It’s All About Jesus

Lent Midweek 6
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Acts 8:35

Throughout our Lenten journey we have seen from the proclamation of God’s Word in the book of Acts that the call of God is to repentance. In every sermon Peter proclaimed we were led to the fact that we stand as sinners before the Holy God. We saw it in the sermon proclaimed by the first Christian martyr, Stephen.

Now we see another servant of God, bringing the good news to one person. We’re glad that we can peek over their shoulders and listen in. But this time the actual sermon is not given. Luke simply describes what Philip said to the eunuch.

He was reading the Scriptures; specifically the part that we heard moments ago in the Old Testament reading, from Isaiah 53. The eunuch could plainly see that the one being described was one who was suffering for the sake of others. But who was it? How could he know unless someone made known to him who it was?

Luke then says that beginning with this Scripture Philip told him the good news about Jesus. It’s always all about Jesus. Apart from Jesus there is no hope and no salvation. Without Jesus all we’re left with is questions. And our sin.

We have seen that salvation is all about Jesus. Repentance is all about Jesus. Our Baptism is all about Him. The Lord’s Supper is all about the Lord. The Bible itself is all about Jesus.

The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are plain to see that they’re about Jesus. But every other book in the New Testament furthers the proclamation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for the salvation of the world. From the New Testament itself we come to know that the Old Testament is likewise about Jesus. From the Bible we know that God is made known to us clearly in the person of Jesus.

That’s why we repent. Jesus died and rose for us so that we may live. There is no life without death involved. The good news Philip was telling the eunuch is that the death involved is not ours but Christ’s! Imagine what the eunuch must have been thinking when Philip told him that the one suffering in the Bible passage he was reading was God! The one who would go to His death was God Himself!

Luke tells us later on that the man upon hearing the Gospel proclaimed to him realized that he needed to be Baptized. The proclamation of the Word of God produces this kind of repentance in us—the kind in which our new mindset is that of Jesus. Of being drowned in the waters of Baptism. Of our sinful nature being crucified with Christ. Of our being raised up with Christ to new life.

Have you ever noticed how much of your life revolves around yourself? I suppose it’s a natural tendency since we’re with ourselves all the time. But when we see in the Scriptures as the eunuch came to see that it’s all about Jesus then we begin to see that our lives are centered in Christ. That it’s always all about Jesus.

When we see that the gifts He gives us are eternal, we see that it’s only in Jesus we have hope for eternity even in the midst of our daily life. When we see that He is with us eternally we see that even in our day to day struggles He strengthens us. In heaven it will be plain as day that it’s all about Jesus, we will see Him face to face. Here it’s not always easy to remember that.

But that’s the good news of it all! It’s all about Jesus! Which means that when it’s hard for us to see, He always remembers us and keeps us in His care. Amen.

SDG