"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. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."
Philip, gets to take this royal official through the Old Testament and tells the eunuch about the good news of Jesus. The eunuch is so moved that as they pass water the eunuch wants to be baptized. After the baptism, Philip is taken by the spirit to places like Azotus until he reaches Caesarea.
Then we get to the climax of Acts (or so it seems). We get reintroduced to Saul, who is a zealous Pharisee out for blood of the heretical "Christ-followers". Remember, he was at the stoning of Stephen. But, as we see, Saul has his whole world turned upside down. He traveling to Damascus and he sees a vision. Some scholars, as highlighted by N.T. Wright, say the vision was much like that of Ezekiel's when he describes seeing a great chariot, with whirling wheels and flashing lights or that of Stephen right before he takes his last breaths while being stoned (where Saul was present). Saul is thrown to the ground, blinded and hears the voice of Jesus asking him "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?". While being blinded, it is written, he was praying and shown the cost of following Christ and how much he will suffer. Following this experience Saul is blinded and has to wait until a follower of the Way, named Ananias, comes to him and laid hands on him, filling him with the Holy Spirit and restores his sight. Saul's response to this experience is to be get-up, immediately be baptized and eat.
After, meeting with the disciples in Damascus for several days, Saul immediately starts preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. As Saul, proves to the Jews more and more that Jesus is the Messiah, they plot to kill him. So he flees Damascus to join up with believers in Jerusalem, who at first don't accept him fearing that he is deceiving them.
What do these chapters tells us about the characteristics of God? What are these characters revealing about God's Heart?
What were the disciple's expectations of God, knowing his heart and characteristics?
How are these words relevant to the way that we are suppose to live today?
These few passages say a lot about God's character and heart. Starting with Philip, we see that God's message and Son Jesus is not just for the Jews. Philip, shares the message with an Ethiopian eunuch or a castrated black man. From what I understand in the Jewish world once someone was castrated they were not allowed to be Jewish. This is the first highlighted story of a none Jewish person being brought to the way. How about that? I read this story, and I think of Jesus and his conversation with the Samaritan women. Jesus and the his followers cross all cultural, gender, and ethnics lines, when showing individuals the Way. Which shows the heart of God and his characteristics...he wants to see every people gathering in His love and grace.
We are further shown the heart and characteristics of God in the conversion of Saul to Paul. Saul being a Pharisee was zealous for the Lord. Particularly, he was a devout Jew that followed the Jewish law to the letter and held individuals around him to that standard. He was present at the stoning of the Apostle Stephen and was out for more blood traveling to Damascus to apprehend believers of the Way. Yet, Saul is stop in tracks on the road to Damascus, by Jesus. This shows that God can change the heart of anyone he wants.
There is much that we can take from these two stories. One is God's love is for all to come to His open arms. Two it is that we need to take seriously the Message of Christ, so serious that like Saul(Paul), Christians must realize that we will suffer for the Message of Christ and the way that we choose to live our lives. Thirdly, we must come to realize that although it will be hard, there is great joy and fullness in following Christ and living according to His word.
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