Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell
me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of
Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:30-35
Do you understand everything you read in the Bible? Not many do, and I am one of the multitude
that doesn't. I rely on many reference materials such as commentaries,
religious reference, books, and countless online sources, all of which help me
to understand.
This story of the eunuch from Ethiopia introduces us to the man
who was reading from the words of Isaiah. He was apparently interested in
broadening his understanding and knowledge of spiritual things, but those words
from Isaiah caused him to be perplexed. "Who is the prophet talking about,
himself or someone else?"
His question opened the door for Philip to start with those very verses
of prophecy from Isaiah, and teach the eunuch about Jesus.
In those verses which were being read, there is tremendous insight
into the nature of God, perhaps an insight that we often overlook. There is the
mention of suffering and humiliation, deprivation of justice, and ultimately
the loss of life. Remembering these are
words of prophecy about Jesus, helps us to bring the great truth to light. If
we believe Jesus was God in the flesh, then this is a picture of the one who
suffers for us. He can understand our suffering because he has also suffered.
So here is the great truth about the nature of God.....The one who suffers with us, also suffers for us.
Philip, in teaching the eunuch, could use these very verses to
show the cross of Christ touched the very heartbeat of God. And through the
suffering savior, the heart of God was made known as never before. That's why
we can view the cross of Jesus through our tears, and yet find release and
freedom through the cleansing his shed blood brings. He who was the power by
which all things were created, now brings us life when we deserve death. He
brings restoration when we deserve destruction. "Yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so."
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