My Observations

Observations:

It mattered what road he took, so it was pointed out to him specifically.

An angel speaks to Philip to go, but then the Spirit speaks to him.

They were in the desert but happened upon water at the right time.

When Philip preached Jesus, he must have preached baptism because the Ethiopian brings it up.

The Ethiopian was reading out loud.

Philip had to open his mouth first in order to preach the gospel.

Philip understood the passage.

The chariot stood still and saw salvation. (Exodus 14:13)

Background knowledge: verse 37 isn’t in other manuscripts…it sounds different from what you read elsewhere when someone is led into faith.

Question: Why does Philip stop in Caesarea?

 

My Interpretations

Philip had to obey the specific instruction to end up in the right place.

God made sure he would listen, understand, and obey, so He sent an angel to give that instruction.

God had the whole thing perfectly arranged down to the timing of the cart for Philip to catch up to him and for them to arrive at the water in the desert.

Baptism is part of the preaching of Jesus. It is the work that demonstrates saving faith. It doesn’t save, but faith without works is dead. Baptism is our demonstration of our choice of death to self and life in Christ.

We need to be the one blessed with eyes to see and ears to hear so that we can pass on the blessing to others.

 

My Applications

Do you trust God to make the directions able to be heard and understood when you need Him to?

Do you trust God to have everything ordered rightly that everything will happen right on time as it is needed?

Have you been baptized in faith of dying and raising with Christ?

Are you available to God to be used?

How easy or hard is it for you to open your mouth?

Would you have understood the passage and been able to answer his question?

How would you preach Jesus beginning from that passage?