‘What can stand in the way of me being baptised?!’
‘What can stand in the way of me being baptized?!’
A sermon I gave in April 2024, linking the passages of Acts 8.26-40 and John 15. 1-8
The passage about the vine in John 15 is one of my favourite bible passages. It’s such a powerful reminder to me of the importance of staying connected to Jesus, and that I cannot do anything without him. And if we read the other passage in Acts through the lens of John 15, we see Philip- a disciple of Jesus living life to the full: listening to the Spirit, and bearing fruit. We also see someone who is hungry to connect with Jesus, is seeking him, and is growing and flourishing.
So- first of all I want to get stuck straight in with the story about Philip, who was busy spreading the good news of Jesus wherever he went. It says He heard an angel of the Lord tell him to go to a particular desert road- the one that connects Jerusalem to Gaza. He isn’t given any further information, but he acts obediently and goes. I wonder what he expects to find? It may have seemed a strange place to go and spread the good news, but Philip was humble and he listened. He trusted the Holy Spirit, and what I think is so special about this story is that it reminds us of the love that God has for the ONE. The individual. Remember the image of the good shepherd who will leave the 99 sheep to go and look for the one. We saw that in the way that Jesus ministered- he took time to be present with individuals, not just the big crowds. The Spirit also knows where a heart is ripe and ready for fruit to come.
So Philip is open to the Spirit’s lead, and then takes the opportunity the spirit gives him. I really think that here Philip is demonstrating what it might mean to be a branch connected to the vine.
He knows his source, he knows his identity.
He is not held back by fear, but he trusts God and follows his call.
And so, Philip starts this conversation with a stranger, with a question.
I don’t know if you have noticed that Jesus asks a lot of questions to individuals during his ministry. Jesus always seems to want to get people thinking for what things might mean for themselves, and he asks questions to make it real and personal for the individual- making this about their journey- not anyone else’s. Philip asks the eunuch ‘do you understand what you are reading?’
And after an invitation into the eunuch’s chariot- he starts right there with the Isaiah passage he is reading, and tells him the good news of Jesus.
On this journey home for the Eunuch, Philip provides him with the basics, some foundations on which to build his life. I love that the eunuch is quite literally on a journey- he is travelling home, and Philip has the opportunity to accompany him. The eunuch probably had quite a busy and important role day to day, and perhaps this was the only realistic chance to actually have a moment where he wasn’t supposed to be doing something else.
I wonder if you have experienced those in-between moments. Those wonderful bus or train journeys where you can just get on and do nothing! That can be a time when God may choose to speak to us- away from the busy routines and the things we ‘do’.
And then- as they continue together, there is a baptism opportunity! As soon as the eunuch spots some water, by the side of the road- he spontaneously makes a decision to be baptised!
He says: ‘What can stand in the way of my being baptised?!’
Maybe Philip had mentioned being baptized as something the eunuch could do to start his new life with these beliefs that he had. But the idea came from the eunuch himself. Philip demonstrates here, a wonderful accompanying of someone else on their journey. Philip was available to baptise, and the Ethiopian Eunuch was eager to start this new life afresh in the new knowledge of Jesus he had gained.
And if we look back to the vine and the branches in John 15: I think we can see the eunuch hungry to develop his spiritual journey, and to seek connection with the vine.
And getting baptized at the first opportunity is the beginning of that.
The eunuch has discovered the grace available to him through Jesus and the first thing he chooses to do in this new chapter of transformation is to be baptized. And the holy spirit had made Philip available and present in a miraculous way, to baptise him.
Now- I want to share with you a memory. About 20 years ago I had an opportunity, in the Easter holidays of my first year at university, to be part of a Detached youth work team at spring harvest. The team was given the task of being around the site during the main meetings and when the children’s and youth work was taking place, but to be looking out for the young people who were not going to the sessions.
The aim of this detached youth work was not to get all the young people to go along to the main meetings and within that 5 days, the successful fruit would be to have them all standing on the front row.
No agenda but being there.
That very word: ‘detached’. These are some vulnerable young people, who are not connected to the main thing. But- they are on site. They have come to Spring Harvest! Whether they were forced along by their parents, or a friend, they are there. Maybe there was something deep inside them which liked the atmosphere, liked the change of scene, enjoyed being in a place of fun things to do, even if they themselves weren’t actually ready to join in and be at the heart of the worship and teaching.
The detached youth work team were present, available to chat. Sometimes ask questions and to get alongside. We would start with wherever they were at, and go from there.
Now I can’t tell you, if the fruit of our labours that week in 2005 at Spring Harvest are that those young people we met are now attending church or living as disciples of Jesus. I have absolutely no idea! But it’s not my job to know that. Those teenagers will now be in their mid-thirties. But wherever they are and whatever they’re doing with their lives- they will be on a journey. And the truth is that God sees them and knows them, and has a plan for them. Did you know- God is at work in people’s lives, whether or not we get involved! But sometimes, he gives us an opportunity to join in with him.
And I wanted to bring this idea of opportunity to you today. When we TAKE the opportunities God gives us, we give HIM opportunities to work in our lives and those around us.
Now- I want to go back to this Ethiopian Eunuch and unpack a bit more about the context of this person because I think it is relevant for us today.
You might be wondering who this was and what the significance is of the fact that this person is given such a specific label- Ethiopian eunuch? I wasn’t sure quite what this meant, so I did some reading and found out some quite interesting things I wanted to share with you about who this might have been and what his circumstances could have looked like. In that time, there were important roles of responsibility to look after the queens kandake.
Now I won’t go into specific detail here, but in order to undertake this role, and become a eunuch- he may well have been taken as a young boy, against his will or understanding, and had things done to his body which would mean that he wouldn’t develop in the usual way as a man- meaning that he would have looked different, sounded different and also felt different. All of these things were carried out so that he could undertake this specific and important role in what was understood as the right way.
And as he reads the Isaiah scripture, something is going on. It’s jumping out at him- its speaking to him, perhaps because he resonates with the text.
You see- he reads of one who like a sheep, was led to the slaughter. One who in his humiliation was denied justice. One whose life was taken away. The surrounding parts of the passage from Isaiah 53 go on to further describe this one as having an appearance so marred to be beyond human semblance, wounded, crushed, despised, rejected, a man of suffering.
Can you imagine him thinking: this sounds like me. This is my story. Who is the prophet writing about? I resonate with this. Who is this suffering one, because he’s already taken on my suffering. He’s already in my place. My story is joined to his story.
And then- Philip tells him the good news of Jesus. Jesus is the one. Jesus is the suffering one. All the suffering of people was focused on him in his life, in the injustice of his trial, his disfiguring persecution, his crushing crucifixion. And, according to the expectations of the time, the suffering of this one, the suffering of Jesus carries liberation and life for the whole world.
No wonder this is such a transformative moment for the Eunuch. No wonder that the Eunuch wants to be baptized into Jesus. Can you see how what Philip told the Eunuch about Jesus met the Eunuch in his back story, in the deepest parts of who he was. In this moment he felt seen by God. Perhaps it was the first time in his life, where he discovered his true identity.
Perhaps we can think of those in our own society who may feel like this: excluded, labelled, mis-understood, marginalized, oppressed. Maybe you know exactly what it is like to feel like this.
I think he felt known by God in the suffering Jesus. He felt God was in his place with him because of the suffering Jesus. He felt his story was entwined with Jesus’ story, for his own sake, and for the liberation and life of the whole world. He was all in, and wanted to be baptised immediately. ‘What can stand in the way of my being baptised?’
As we accompany others on their journeys- we may not know the full story, what they have been through or experienced but we may have an opportunity to meet them with the good news of Jesus where they are at… and we can stand back and watch how the Holy Spirit might weave their stories, together with his story.
I love the bit at the end of this story- when the Holy Spirit decides that Philip has done what he was meant to do, but he’s now a long way from home without any transport. So- what can be done? Teleportation! He whisks him away, back to his day to day life to carry on spreading the good news in the towns. This was another sign of the supernatural presence of God to the Eunuch. And it says- he went on his way rejoicing. I think that describes the fruit from the vine that Jesus was talking about in John 15. And that rejoicing is bringing glory to God.
What does a good branch look like?
- Both Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch took an opportunity! And gave opportunities for God to work.
- Both were seeking meaning and connection with the vine.
And now- a question for us to ponder.
What can stand in the way of bringing Glory to God in my life?
What stands in my way to be become a fruit bearing disciple of Jesus, bringing glory to God? Sometimes it might feel like there are barriers, or walls, or things in the way. Things that get in between us and God. The connection feels blocked, or broken somehow.
Maybe this week you will see a sign- perhaps your version of a pool of water at the side of the road, which is Jesus offering you a new opportunity. Perhaps you want to be open to it- it could be a moment to grasp and say yes- I want to be a branch that is connected, and is bearing fruit.
Prayer:
Thank you Lord that you invite us to be a branch, connected to you, the vine. Help us to acknowledge the things that stand in the way of that connection with you, and ask for your holy spirit to guide us as we repent of these things and seek new life and growth, in our journey with you. Help us to see the opportunities you give us to bear fruit, and to be obedient and willing to act. And Lord, show us how to live our lives in a way that gives opportunity for you to work- for your glory to be made known, and for your kingdom to come, here on earth.
Amen
