Communion With the Christ:: On the Desert Road

"The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that carriage and stay near it.” Acts: 8:29

The Apostolic Church Deacon St. Philip had been preaching about Jesus Christ in the town of Samaria. Many were coming to believe the Gospel message and experiencing the forgiveness of God in their lives as they received the message.

It is after St. Philip's preaching in that area that the Lord, through an angelic visitation, tells Philip to take the Desert Road which led away from Jerusalem toward the area of Gaza. This area which was a dry and sparsely populated and seemed to offer very little opportunity for evangelism, yet, this is where the Lord had directed St. Philip to go.

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Acts: 8:26

The Ethiopian Eunuch

The Deacon St. Philip set out into the wilderness as he has been directed. There is no indication in the account found within Acts that St. Philip questioned as to why he was to go, he simply goes forth. As St. Philip travels along on the Desert Road there is no record that he encounters any group of persons, except for one.

This one person, whom we are told in Acts, is a eunuch who is the Minister of the Treasury of the African nation of Ethiopia and his entourage who served under Queen Candice.

"So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candice “queen of the Ethiopians.” (27b)

This eunuch had traveled to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to worship at the Temple of God.

"and he had come to Jerusalem to worship," (27c)

This man was seeking the very Creator of all things, he wanted to understand and know the God who brought all things into being, so he started in the most logical place that he understood which was the Temple of God at Jerusalem, yet, it would not be in the Temple courts that he would meet his God, but rather, it would be on the Desert Road on his way to his home land.

The eunuch sat in his carriage and read through the Prophet Isaiah, whose writings are so filled with prophetic words regarding Jesus Christ and his saving work that some Scholars refer to Isaiah as the "Fifth Gospel".

"and he was returning and sitting in his carriage, and was reading the prophet Isaiah." (28)

St. Philip Draws Near

As the eunuch reads the Prophets words, the Deacon St. Philip draws near as the Sprint of God directed and approached the carriage and stood close by it. St. Philip quickly obeys the voice of the Holy Spirit.

"Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this carriage.” (29)

Discerns God is Working

St. Philip hears the eunuch reading from the Scripture and discerns that God is working in this man life and is ready to reveal Jesus Christ to him here on the Desert Road.

St Philip knows that this is no "chance encounter". St. Philip realizes that God has brought him here in this desert place on this road to share the Gospel message about Jesus with this man and so begins the conversation with a question.

"Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (30)

The man responds that he has does not grasp the full meaning of the Prophet's words and acknowledges his need for clarification so that he might better understand. The eunuch then invites St. Philip to join him in the carriage for a conversation about the Prophet's words.

"And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him." (31)

About the Work of Jesus

The narrative of Acts informs us that the eunuch was reading and pondering the prophecy of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, death and burial.

"Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

“HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;

AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,

SO, HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

“IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;

WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?

FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” (32-33)

The man then asks St. Philip if he can explain the passage of Scripture? St. Philip uses this conversation to speak about Jesus and his work of salvation for all humanity. St. Philip understood that God was working in the man's life and has been preparing him for this moment on the Desert Road where the Lord had directed him to share the Gospel about Jesus with the eunuch so that he might come to know the God which he had sought in the Temple courts at Jerusalem during his pilgrimage.

"The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him." (34-35)

There on the Desert Road, as they rode together in the carriage, the St. Philip tells this Ethiopian man about Jesus and his saving work, that in Jesus, God has revealed himself to humanity.

The conversation led the man to come to believe the word of God regarding Jesus, and he finds here, the very God whom he has sought. He has found his God not in the ceremonies of the Temple but here on the Desert Road, in Jesus, as St. Philip shared the Gospel.

He Responds

In response to the Gospel presentation the eunuch desired to be baptized as he sees a pool of water. St. Philip agrees to his request, that if he believes in Jesus , the Deacon will perform the baptismal sacrament to reflect the truth of Jesus' saving work in this man' life.

"As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the carriage to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him." (36-39)

It is, as if God is telling the eunuch, and all of us, that the Lord is not found in Temples or in the ceremonies, but rather in the lives of believers who have come into a relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ.

St. Philip is Snatched Away

As the sacrament baptism is completed the Holy Spirit moves to snatched St. Philip away to other parts where God wants him to minister leaving the eunuch with a new relationship with the God, he sought at the Temple but, instead found him, here on the Desert Road through the Gospel message.

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly snatched 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." (39-40)

St. Philip entered this Ethiopian eunuch's life at the right moment and place through the guidance of the Holy Spirit who moved St. Philip to be there at right the moment in his life to present the Gospel to him. Then as quickly as St. Philip was sent, he was then moved on to minister elsewhere. The Eunuch never saw St. Philip again, but praised God for the encounter which led him to Jesus.

The Lesson for Us

There are times when our Lord may have us go to places which seemed to offer little or no real opportunity to minister. It may be that where he sends us is as that Desert Road which led away from Jerusalem. But if, we are faithful, as was St. Philip, to go walk that Desert Road where our Lord sends us, we might encounter someone, who like the eunuch is even now on a pilgrimage seeking to understand God.

We might be sent to give just a word of encouragement or give clarification to help someone to understand about Jesus. We might enter their lives for but a moment, and our encounters in the lives of others might lead someone to believe in Jesus and accept his saving work for each and all of us.

Others might, through an encounter with us, come to find the God whom they seek and then be baptized. They may never see us again this side of eternity as the eunuch never saw St. Philip again. We might be "snatched away" as was St. Philip moved by God to another place to minister.

We should all be sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit and yield to him. We may never know who we might encounter even if it be but once on the Desert Road.

Benediction: Lord May we each and all be faithful no matter where you send us to that other might come to believe, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen