manes. Abde dusted off the seat next to him, then offered a hand of assistance to Philip. Philip climbed in and took a seat next to his new acquaintance. Abdee waved to the servants, and off they went. Philip leaned over the ethiopians shoulder to read the scroll. 00:16:43 Speaker 2: Ah, yes, what a wonderful passage. If you would please read it aloud once more with pleasure. 00:16:51 Speaker 4: Ahem. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not own in his mouth. In his humiliation, he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken. 00:17:09 Speaker 1: From the earth. Abde sat in an awkward silence. As he finished, He stared at the parchment, hunting for it to reveal its hidden meaning. Philip placed his hand on Abde's back. 00:17:22 Speaker 2: It is good to be in the word of the Lord. Now tell me what do you make of the prophet's words? 00:17:28 Speaker 1: Abde laughed. Now that he was liberated from the watchful eyes of his master, he felt the freedom to speak openly. 00:17:37 Speaker 4: Hah, what do I make of it, my new friend, I do not even know if the prophet speaks of himself or of another. Please tell me if you would. 00:17:48 Speaker 1: Philip promptly leaned in with enthusiasm. He asked Abde to hand him the scrawl and began to explain its connection to the Lord Jesus. For the next hours, Philip outlined in great detail the specifics of the Gospel and the implications it had on anyone who believed in Jesus and his salvation. Abde lapped up every word of the Apostle. Each answer he received was the springboard for another question. Finally, he asked Peter the question that had been most burning in his heart. 00:18:26 Speaker 4: And if one were to believe, what must he do? 00:18:30 Speaker 1: Philip had been waiting for this question. It wasn't often that one would delve into the depths of the Gospel with such curiosity and not find the treasure buried at the bottom. 00:18:42 Speaker 2: The cost the Messiah bide was great, so that the way to eternal life could be made available to all the Blood of our Lord Jesus covers the sins of all who repent, believe, and be baptized in the name of Jesus. 00:18:58 Speaker 1: The simplicity was nearly too much for Abdey to believe. He had spent decades following his family's footsteps, serving the royal family. He had given up his own passions to pursue the path of man's respect. But now the Gospel was calling him to submit himself to a new master, one that would make him freer than he could have ever dreamed. Abdey pointed a quarter mile up the road. 00:19:26 Speaker 4: There up ahead, water servants stop at that spring. 00:19:30 Speaker 5: Just there. 00:19:31 Speaker 1: Abdey gripped the scroll in his hand. He read the words in front of him. Once more, tears welled up behind his eyes. He looked up at Philip. 00:19:42 Speaker 4: What stands between me and my baptism? 00:19:45 Speaker 2: Absolutely nothing. 00:19:47 Speaker 1: The chariot stopped on the side of the road, overlooking the small pool. The two men stepped out and waited carefully into the warm reservoir. Philip explained the symbolism of baptist then his profession of faith. Abde was eager to begin. He couldn't wait to feel his old life wash away under the still watery grave. Philip clasped his hands around abdes the apostle lifted a prayer to the heavens above. With the Lord as his witness, he lowered the Ethiopian into the water. The muscles of his arm strained as he pulled him up. Abdey grasped his first breath of new life. As his head broke through the water surface. He wept with a joy of freedom he had found in Jesus. As the water dripped from his body. It was like his old self was dripping away. He thanked Peter and offered to travel with him as long as their roads intersected, and Peter smirked, knowing he couldn't predict where his road might lead him. The two men trudged up the sandy bank and found firm footing on the road. Before Abde could say anything else, a white light began swirling around Philip. Its velocity continued to increase until abdey could only see white spirals, which were now completely hiding the Apostle from view. Abde watched until the blinding lights disappeared, and with them the Apostle himself. The nobleman looked around but found no trace of the man who had helped change his life. But Philip made a point to teach Abde that Philip was only a witness to the man who truly changed his life. Abde looked up to the skies and thanked his God and savior. 00:21:53 Speaker 3: Let's set the scene here, Philip, the Apostle has been riding high on a wave of revival in Samaria. People are getting safe, miracles are happening, and the city is full of joy. If this were a movie, we'd cue the victory music and roll the credits. But then out of nowhere, an angel tells Philip to rise, go south along the road which goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. Now, if you've never been on a desert road, let me paint you a picture. It's hot, it's lonely, and it's not exactly the place you'd expect to find your next big ministry moment. Yet Philip doesn't hesitate, he doesn't question it. He gets up and goes. Friends, how many of us would leave a place of great success and comfort to follow God into the unknown? How many of us would say, desert, no problem, Lord. But often the greatest blessings are found in the places that don't make any sense, at least not to us. On that dusty road, Philip encounters a man who stands out like a sore thumb, a powerful Ethiopian eunuch, an official in charge of all the treasury of Queen Candice. This guy isn't your typical traveler. Picture him and his fancy chariot, surrounded by an entourage, reading aloud from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. This man is on a quest for something more. He had traveled all the way to Jerusalem to worship, and now he's digging into scripture on his way back. Despite his high status and wealth, he's humble enough to admit, how can I understand this unless someone guides me. And here's where it gets good. The spirit tells Philip go near and overtake his chariot. Now Philip could have thought, wow, Lord, are you sure that's a high ranking official. Maybe I should be a bit more diplomatic and not as abrasive. But no, Philip runs up to the chariot. Yes, it says that he runs, and then he asks a question that is as relevant today as it was. Then, do you understand what you're reading? You see, that's actually really key. A lot of people have heard the Gospel, A lot of people have spent time reading the Bible. The church who have read plenty of the Bible, heard plenty of sermons, but go about their lives misunderstanding the point of it all, misunderstanding the Gospel. They've allowed culture and their bad experiences or perhaps bad teaching, to seep into their understanding of Jesus. Never underestimate the power of asking somebody, do you understand the Gospel? Do you understand the Bible? Do you know what it's all about. Now. The catch with asking a question like that is that you yourself have to understand it. And that's why we hear at the Jesus Podcast try and present the Gospel in a way that's easily digestible. When we tell cinematic stories like these, it's not just because we like special effects and sounds and music. It's because we learn best when we're most entertained, and so if we can package the Gospel in an entertaining way, it reaches parts of our brains and our minds and our hearts that pop culture does and regular entertainment does. I know guys that can recite to you every stat line of every NFL game that they have ever watched, But if you ask them to recite scripture or tell you the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, they couldn't really tell you, even though they've probably heard it before. And we're entertained, we learn better. That's a side note. Now back to the story. Here, the Ethiopian is reading from Isaiah fifty three, the famous passage about the suffering servant. This is the perfect divine setup. Philip, beginning at the scripture, preaches Jesus to him. He doesn't have to complicate it, he doesn't have to over explain it. He just starts where the man is and leads him to the cross. That's the power of the word, guys. You don't have to force it, you just have to be faithful to it. Imagine this beautiful scene, the dusty road, wheels creaking, and Philip's voice rising above it all, preaching Jesus as the lamb led to the slaughter for our sins. The Eunuch's heart is stirred and he sees a body of water up ahead. He says, look, here's water. What prevents me from being baptized? Now, what a beautiful moment of divine revelation. Philip responds, if you believe with all your heart, you may, and with the heartfelt confession, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. The eunuch orders the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the eunuch go into the water, and Philip baptizes him right there. There's no fancy church building, no choir, no carefully planned service, no videoographer to capture it and make it into social media reels. It's just a simple act of faith on a desert road. This is similar to the story of how I got baptized. I didn't get baptized at an illustrious church service. There was no evangelist who called people to go forward. I was walking on the beach in Carpentria, California, beside my dad. There was a church that was baptizing people. I saw them and I said, hey, I want to get baptized. And from that day forward I've been living for Jesus ever since. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian goes on his way, rejoicing, much like myself. The Ethiopian goes his way, he rejoices, and he lives a life for God and friends. That's the sign of a genuine encounter with Jesus, joy that nothing can take away. As we wrap up today, let's consider this. Are we open to God's divine detours? Are we willing to leave the comfort of our samarias and venture into the desert roads of obedience? Philip was ready, and because of that, the Gospel reached a new continent that day. What about us, Are we listening to the voice of the spirit. Are we ready to run up to the chariot and share the good news with whomever God puts in our path. Let's pray for ears to hear, fee to follow, and hearts to respond, so that we, like Philip, can be a part of God's incredible story of redemption to all the nations.