Peter has resolved the matter of the power-seeking Simon the magician and departed back to Jerusalem, while Philip encounters one of God’s finest:
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. An there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’” (Ac 8:26-30).
So Philip is sent to the desert sands on a mission guided by the Holy Spirit. When he received this command, he literally ran to the road to Gaza! Did his speed resemble a guided missile? Sorry, puns are my weakness. But I love the thought of racing to do the will of the Holy Spirit, don’t you?
It is likely the eunuch is reading very loudly so that his driver can hear, which probably aids Philip in locating him.
”And he said, ‘How can I unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to slaughter and like a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe this generation? For his life is taken away from the earth’” (Ac 8:31-33).
Isaiah was describing a generation far into the future, which would murder Jesus for no cause.
“And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or someone else?’” (Ac 8:34).
Talk about a direct hit for the guided mission! What an opportunity!
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” (Ac 8:35-37).
It is safe to suggest that Philip mentioned baptism to the eunuch as he was spelling out the good news of salvation, such that the eunuch knows immediately that this is what he wants to do. It is such a powerful testimony to the power of God to make a little lake in the middle of the desert.
“And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried him away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (Ac 8:38-40).
We have liftoff! Guided mission accomplished.
Are you on a guided mission for the Holy Spirit? Yes you are. And just like Stephen, you are on a journey to where God wants you to go. And you will know what to do when you get there, because God will open the door.
My personal prayer is that God will use my work illuminating perfect unity to share Jesus with people. And I pray with all my heart to bring an unmistakable gravitational pull to the church of Jesus of Nazareth to repent of its disunity and to run toward perfect unity around the world.
What is your prayer? What is your guided mission? What is your destiny?