Qualifications for Baptism
A. How did Philip introduce the Ethiopian eunuch to Jesus?
1) He followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit (26-29)
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." (26-29)
2) He listened to his questions and led him to Jesus (30-35)
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.(30-35)
B. The simple faith of the Ethiopian eunuch
1) He believed the gospel that Philip shared and wanted to to be baptized (36)
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" (36)
2) He encountered Jesus and went away rejoicing (37-40)
Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (37-40)
Summary
The message that Jesus is the way, the truth, and life and that believing in him means salvation for us and our families, is one that we are called to share with others. The Holy Spirit gives us opportunities to talk with others about Jesus, and we need to listen carefully with the ears of our hearts, longing to hear from God, so as not to miss them. When such opportunities are in front of us, we need to step out courageously and share the gospel. If, on the other hand, you are unsure about faith in Jesus after someone has share the gospel with you, there is no need to rush into a decision. You don't need to believe in order to please someone else. On the other hand, if you do believe, please feel free to approach the pastor about receiving baptism. This can be the beginning of a joyful journey in your life.
For Discussion
1) How can we listen to the Holy Spirit as Philip did?
2) What significance did the Ethiopian eunuch's baptism have