Words of Life: 5 Days in Acts 8Sýnishorn

Day 5: The Word works!

Read Acts 8:36-40

In some ways, what Philip does with the Ethiopian man is very simple. He takes a passage from the Bible, and from it, explains the good news about Jesus. It wouldn’t have looked as impressive as the healings in Samaria. It wasn’t as dramatic as Philip’s own testimony. But the Word does the work.

The eunuch’s response is immediate. He wants to be part of the kingdom that Philip has shared with him. He wants to be right with God. As they travel, the eunuch sees water and asks directly: ‘What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’ (8:36). He is ready to get baptized – to make public his forgiveness and membership of God’s family through his faith in Jesus.

The answer is, of course, that nothing can stand in the way of this man declaring his faith. Philip baptizes the man then and there (8:38). The simple explanation of how Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy in His death on the cross – the good news – is enough to save this man and fill him with joy (8:39). We leave this Ethiopian man on his way home, his life transformed by someone simply sitting with him and explaining the Bible.

So for us, as we take steps of faith to share Jesus in the Bible with the people that God has put in our lives, we can trust that He will do the work. Philip didn’t persuade this man into the kingdom. Philip didn’t have much of a chance to live a transformed life in front of him (we’re told that Philip is immediately taken elsewhere). But God’s powerful Word can turn even one conversation into a life-changing moment. Who knows where these conversations might take us?

To think and pray through:

• How does knowing that it’s God’s work to bring people to salvation encourage me?
• How does this inspire me to pray for opportunities to share the gospel with people I know?

Interested in sharing Jesus from the Bible? Find inspiration, training and complementary resources at theword121.com , or listen to our podcast, ‘Come and See’.