Acts 8:36-40

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” ³⁷ Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”  ³⁸ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Philippine Military Academy Reception Rite

Traditionally, April 1st has been set aside for the reception of the new cadets. This day marks the first day of a military career and the last day of their civilian lives.

On this day, the new cadets form at the Borromeo Field and take their oath of office as cadets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The upper-class cadets comprising the Plebe Detail then take charge and give the new cadets a series of exercises to perform. These exercises, to include push-up, sit-up, squat thrust, jumping jacks, dash, are but a foretaste of what to expect for the next eight weeks of “Beast Barracks.”

In many organizations, the PMA Reception Rite or ritual is commonly called “Initiation Rite!”

Some people playfully call water baptism as initiation or reception rite into Christianity. Water baptism is more of personal decision identifying himself [the baptism candidate] with the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Let us learn more of about water baptism from Philip who baptized the eunuch.

1.  Decision

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 

Philip joined the eunuch in his chariot and told him the good news about Jesus. It was not very clear how long they have travelled but as soon as the eunuch saw some water along the road he expressed his personal desire to be baptized.

Did Philip teach the eunuch about water baptism? Did Philip give distinction between the baptism of John and Christian baptism? Did the eunuch believe that Christian baptism is a very significant symbol of being united with Christ in His death and resurrection? Did Philip give him a lesson that water baptism is a valuable symbol of faith in Jesus?

There are many questions to be asked surrounding the baptism of the eunuch.

³⁷ Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”  

Verse 37 serves as spoon-feeding interpretation to verse 36 which may suggest that the eunuch should understand why he needed to be baptized. Some manuscript did not include verse 37 as it may suggest challenge of having faith or not.

The eunuch was an official in-charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch was no ordinary citizen; he was a highly regarded official of a queen.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty

A treasurer or finance officer is no common thinkers; he is analytical and investigative. Accordingly, the Finance Minister of Canada, Jim Flaherty skillfully steered or maneuvered Canada in the financial department during the 2008 recession. He skillfully worked on international measures to bring back the budget to balance.

Accordingly, he was the only person in the cabinet who could offer an authoritative challenge to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper on issues of finance.

Finance officers are intelligent, logical, and rational people with decisive authority. That is the type of person the official in-charge of the treasury of the queen Ethiopia was.

The eunuch suggested to Philip that he was to be baptized because he believed in the Lord. The eunuch was the only baptism candidate; he did not need any challenge from Philip to be baptized because he understood very clearly that baptism is essential to his faith.

Many candidates go through water baptism because their friends were baptized. While it is not our responsibility to point out who is sincere and who is not, it is a reminder that we may encourage people but we are not forcing them to be baptized. Water baptism is an act of obedience to the command of the Lord to be baptized.

Baptism is a very significant symbol of being united in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

2. Death

³⁸ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 

The phrase “went down” presents a picture of Philip and the eunuch coming from a higher place and descended or went down to a lower level where the water was.

The phrase “into the water” helps us imagine that both Philip and the eunuch came down into a body of water that can accommodate them when Philip baptized the eunuch.

The word “Baptism” originated from the Greek word βαπτίζω “baptizo” which literally means “dip under, or to submerge, to immerse, to sink.”

The water in which the eunuch was baptized should be deep enough for him to be immersed

3. Resurrection

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing

The phrase “came up out of the water,” portrays the water mentioned here was no little amount of water but more than enough for them and after which they came up out of it. Both Philip and the eunuch came up out of the water and that does not suggest little.

Some scholars suggest that Philip baptized the eunuch in an oasis or a small lake. Other Bible scholars believe that by the time the eunuch saw a body of water they have arrived in the city of Gaza or perhaps, they have passed by Gaza. The eunuch was on his way home to Ethiopia and the highway goes by Gaza. Parts of the highway from Gaza going to Egypt are just few meters away from the sea.

Anyway, water baptism is a public testimony of the believer that he believed that he is united with Christ in His death and resurrection.  Paul explained more about the idea of baptism in the book of Romans 6:3-5… ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

The word “buried” means that the baptism candidate is completely put under water. A little water or even a little soil sprinkled over a person would not be a burial.

Baptism is an act of obedience and for sure, the eunuch understood it very clearly.

Coming up out of the water is a symbol of resurrecting to new life. The eunuch understood that, too because he went home on his way rejoicing. Rejoicing is experienced by those who truly understood that they have become new creation.

Symbol vs. Reality

The believer is dead to his old self and immersion symbolizes that death to old self. Coming up out of the water symbolizes being risen to the new self in Christ.

If water baptism is a symbol of death to old self and resurrection to new life, why is it that there many baptized believers who cannot get away of their old self?

This is where discipleship processes are a very necessary. The Lord said, “Make disciple, baptize them, and then teach them to obey.” If a person is still living in his old self, he might not have died to his old self. The believer needed to be taught or to undergo discipleship processes.

Let’s meditate Matthew 28:18-20 for our challenge and reminder tonight… ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Lord Jesus has been given all authority, all power in heaven and on earth. Do you realize that Jesus is the most powerful person in heaven and on earth? If the most powerful person ordered each disciple to make disciples, do you realize that?

Our challenge:

Do you consider yourself a disciple of Christ? … Then go and make disciples?

Do you recognize the authority of Jesus in heaven and earth?… Then go and make disciples?

Do you believe that Christ is with you?… That is easy to claim.

Be very sure that you have not deceived yourself into believing that Christ is in you.

When Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” Christ did not promise His presence to anybody who would claim he is a Christian. Christ promised His presence to the disciple who is making disciples.

Making disciples is an avenue where we are more certain that Christ is in and with us without trying to deceive ourselves. We can assume and pretend that Christ is present in our life and we do not even know it. Christ commanded us to go and make disciples for us to be sure we do not deceive ourselves.

Christ commanded us to go and make disciples for us to be very sure and experience the presence of Christ in us without guessing it.

Making true disciple of Christ is possible only by the power of Christ, not human effort. Does it mean that when a professing Christian cannot make disciple Christ is not with him?

Making disciples is the most obvious manifestation of being a disciple of Christ. The presence of the Jesus is more manifested in the disciple who is making disciple.

Pray and ask God to lead you to the person He has prepared for you to disciple.

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