Introduction. The conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch is one of many examples of how Jesus continued to work with His church after He sat down at the right hand of God exalted. Philip was in Samaria working with the church there. Jesus needed him elsewhere. After the angel of the Lord told Phillip to “go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza,” He used providence and simple “time and chance” for everything else. He calculated the time and distance to bring Philip from Samaria to the road before the eunuch passed by. Philip was 40 miles to the South of Jerusalem while the road to Gaza led the eunuch southwest, away from Philip. The Lord knew exactly when the Eunuch would leave, how quickly he would be traveling and how long it would take Philip to get to just the right place on the road. (Acts 8; Ecc. 9:11)
With precise timing, Philip met the eunuch on the road at the moment he was reading Isaiah. Even the passage regarding the Messiah in chapter 53 had been planned and the eunuch was reading and pondering it when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. This gave Philip the perfect opportunity to preach Jesus. Providence with time and chance were again revealed when, at the just the moment, as the eunuch was considering being baptized, the chariot came to a body of water. You can hear the excitement in his voice. “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
There is no doubt this is one of the many ways Jesus has fulfilled Mark’s final words: “they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them. (Mk. 16:20). Matthew added “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20). Just as Jesus worked with them, He is working with us today and will continue to work with His disciples until the end of the age! Many other Scriptures prove and elaborate on this. First, Jesus told the church in Philadelphia, “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” (Rev. 3:8-9). To those in Antioch, “the hand of the Lord was with them,” (Acts 11:20-21). Peter said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod.” (Acts 12:11).
Not only Jesus, but God and the Holy Spirit also worked with them: “the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2-3). After they returned from this work, “they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27-28). Later, “they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia” and “they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. (Acts 16:6-7). They were being directed as they went to every nation. Paul knew: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” (1 Cor. 3:6-8)
With precise timing, Philip met the eunuch on the road at the moment he was reading Isaiah. Even the passage regarding the Messiah in chapter 53 had been planned and the eunuch was reading and pondering it when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. This gave Philip the perfect opportunity to preach Jesus. Providence with time and chance were again revealed when, at the just the moment, as the eunuch was considering being baptized, the chariot came to a body of water. You can hear the excitement in his voice. “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
There is no doubt this is one of the many ways Jesus has fulfilled Mark’s final words: “they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them. (Mk. 16:20). Matthew added “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20). Just as Jesus worked with them, He is working with us today and will continue to work with His disciples until the end of the age! Many other Scriptures prove and elaborate on this. First, Jesus told the church in Philadelphia, “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” (Rev. 3:8-9). To those in Antioch, “the hand of the Lord was with them,” (Acts 11:20-21). Peter said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod.” (Acts 12:11).
Not only Jesus, but God and the Holy Spirit also worked with them: “the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2-3). After they returned from this work, “they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27-28). Later, “they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia” and “they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. (Acts 16:6-7). They were being directed as they went to every nation. Paul knew: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” (1 Cor. 3:6-8)