He Rules & Reigns!
It’s easy to embrace Jesus as a baby in a manger. It’s also powerful to reflect on Jesus on the cross. Both images stir the heart…
New Life
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 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 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 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. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 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?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
In Acts 8, we encounter a powerful story that speaks to the heart of what it means to seek God. It’s the story of a high-ranking Ethiopian official—a man of influence, power, and wealth—who, despite all his status, is still searching. What he finds through a humble encounter with a man named Philip is not just understanding, but transformation.
Let’s step into this story and consider what it tells us about humility, courage, and the heart of the Gospel.
A Humble Question from a Powerful Man
The Ethiopian official was a treasurer in service to Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. (By the way, “Candace” was a royal title like “Caesar” in Rome.) While the king of Ethiopia handled ceremonial matters, Candace was the one with real governing authority. This official, likely traveling with guards and an impressive caravan, would have been seen as someone not to be bothered lightly.
Yet Philip—prompted by the Spirit of God—approaches him. It must have taken courage. Imagine walking up to a motorcade and knocking on the window. That’s what this would have looked like in the ancient world.
And then something remarkable happens.
Philip asks, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” And the official replies with surprising vulnerability, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?”
Here is a man who is used to being in control, humbling himself to ask for help. That humility is the very doorway God uses to bring him truth.
Seeking God Despite Rejection
Let’s not forget where this official had just come from: Jerusalem. A place of worship—but also a place with walls. As a Gentile and a eunuch, he wouldn’t have been welcomed into the inner courts of the temple. At best, he could observe from a distance. According to Jewish law, his physical condition disqualified him. The system made it clear: you are not one of us.
Still, he made the long and difficult journey. That’s devotion. That’s hunger. He wasn’t there for comfort or inclusion—he came because he longed to know God.
Even on the way home, he doesn’t stop seeking. He’s reading Isaiah, trying to understand the promises of a Messiah. And when Philip explains the meaning—that the suffering servant in Isaiah is Jesus, who died and rose again—his heart leaps with hope.
“What Can Stand in the Way of My Being Baptized?”
It’s one of the most powerful questions in Scripture. After everything he’d heard in Jerusalem, after a lifetime of being told he was not enough, this official hears the good news. And now he wants to be baptized.
He looks at Philip and says, essentially, “Is there any reason I can’t be fully included in God’s family?”
And the answer? No. Nothing stands in your way.
That’s the Gospel. Not a reward for the worthy. Not a prize for the perfect. But a gift for the seeking. Grace for the humble. Adoption into the family of God for anyone—anyone—who believes.
The Joy of a New Life
So they stop the chariot. They go down into the water. And the official is baptized—publicly declaring that he now belongs to Jesus. That the old life is gone, and a new one has begun.
Scripture tells us he “went on his way rejoicing.” Can you imagine the joy he must have felt? After a journey that began in exclusion, he now knows full acceptance. He is no longer on the outside looking in—he is part of the family.
And Philip? Philip is swept up into the next mission. Because that’s what happens when you follow God: joy, yes, but also movement. The Spirit keeps leading.
What We Can Learn from This Encounter
There are so many rich lessons in this story:
1. Humility Opens the Door
If a royal official can admit he doesn’t understand Scripture, so can we. God loves a teachable heart.
2. God Seeks the Seeker
The official was reading Isaiah. That’s not an accident. God had arranged this meeting through Philip because He honors those who earnestly seek Him.
3. No One Is Disqualified
Physical condition, ethnicity, social status—none of that disqualifies anyone from receiving the grace of Jesus. The Gospel is radically inclusive.
4. The Spirit Leads, We Obey
Philip didn’t know why he was being sent to a desert road. But he went. And because he obeyed, a nation may have heard the Gospel. (Ethiopia claims Christian roots dating back 2,000 years—perhaps because of this very encounter.)
5. Faith Leads to Action
The official didn’t wait. As soon as he believed, he wanted to be baptized. This wasn’t hesitation. This was hunger.
Do You Want All God Has Promised You?
The song lyric rings in our ears: “I want it all.” Not from a place of greed, but from a place of deep spiritual desire.
Do you want all that God has for you?
Then be like this man. Seek Him. Ask questions. Admit you don’t have it all figured out. Listen. Learn. And when the moment comes to respond—do it.
Say yes to the water. Say yes to the new life. Say yes to joy.
Final Thought: What’s Keeping You?
The Ethiopian official asked, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”
Let me ask you a version of that question today:
What’s standing in the way of you going deeper with God?
Fear? Doubt? Shame? A feeling of unworthiness?
The truth is, nothing stands in the way but your own hesitation. God has already said, “Come.”
So seek Him. Serve like Philip. Humble yourself like the Ethiopian. And discover the life-changing, boundary-breaking, always-reaching love of Jesus.
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