1065. Instructed by Philip

Instructed by Philip

"Then Philip opened his month, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus" (Act_8:35).

As the obedient evangelist neared the chariot, how glad he must have been! Now he understood the meaning of the Spirit's strange command–"a road which is desert." On that lonely road was a chariot, and in the chariot was a man with an open Book.

The Spirit said, "Go near, join thyself to this chariot;" and Philip quickly drew near. Then Philip asked, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" and the eunuch desired Philip that he would come and sit with him. Let us follow the lessons that are here for us.

1. The Scripture the Ethiopian read. "The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened He not His mouth: in His humiliation His judgment was taken away: and who shall declare His generation? for His life is taken from the earth" (Act_8:32-33).

This was no mere happen so. The Spirit must have led the man to that message. How marvelous it was to Philip as he saw the words over which the Ethiopian was anxiously pondering. Then Philip began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Jesus.

Philip opened up in all the Scriptures the story of the Cross. He showed how Christ must needs have died' and have been raised from the dead and have entered into His glory. How it stirred up the one who sat and heard the words! The dark things became plain. The whole Cross story, with its shame and spitting, with its darkness and its death, with its substitutionary message was illuminated.

2. The need of sinful men to-day. The message that the sinner needs is the message of the same atoning death. What else can meet the sinner's need?

Oratory in the pulpit and oratorios in the choir will not meet the cry of aching hearts. Lectures on prohibition and essays on ethics will not satisfy. Sparkling star-dust from stirring literature will not help out. Dissertations on the beautiful life of Christ, the Nazarene, the Man of Galilee, will not suffice.

The sinner needs the message of the Saviour. Nothing short of a sermon like that which Philip preached, will meet the case.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR