26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then 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.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
—Acts 8:26–40 (NKJV)
THEME: God reveals His truth to those who sincerely seek Him, and that truth ultimately leads us to Jesus Christ.
SHORT REVIEW: Acts 8 is showing us the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8. Persecution scattered the Church beyond Jerusalem, Philip carried the Gospel into Samaria, and an entire city experienced “great joy.”
Last week, Simon reminded us that being fascinated by spiritual things is not the same as being transformed by Jesus Christ. His story left us asking: “Is my heart right with God?”
Now Luke takes us from a crowded city to a lonely road — from a sorcerer fascinated by power to an Ethiopian searching for truth. Philip leaves the crowds of Samaria for one man traveling home from Jerusalem. He travels from the capitol city of Samaria all the way to the Southwestern corner of Israel, Gaza.
Why? Because one searching soul matters to God.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is [a]desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION
When someone is genuinely searching for spiritual truth, what do you think God may use to help that person discover Him?
I. A Seeking Heart Searches for Truth — Acts 8:26–31A.
Seek God Earnestly“
[He] had come to Jerusalem to worship.” — Acts 8:27 This man was willing to travel a great distance because something in his heart was reaching toward God. Sincere seeking does not save us—but it can position our hearts to hear the truth God wants us to receive.
B. Search the Scriptures
“Sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.” — Acts 8:28 He did not understand everything he was reading, but he kept reading. We do not have to understand everything in Scripture before we begin seeking God through Scripture.
C. Stay Teachable“
How can I, unless someone guides me?” — Acts 8:31 This powerful government official was humble enough to admit: “I don't understand.” That humility opened the door for Philip to help him.
TAKE-HOME TRUTH: I will seek God's truth with an open Bible and a teachable heart.
BACKWARD-LOOKING QUESTIONS
Group 1: What does the Ethiopian's journey to Jerusalem tell us about the seriousness of his spiritual search?
Group 2: What was he doing when Philip found him, and why is that important to the story?
Group 3: What does his question - “How can I, unless someone guides me?”- reveal about his heart?
Group 4: What evidence do you see that God had already been preparing this man before Philip ever arrived?
The Ethiopian was searching, but sincerity alone could not give him the answer he needed. God had brought him to the Scriptures—and now the Scriptures were about to bring him to Jesus.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:“
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
II. A Seeking Heart Sees Jesus in the Scriptures — Acts 8:32–35
A. Consider the Word“
The place in the Scripture which he read was this...” — Acts 8:32 Remarkably, he was reading Isaiah 53 — the great prophecy of the Suffering Servant. (Summarize Isaiah 53… why is this significant? God had brought a searching man to exactly the passage he needed.
B. Confront the Question“
I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” — Acts 8:34 He wasn't afraid to ask questions. Questions asked with a sincere heart can become doorways through which God teaches us His truth.
C. Come to Jesus“
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” — Acts 8:35 This is the heart of the passage. Philip didn't merely explain Isaiah. He preached Jesus. The Ethiopian's search for truth ultimately brought him face-to-face with Christ.
TAKE-HOME TRUTH: I will read God's Word looking for the truth that leads me to Jesus.
INWARD-LOOKING QUESTIONS
Group 1: When you don't understand something in Scripture, what do you normally do?
Group 2: How can we maintain a teachable heart as we grow older and become more familiar with the Bible?
Group 3: Who has God used in your life to help you understand His Word more clearly?
Group 4: How can we make sure our study of the Bible leads us to know Jesus more deeply—not merely to know more information?
Truth is meant to do more than inform our minds; it calls for a response from our hearts. Once the Ethiopian understood that Isaiah was pointing to Jesus, his search became a decision.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then 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.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
III. A Seeking Heart Surrenders to Christ — Acts 8:36–40
A. Believe in Christ
The Gospel Philip explained called the Ethiopian beyond curiosity and understanding to personal faith in Jesus Christ. As Wiersbe reminds us: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” — Romans 10:17 The Scriptures had led him to the Savior.
B. Boldly Identify with Christ
“See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” — Acts 8:36 He did not want a simple, private religious experience. His desire for baptism demonstrated a willingness to identify openly with Jesus Christ.
C. Begin Rejoicing in Christ
“He went on his way rejoicing.” — Acts 8:39 What a beautiful ending. Acts 8 began with great persecution. Samaria experienced great joy. Now one Ethiopian goes home rejoicing. He came searching. He left rejoicing. Jesus made the difference.
TAKE-HOME TRUTH: I will respond to God's truth with faith, obedience, and joy.
FORWARD-LOOKING QUESTION
As you think about the week ahead, where is God asking you to take your next step —seeking His truth more earnestly, seeing Jesus more clearly in His Word, or surrendering something more completely to Christ?
The Ethiopian began his journey with questions and ended it with joy. Somewhere along that desert road, the truth he was seeking became the Savior he trusted.
CONCLUSION
The Ethiopian had religion. He had traveled to Jerusalem to worship. He had Scripture. He had honest questions. He had sincerity. But he still needed Jesus. And God loved this one searching man enough to send Philip down a desert road to meet him.
Philip listened to the Spirit. The Ethiopian listened to the Word. And the Word led him to Christ. This is the message of Acts 8:26–40: Seek the truth. See Jesus in the Scriptures. Surrender your life to Christ. The Ethiopian arrived on that desert road searching. He left that desert road rejoicing. Because ultimately, the answer to his search was not a religion, a ritual, or even an explanation. The answer was and always will be Jesus.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
1. Seek God Earnestly. Don't be satisfied with simply going through the motions spiritually.
Remember: A hungry heart keeps seeking God's truth.
2. Search God's Word. The Ethiopian encountered Christ as he wrestled with Scripture.
Remember: God's Word points us toward God's Son.
3. Stay Teachable. There is no shame in saying, “I don't understand. Help me.”
Remember: God teaches humble hearts.
4. See Jesus. Philip began with Isaiah and “preached Jesus.”
Remember: The goal is not merely knowing more about the Bible—it is knowing Christ more deeply.
5. Surrender and Obey. When the Ethiopian understood the truth, he responded.
Remember: Genuine faith does not merely hear God's truth. It acts upon it.
STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATION
Because Jesus is the Truth I seek, I will...
Seek Him earnestly,
Search His Word faithfully,
Remain teachable before Him,
See Him more clearly,
And Respond to His truth with faith and obedience.
Lord Jesus, keep my heart hungry for Your truth and ready to obey when You speak.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
LESSON 35 — The Ethiopian: A Inquisitive Seeker
“Searching for the Truth?”
Acts 8:26-40 | August 23, 2026
LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION
When someone is genuinely searching for spiritual truth, what do you think God may use to help that person discover Him?
BACKWARD-LOOKING QUESTIONS
Group 1: What does the Ethiopian's journey to Jerusalem tell us about the seriousness of his spiritual search?
Group 2: What was he doing when Philip found him, and why is that important to the story?
Group 3: What does his question - “How can I, unless someone guides me?”- reveal about his heart?
Group 4: What evidence do you see that God had already been preparing this man before Philip ever arrived?
INWARD-LOOKING QUESTIONS
Group 1: When you don't understand something in Scripture, what do you normally do?
Group 2: How can we maintain a teachable heart as we grow older and become more familiar with the Bible?
Group 3: Who has God used in your life to help you understand His Word more clearly?
Group 4: How can we make sure our study of the Bible leads us to know Jesus more deeply—not merely to know more information?
FORWARD-LOOKING QUESTION
As you think about the week ahead, where is God asking you to take your next step —seeking His truth more earnestly, seeing Jesus more clearly in His Word, or surrendering something more completely to Christ?
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