Modern Day Ethiopian Eunuch

This is a guest post by Christ Methodist Church member Randy Wade.

• Acts 8:26-40

  Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

  26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

  “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
      and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
      so he opens not his mouth.
  33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
      Who can describe his generation?
  For his life is taken away from the earth.”

  34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

We all love the story of the Ethiopian eunuch because the Holy Spirit moves so powerfully. I recently had a front-row seat to a repeat performance by the Holy Spirit.

Note the similarities in this encounter. A seventeen-year-old young man named Rohan showed up at a small group meeting and was curious about Jesus. He listened intently as Pastor Anika shared the gospel and immediately expressed a desire to follow Jesus. After praying to repent and receive Jesus, Rohan eagerly accepted a Bible and opened it to learn more. He read, listened, and engaged actively in a discussion about the Ethiopian eunuch. With a smile lighting his entire face, he announced he wanted to be baptized in the name of Jesus. His life was forever changed in the space of 20 minutes!

I have no doubt that Rohan and the Ethiopian eunuch will meet in heaven and compare notes on how the Holy Spirit moved in each of them in the same way, but 2,000 years apart.

In less time than it takes to watch the evening news, I saw all of the following scriptures fulfilled: 

1. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 

2. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit. John 3:8

3. Our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. 1 Thessalonians 1:5

4. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

5. I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

6. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish…John 10:2

But Rohan was not the only one to feel the Holy Spirit moving. I watched a visible transformation take place in Pastor Anika. Until now, her role had been minimal and her participation hesitant. Almost miraculously, Pastor Anika’s enthusiasm grew with Rohan’s. Her demeanor changed as Rohan responded to her gospel presentation. She sat up higher, leaned forward, and increased the speed and tone of her delivery.

At Rohan’s profession of faith, Pastor Anika’s face was beaming, and she could not wait to give him a Bible. Her enthusiasm never wavered as she led Rohan in the Bible study and his decision to be baptized. In the same amount of time Rohan was changed, Pastor Anika grew into an enthusiastic messenger equipped with a proven method to share the gospel.