"WHAT IT MEANS TO PREACH JESUS" Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

It is not uncommon today to hear people say "Let's just preach Jesus...!" –Often in response to those who preach and teach on baptism –Which many modern preachers rarely mention in their preaching But what does it mean to preach Jesus...? –Should it include baptism? –If so, what else should be included? In Acts 8, we read of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch... –Who on his return from Jerusalem was met by Philip the evangelist - Ac 8:26-29 –Who invited Philip to explain a passage from the book of Isaiah - Ac 8:30-34 –Beginning with the passage (Isa 53:7-8), note that Philip preached Jesus to him - Ac 8:35 We can learn what it means to preach Jesus from what is written regarding the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch! For example, consider what we can learn from... Acts 8:26-29 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." ( This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot Acts 8:30-34 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 33 "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH." 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else? Isa 53:7-8 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him

ISAIAH'S QUOTATION JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS... –The passage from Isaiah reveals the reason for the Messiah's suffering - Isa 53:4-6,10-11 –Christ's death for our sins was fundamental to the gospel Paul preached – 1 st Cor 15:1-3 –Preaching Jesus therefore proclaims His death for our sins Isa 53:4-6 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him Isa 53:10-11 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities 1 Cor 15:1-3 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

ISAIAH'S QUOTATION JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS... JESUS HAS BEEN EXALTED... –Isaiah's prophecy begins and ends with the exaltation of the Messiah - Isa 52:13; 53:12 –The theme of Jesus' exaltation permeated Peter's preaching - Ac 2:36; 5:30-31 –Preaching Jesus therefore pronounces that He has been exalted by God Isa 52:13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted Isa 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 5:30-31 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 " He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

ISAIAH'S QUOTATION JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS... JESUS HAS BEEN EXALTED... From Isaiah's Quotation, we learn that preaching Jesus includes preaching how Jesus died for our sins, and has been exalted to the right hand of God! Now let's consider what we learn about preaching Jesus from...

THE EUNUCH'S QUESTION THE IMPORTANCE OF BAPTISM... –Notice the first question asked by the eunuch - Ac 8:36 "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" Preaching Jesus clearly included preaching on baptism! –Indeed, baptism was important to Jesus and His apostles Jesus commanded it in giving the great commission - Mt 28: The apostles commanded it in their preaching - Ac 10:47-48 The apostles also wrote of its value in their epistles - Rom 6:3-4; 1 st Pet 3:21 Preaching Jesus therefore includes preaching baptism! Acts 8:36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" Matt 28:18-19 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, " All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Acts 10:47-48 Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Rom 6:3-4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life 1 Peter 3:21-22 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

THE EUNUCH'S QUESTION THE IMPORTANCE OF BAPTISM... THE IMMEDIACY OF BAPTISM... –The Ethiopian was anxious to obey; Philip was willing to accommodate him - Ac 8:38 Why the urgency? Why not wait until they got to town, or to a church? Others were baptized immediately, even after midnight - Ac 16:25; –The reason for such urgency is clearly taught elsewhere Baptism is for the remission of sins - Ac 2:38; 22:16 We experience the working of God, and put on Christ - Col 2:12- 13; Gal 3:27 Preaching Jesus therefore calls upon people to be baptized quickly! Acts 8:38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. Acts 16:25 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; Acts 16:30-33 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They said, " Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 22:16 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. Col 2:12-13 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ

THE EUNUCH'S QUESTION THE IMPORTANCE OF BAPTISM... THE IMMEDIACY OF BAPTISM... From The Eunuch's Question, the importance and immediacy of baptism clearly taught elsewhere is implied. Let us also be careful to note what we learn about preaching Jesus from...

PHILIP'S QUALIFICATION THE NECESSITY OF FAITH... –Philip's response to the eunuch's question qualified who should be baptized - Ac 8:37 "If you believe...you may" Faith is a necessary prerequisite to baptism, which precludes infant baptism –Indeed faith is necessary to salvation - Jn 8:24 Through faith we can have life in His name - Jn 20:30-31 Baptism is a working of God when our faith is present - Co 2:12 Preaching Jesus therefore demands faith in Jesus before baptism! Acts 8:37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." John 20:30-31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name Col 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

PHILIP'S QUALIFICATION THE NECESSITY OF FAITH... THE NECESSITY OF HEARTINESS... –Philip required a wholehearted faith - Ac 8:37 "If you believe with all your heart, you may" Baptism without such faith renders one simply wet! –The sort of hearty sincerity God has always required By the children of Israel under the Law - Mt 22:37 By the partakers of Christ today - Heb 3:12-14 Preaching Jesus therefore requires more than just mental consent before baptism! Matt 22:37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' Heb 3:12-14 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,

Preaching Jesus certainly involves more, including... –Preaching repentance, though such is not mentioned in our text - cf. Lk 24:46-47 –Preaching the resurrection of Christ, though such is not mentioned - cf. Ac 17:30-31 Yet from the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, preaching Jesus must include... –Preaching about the suffering and exaltation of Christ –Preaching the necessity and immediacy of baptism by a sincere believer Today, many do not preach Jesus as Philip and the apostles did... –They ignore baptism altogether, or render it insignificant –They call upon people to pray, when apostolic preaching called for people to be baptized Has Jesus truly been preached to you, as Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch? - cf. Ac 2:36-38; 22:16Ac 2: :16 Luke 24: and He said to them, " Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem Acts 17:30-31 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 2:36-38 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, " Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 22:16 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'