Jump Start # 1174

Acts 8:38 “And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.”

  There are many interesting and compelling phrases in the Bible. Noticing the language opens windows to a world of wonderful insights and intriguing lessons. Reading the Bible too rapidly will cause a person to miss these beautiful expressions. Yesterday’s Jump Start was one illustration. Pharaoh decided the plague of frogs  ought to end. He was asked when he wanted that done. He said, “Tomorrow.” Tomorrow meant one more night with the frogs. What a profound thought and lesson.

Our verse today is another wonderful example. The account is Philip’s preaching to the Ethiopian treasurer. We more readily know him as the eunuch. That wasn’t his name. That’s what he was. He was handicapped. This may have been done since he was the treasurer of the queen. This would allow a level of security around her. He could not abuse her sexually being a eunuch.

He was on his way back to Ethiopia. He had been in Jerusalem to worship. It was a long, long journey back home. He had a private copy of Isaiah, which would have been a series of scrolls. The fact that he was in the possession of this illustrates his great position and wealth. I doubt that Philip had a copy. Most were housed in synagogues. This man had his own copy. What a blessing and treasure to have your own copy. We can’t appreciate that. We have Bibles everywhere. His copy would have been hand written Hebrew on sheepskin.

God had plans for this Ethiopian. Philip was in Samaria preaching up a storm. Great things were happening. God pulled Philp away from Samaria to go find the Ethiopian on his way back home. We forget sometimes that God is just as interested in the one as He is in the multitudes.

Philip finds the Ethiopian reading Isaiah. Was this the first time he had ever read Isaiah? Did he just purchase these scrolls? Had he been reading the entire journey? Philip asked a great question, one that we can use and ask today. “Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch was chewing on a passage that prophesied the death of Jesus. He didn’t understand. Philip began with the passage and connected him to Jesus. From the context, as they are discussing and reading, they are traveling down the road in the chariot. I wonder if Philip thought he was going to end up in Ethiopia? As he taught Jesus, the subject of baptism came up. It should always come up when we talk about Jesus. Jesus wants all to be baptized. The apostles preached that message everywhere. They passed some water. The eunuch asked if he could be baptized. Right then, right there.

Now our verse and our wonderful expression. “He ordered the chariot to stop.”  They were moving, but now they stopped. He wanted to be baptized. He wanted to be baptized right then and right there. He wanted to be baptized now.

Why? Why the urgency? Why with no one there other than servants? Why not wait until family can witness? Why not wait until he’s back in Ethiopia? Why now?

He knew. The Bible teaches. It’s rather obvious. It’s right there. Baptism is how we contact the blood of Jesus. Baptism washes away sins. Baptism is necessary for salvation. Without baptism, he wasn’t saved. Sure he believed. He was reading Isaiah and asking questions. Sure he loved God. He was coming home from worship. But those things alone are not enough. He had to be baptized. He must be baptized.

If a person is saved just by faith and only faith—then there was no need to stop the chariot. Keep on going. If a person is saved by saying a prayer, any prayer, then keep the chariot rolling. If a person is saved by making promises, he could have done that in a moving chariot. But that’s not how the Bible shows a person is saved. There is something else. There is that water. There is baptism. He understood. He ordered the chariot to stop. He wanted to be baptized to obey His God. He wanted to be adopted into God’s family. He wanted the forgiveness of his sins. Stop the chariot. He and Philip got into the water. This wasn’t a sprinkling. The word “baptism” means immersion. It is to plunge, dip, immerse. It’s the word that would be used to wash clothes. You don’t pour some water on dirty clothes. You stick them in the washer and it fills with water and the clothes are immersed in water. Years ago, pioneer folks would head to the river to wash their clothes. Into the water the clothes would go to get cleaned. Into the water the Ethiopian went to get cleansed.

Now, some will protest saying, this sounds like salvation by works. It isn’t. It isn’t even close. We’d never come up with the idea of baptism in a zillion lifetimes. This is God’s idea and not ours. Can a person be saved without believing? No. We don’t protest that faith is works. Can a person be saved if he doesn’t change? The Bible word is repent. Again the answer is no. Jesus said if we do not repent we will perish. That’s not considered work. Yet, baptism is by some. Very odd. The hope is not in the water, it’s in Jesus. It’s not the water that saves, it’s Jesus. Had the Lord said learn a foreign language to go to Heaven, we’d buy the books and start practicing. Had the Lord said climb a mountain to go to Heaven, we’d get some ropes and start practicing on climbing walls. We’d get there. Had the Lord said obey Me, we’d get about obeying Him. So when He did say be baptized, guess what? The chariots stop. The Ethiopian got out and was baptized. Just like that. This isn’t hard. This is what Peter said in Acts 2. This is the same message over and over in the N.T.

He ordered the chariot to stop. That’s a great expression. There comes a time when the spiritual light bulbs come on in our heads and we must stop the chariot. We realize an attitude is wrong. We get it that we haven’t forgiven someone. We learn that we are selfish. Those moments when truth comes alive, when that sword of God’s word cuts us, it is then that we order the chariots to stop. It’s time to turn things around. It’s time to do what God says.

What a great moment in our Bibles. He saw. He stopped. He did. How about you? Are you fighting God? Are there some things you know? Is it time to stop the chariot and do what God wants you to do? Could it be that you need to be baptized? Could it be that you need to stop that secret sin? Could it be that you need to be serious about your marriage? Or finances? Or your raising of your children? Or worship?

He stopped the chariot. He obeyed God. And we are given this passage and this example. And for that, I am thankful!

Roger