“And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, ‘I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?'” Acts 8:34
Dear Ones:
It was after Pentecost, the “great awakening,” that great blessing had come to Jerusalem and to Israel. Persecution also had raised its ugly head, Saul of Tarsus taking a leading role. Philip, one of the twelve apostles, was being used greatly of the Lord, as he preached in the region. Many came to a saving knowledge of Christ. At one very important moment, the Spirit of God told Philip to go into the desert, along the road between Jerusalem to Gaza. There he would meet a man in a chariot returning from Jerusalem, going back to Ethiopia, where he was in charge of the treasure of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. He was reading the book of Isaiah. The passage he was reading was what we find in Isaiah 53, which speaks of the sacrificial Lamb, Christ. Seeking to understand the passage, he receives Philip into his chariot, where Philip “preaches Jesus unto him.” The result of such a meeting, and exchange, is that this man asks to be baptized, believing with “all his heart” that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” What is the significance and power of this passage of Scripture in Isaiah? Why do we say that it is the hinge upon which the whole of human history hangs?
Even a cursory glance at this passage reveals to us a Person and a work which is certainly Divine, the result of which should cause us to fall on our knees in humble adoration of Jesus Christ. This picture did not begin in Isaiah 53, but in the words: “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) There is so much that we cannot grasp of the work of God in Redemption, but the picture of Christ here is perhaps the clearest that we shall ever know of God’s heart, Christ devotion and suffering, and the magnitude of the salvation that He has accomplished for us.
Isaiah reveals to us a man who is “other-worldly.” By this I mean, His origin and nature are not of this world, this creation. And yet, He came to dwell among us, clothed with humility and lowliness. “There was no beauty that we should desire Him.” He became a servant, learning obedience by the things which He suffered. He was a man who knew the depths of sorrow, rejection, being despised and not esteemed. In other words, He was “nothing” in the sight of the world, that “world” which would crucify Him, not realizing what they were doing. This “undesirable” Lamb would take upon Himself the grief, sorrow, the very sins and punishment for the sins of the whole world. God the Father would “…lay on Him the iniquity of us all.” And why would he do this? Because He is otherworldly…He is perfect LOVE…He could DO no other, because He WAS no other.
Dear Father, open our eyes to see this greatest expression of Thy heart, The giving of Thy Son. Enable us to see Him as He was, and is, and to grasp something of what He did on the cross. Have mercy on us, Dear Father, and give us grace to fall at Jesus’ feet…to worship and serve You forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad