The Holy Spirit of Truth and God work in many different ways on the behalf of the believer in Jesus Christ. One of those ways is the help us understand God's Word and be able to explain it to others.
This is exactly what Philip did. The Holy Spirit told him to go into the desert. There he found an Ethiopian official riding along in a chariot, reading from Isaiah. Philip trotted along beside the chariot and asked if the man could understand what he was reading. The God-fearing Ethiopian man said he couldn't unless someone would explain what Isaiah was talking about.
As Philip said he could help, the Ethiopian invited Philip to come and sit beside him in the chariot. He was agreeable, as after all the Holy Spirit had directed him to the man.
This man who was humble, so it it seemed despite being an important official to the Queen of Sheba, had been up in Jerusalem to worship God there but as yet didn't understand about Jesus. He was reading from Isaiah 53 and especially verses 7 and 8 which read,
"HE was like a sheep that was taken to be slaughtered, like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off. He did not say a word. He was put to shame and justice was denied Him" (Isaiah 53:7-8 NIV).
So the man asked, "What does it mean?"
Philip explained that when the men put Jesus on the cross, Jesus didn't say a thing in His own defense. He just kept quiet. This whole thing was unfair with false accusations bashed about and more, but Jesus went through with it all because He loves you.
Yes! That's right...because He loves you and wanted to be able to save you. For you to be able to have your sins washed away and bring reconciliation between God and man; He did this for you.
"The good news," Philip told the Ethiopian man, "is that Jesus rose again on the third day. He is alive! He went back to Heaven but will come back to earth again. We do not know the day nor the hour, just that it is "soon". So he and all people of the Earth must get ready by repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as Savior.
The Ethiopian man believed in Jesus and was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Why must a believer be baptised, you may ask? It's because Jesus asked us to. In obedience to Him our first act of obedience as a new creation in Christ is to be baptized. The Ethiopian man declared,
"Yes, I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and accept Him as my Savior."
This is music to God's ears and there is great joy and rejoicing in Heaven over such repentence (see Luke 15:7).
This is a prime example of obedience in Philip too in going to the desert to help the man. Who would want to go to a dry, hot desert place with poisonous snakes and wild animals voluntarily? Not too many people. The Holy Spirit helped Philip understand and to explain God's Word, so he went obediently. He had a divine appointment to meet.
In our day, when we accept Christ, we will have the Holy Spirit indwell us, helping us understand and to explain the Bible. Ask Him for His help . Don't be shy.
Will YOU accept Christ? Today? If you haven't already done so, be eager and willing like the important official.
If you are looking for a prayer to say in order to come to Christ, you can pray the following which I adapted from a Sunday School Lesson. Pray with sincerity.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you are God's Son. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and that you rose again on the third day. Jesus, you are alive! I know I'm a sinner. I am sorry for all the sins that I have done. I repent. Please forgive me and wash all my sins away with your blood. I ask you to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps me to do right things. I want to be ready for when you call us up to be with you in Heaven. Thank you for loving me and making me Your child. Amen."
All this is good news of Jesus and it is for EVERYONE!
After the Ethiopioan understood Isaiah 53, he believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he was baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
You know how he felt then?
He went home full of JOY!
He had been like a sheep that wanted to go his own way but because the Lord laid his sins on Jesus, he could have that burden removed and with joy received salvation through Jesus Christ (see Isaiah 53:6).
~ERC June 2023~
Based on Kawan Grace REsource P4b Lesson 4.
Sing, Hymn of Joy, along with Chris Tomlin.
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