Good News

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

GOOD NEWS

Acts 8:26-35

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30 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 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the 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.

NIV

As we considered doing that which God directs us to do, however, we hear from him, whether through his written word or through that still small voice, or a visiting angel, we now move to another interesting truth. We know this Ethiopian was different than an Israelite. First, in his appearance or ethnicity, second in his nationality, thirdly he was a eunuch, and fourthly he was an important official, which meant he would have been wealthy.  Of course, none of these matter to God, for he has created all mankind and thus he sees all as equally as his creation. However, many people do see our differences and there is a certain bias toward people who are like us in certain aspects. Yet, Philip heard the voice of the Spirit telling him to run up next to the chariot and stay alongside it. Then this exchange happened because Philip took advantage of the situation, hearing the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah. Here, again is another truth that we should remember. It is all about telling people the good news about Jesus. There is no need to get into any theological discussions or go over any of the ways in which a people need to change, or any certain system of becoming a believer. It is simply the good news about Jesus, that he died for our sins and we have been set free from the penalty of that sin. Freedom from the penalty of sin also brings us eternal life. that is the best good news anyone could ever hear. Of course, doing those days, everything about Jesus was new to so many. Today, it would seem most people have an idea or heard something about Jesus and may even be somewhat religious in nature. However, as we have learned in our conversations with some people, their idea of being religious is trying to be a good person but have no real idea about the need for repentance and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, in essence, being born again. Even if we explain that truth, we start getting into theology and can go past anything they need to know to be saved. Still, that is the good news and that is what Philip told the Ethiopian, and that is what we need to tell people, all people, no matter their differences from us. If we see people as a creation of God, then we would see them for who they are, someone in need of good news.