West Franklin Children | June 27, 2021

Sunday June 27, 2021 | Philip and the Ethiopian

The Ethiopian official knew what the Old Testament prophets said, but he did not understand that they spoke about Jesus. The Holy Spirit led Philip to help the official understand the good news about Jesus: Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead, just like the Old Testament prophets said.

• Bible Passage: Acts 8
• Story Point: The Holy Spirit led Philip to tell the Ethiopian man about Jesus.
• Key Passage: Colossians 1:18
• Big Picture Question: Why does the church exist? The church exists to glorify God by worshiping Him, showing His love, and telling others about Jesus.

An angel of the Lord told Philip, a follower of Jesus, to go to a desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza. So Philip went.

On the road was a man from Ethiopia. He was an important official to the queen of Ethiopia. The man had come to worship in Jerusalem, and now he was on his way home. He sat in his chariot, reading aloud the words of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit told Philip to go to the chariot, so Philip ran up to it. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked the man.

The official replied, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He invited Philip into his chariot, and Philip sat with him. The official was reading these words from Isaiah:

He was led like a sheep

to the slaughter,

and as a lamb is silent

before its shearer,

so He does not open His mouth.

He was treated unfairly,

and His life is taken away.

The official asked, “Was Isaiah talking about himself or someone else?” Isaiah was talking about the Messiah, so Philip began to tell the man the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled down the road, they came to some water. “What would keep me from being baptized?” the official asked.

Then the official told the chariot to stop. He and Philip went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit took Philip away. The official continued home, and he was very happy.

Christ Connection

The Ethiopian official knew what the Old Testament prophets said, but he did not understand that they spoke about Jesus. The Holy Spirit led Philip to help the official understand the good news about Jesus: Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead, just like the Old Testament prophets said.

Family Starting Points

• God kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit.
• How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory.

Activity Pages

• Grades 1-3 Activity Page pdf
• Grades 4-5 Activity Page pdf