On the Desert Road

"The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that carriage and stay near it.”Acts:8:29

 The Apostolic Church Deacon, Philip , had been preaching about Jesus Christ in the town of Samaria,   many were coming to believe the Gospel message and experiencing the forgiveness of God in their lives as they  received the message ,

It is after Philip's preaching in that area that the Lord, thru an angelic visitation, tells Philip to take the Desert Road that led away from Jerusalem toward the area of Gaza, which was a dry and sparsely populated area  which  seemed to offer little opportunity for evangelism, yet this is  where  the Lord  had directed Philip to go.

 "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”Acts:8:26

The Ethiopian Eunuch

The Deacon Philip sets out into the wilderness as he has been directed, there is no indication in the account in Acts that Philip questioned as to why, he simply goes forth.   As he travels along  on the Desert Road there is no record that he encounters any group of persons but for one. 

This one person,  we are told in Acts,  is an eunuch who is the Minister of the Treasury of the nation of Ethiopia serving under Queen Candice and his entourage

"So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candice “queen of the Ethiopians.” (27b)

 This eunuch had traveled to Jursalem on a pilgrimage to worship at the Temple of God.


"and he had come to Jerusalem to worship," (27c)


This man was seeking the very Creator of all things,  he wanted to understand and know the God who brought all things into being, so he started in the most logical place that he understood , the Temple of God at Jerusalem , yet , it would not be in the Temple courts that he would meet his God but rather it would be on the Desert Road on his way to his home land.



 The eunuch sits in his carriage and reads thru the Prophet Isaiah , who's writing are so filled with prophetic words regarding Jesus Christ and his saving work so that some Scholars refer to Isaiah as the "Fifth Gospel".

 "and he was returning and sitting in his carriage , and was reading the prophet Isaiah." (28)

Philip Draws Near

As the eunuch reads the Prophets words, the Deacon Philip while traveling on the Desert Road draws near as the Sprint of God directs him to and approach the carriage and stands close by it. Philip quickly obeys the voice of the Holy Spirit.

"Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this carriage.”(29)

Discerns God is Working

Philip hears the eunuch reading from the Scripture and discerns that God is working in this man life and is ready to reveal Jesus Christ to him here on the Desert Road. Philip knows that this is no "chance encounter".  Philip realizes that God has brought him here in this desert place on Desert Road to share the Gospel message about Jesus with this man, and begins the conversation with a question.

"Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (30)


The man responds that he has does not grasp the full meaning of the Prophets words and acknowledges his need for clarification so that he might better understand , he and then  invites Philip to join him in the carriage for a  conversation about the Prophets words.

"And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him." (31)

About the Work of Jesus

The narrative of Acts informs us that the eunuch was reading and pondering the prophecy of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion , death and burial.

"Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
            “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
            AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
            SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
    “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
            WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
            FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” (32-33)

The man then asks if Philip can explain the passage of Scripture? Philip uses this conversation to speak about Jesus and his work of salvation, for all humanity. Philip understand that God is working in the man's life and has been preparing him for this moment on the Desert Road where the Lord has directed him to share the Gospel about Jesus with the eunuch so that he might come to know the God which he had sought in the Temple courts at Jerusalem during his pilgrimage.

"The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him." (34-35)

There on the Desert Road, as they rode together  in the carriage , the Deacon Philip tells this Ethiopian  man about Jesus and his saving work. That in Jesus, God has reveled himself to humanity.
The conversation leads the man to come to believe  the word of God regarding Jesus ,  and he finds here, the very God whom he has sought. He has found his God not in the ceremonies of the Temple but here on the Desert Road, in Jesus,  as Philip shared the Gospel.

 He Responds

In response to the Gospel presentation the eunuch desires to be baptized as he sees a pool of water.  Philip agrees to his request that if he believes in Jesus the Deacon will preform the baptismal sacrament to reflect the truth of Jesus' saving work in this man' life.


"As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he ordered the carriage to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him." (36-39)

 It is as if God is telling the eunuch and all of us  that the Lord is not found in Temples or in the ceremonies but rather in the lives of believers who have come into a relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ .

Philip is Snatched Away

As the sacrament baptizim is completed the Holy Spirit moves to snatched Philip away to other parts where God wants him to minister leaving the eunuch with a new relationship with the God he sought  at the Temple,  but instead  found him here on the Desert Road thru the Gospel message. 

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." (39-40)

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Philip entered this Ethiopian eunuch's life at the right moment and place thru the guidance of the Holy Spirit who moved Philip to be there at right the moment in his life to present the Gospel to him , then as quickly as Philip was sent , he was then moved on to minister elsewhere. The Eunuch never  saw Philip again,  but praised God for the encounter that led him to Jesus.

Lesson for Us

There are times when our Lord may have us go to places which seemed to offer little or no real opportunity to minister, it may be as that Desert Road which led away from Jerusalem, but if we are faithful ,as was Philip,  to go walk that Desert Road where our Lord sends us we might encounter some one , who  like the eunuch , is even now on a pilgrimage seeking to understand God. 

We might be sent to give just a word of encouragement or  give clarification to help some one to understand about Jesus . We might enter their lives for but a moment, and our encounters in the lives of others   might lead someone  to believe in Jesus and accept his saving work for each and all of us .

Others might thru an encounter with us come to find the God whom they seek, and then be baptized. They may never see us again this side of eternity as the eunuch never saw Philip again.We might be "snatched away" as was Philip moved by God to another place to minister.

We should all be sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit and yield to him , we may never know who we might encounter even if it be but once on the Desert Road . Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

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