Following the preaching of the gospel in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem preaching along the way throughout villages (8:25). Upon their return to Jerusalem, the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise, and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert” (8:26). Upon hearing the command of the angel, Philip left and as he was on his way he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch (official) who had also been in Jerusalem to worship (8:27a). Luke notes that this Ethiopian had “great authority under Candace the queen of Ethiopians…” (8:27). Apparently, this Ethiopian official was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah when the Spirit prompted Philip saying, “Go near and overtake his chariot” (8:28-29). When Philip arrived at this man’s chariot he inquired if he understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian responded by saying, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” The Scripture being read was Isaiah 53:7-8 which says, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth” (8:32-33). Upon reading this Scripture, the Ethiopian official asked Philip if this prophet was referring to himself or someone else (8:34). There was much confusion amongst people of that day as to whom Isaiah was referencing. Was the sheep an illustration of Israel, the prophet Isaiah, or the Messiah? Philip quickly seized this opportunity to clarify the identity of this sheep to the official because Luke writes that he began preaching Jesus to him (8:35). Philip was confirming the slaughtered sheep to be Jesus, the Messiah. As Philip and the Ethiopian went down the road they came upon some water and the official asked Philip what hindered him from being baptized (8:36). Baptism was an outward symbol of belief which had already taken place in the heart of an individual; in other words, faith in Jesus Christ alone as the sacrifice for sin led to an outward display of this belief through water baptism. In early church culture, I believe salvation and baptism were so closely linked that one immediately led to the other. Does that mean a person must be baptized to be saved? No. A person can never be saved through any work of his own (Ephesians 2:8-9); however, why wouldn’t a person want to be baptized to publicly declare his faith in Jesus Christ? Philip commanded the chariot to stop and they both went down into the water and the Ethiopian man was baptized by immersion (8:38). When they came up out of the water, Luke writes that the “Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away” meaning that he was miraculously transported from where he was to another place, which was Azotus (8:39-40).
Baptism is an important part of a believer’s faith and ultimately is the first step in obedience toward God. Even Jesus Christ was baptized, not because He needed to be but because He willingly identified Himself with sinners and submitted Himself perfectly to the will of God the Father (Matthew 3:13-17). Not only did Jesus’ baptism identify Him with sinful humans, but also symbolized His future death and resurrection for sin (Luke 12:50). Now when a person is baptized, they are also acknowledging their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for sin.
Dear God, like the Ethiopian official, may those who have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ publicly declare their belief through baptism.
