Good News for an Ethiopian
key words
biblical reference
Acts 8:1-8 and 26-40
lesson objective
To help the students appreciate what it is to be a missionary and how the gospel began to spread
memory verse
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I’m sending you’” (John 20:21, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Understanding and accepting people from other cultures is valued in many of today’s societies. Children are encouraged to be considerate of people who are different from them. What a beautiful opportunity to teach our children that this is a Christian principle that was put into practice in the early Church! God was the one who established the idea that all people have the same value. It was his idea that Christians should reach out to everyone with the message of God’s love.
This session is an excellent opportunity to begin creating in the hearts of children a love for the lost of the whole world. Philip teaches us that kind of obedience: reaching out to others to lead them to God. It does not matter who they are or where they are. As happened to Philip, all the children who love Jesus can testify about him. Help your students understand that when they pray for the unsaved, God listens to them and rejoices. Encourage them to pray for those who are not saved in their own homes, for their friends, and for people from other countries who do not know the Lord. Join with them in prayer for those people, and for those you have on your prayer list.
biblical commentary
Phillip became someone important when the church began to spread to other cities. His work in Samaria was remarkable because of the great conflict between Samaritans and Jews. The Samaritans were treated like Gentiles, although they were part of “the lost sheep of Israel.” They believed in a liberator who would save them.
Phillip showed courage and tenacity in going to Samaria, and he was one of the first missionaries of the early Church who would carry the message of love and hope to the whole world. In fact, it can be said that Samaria and Ethiopia were the first two geographical areas to which Jesus sent his disciples to preach (Acts 1:8).
Phillip was enjoying a successful ministry in Samaria when he was instructed to leave and begin his journey through the congested streets that led out of the city. It is was as if today someone asked us to go on a road full of cars. Without asking questions, Phillip went. It is possible that he did not understand why, nor in agreement with the angel, but he was willing to fulfill his call.
Philip’s testimony to the Ethiopian was an important personal work. Christians today can learn a lot from him.
When reading Acts 8, note the following:
Phillip was obedient and went through cultural barriers to be a good witness.
It was God who prepared the Ethiopian’s heart to receive what Philip would tell him.
Phillip began to speak from where the Ethiopian could understand him according to his experience. He answered the questions that the man had.
The Scripture was the basis of Philip’s testimony - it was not his own opinions or knowledge - but what the Word of God said.
Philip emphasized Jesus Christ.
He gave the man an opportunity to respond to the message and testify.
Witnessing through barriers is more than a cross-cultural message. As teachers, we do it every session: an adult moves into the world of children to present the message of God’s love. Remember that we must teach, starting from where our children are. Let’s listen to their questions and understand their limited knowledge and perceptions. But most of all, let’s appreciate their best qualities: hearts full of confidence, curiosity, and openness.
Even the smallest can be instruments in the hands of God to show his love to this world. Many times children are more effective witnesses than adults because of their ability to love without condition, which is a reflection of God himself in them.
introduce the lesson
Good news!
If you can take a cell phone to this session, it will be very interesting to use it to start today’s lesson. If possible, in advance ask someone to call you at a certain time. After briefly talking and then hanging up, say: “It was a friend who had Good News to give me. Do you want to hear it? Has anyone received good news in the last few days. If so, how did you feel to hear it? (happy, started jumping for joy, etc.).”
teach the lesson
Phillip talks about the Good News
It was a difficult time for the Jerusalem church. The followers of Jesus were being taken to jail. Many had to flee because their lives were in danger. Philip was one of those Christians, and he went to Samaria. I was afraid to stay in Jerusalem, but he was not afraid to tell people about Jesus.
“Listen to what I say!” preached Phillip. “I have Good News to tell you!” The people met to listen. And, he told them the wonderful story of how Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. They saw the miracles that God did through Philip. Many decided to follow Jesus. There was great joy in the city.
One day, God sent a messenger angel to Philip. “Go south on the desert road,” he said. “It is the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Phillip obeyed God. Many people walked on that road. After a while, Phillip heard the clip, clop, clip, clop of approaching horses. Then the sound of the wheels was heard, and then he could see a very ornate and luxurious chariot. The horses looked very well cared for. Immediately, Phillip realized that this was someone important.
The man was very well dressed and he was reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. At that moment God spoke to Philip, “Get up close to the chariot.” Phillip ran up to the side of the chariot and asked loudly, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” The man, who was in charge of all the riches of the queen of Ethiopia, said, “No I do not! How can I understand if someone does not teach me?”
The Ethiopian smiled at Phillip and invited him into the chariot and asked him, “Who is the prophet talking about?”
Philip told the Ethiopian about the Good News about Jesus. “The prophet he is talking about the Savior sent by God,” Phillip said. “Jesus is that Savior; I know him and you can know him too!” The two men talked and talked. The Ethiopian’s eyes began to shine with emotion, hearing that Jesus loved him.
“Look!” said the Ethiopian. “There is water over there. I would like to be baptized.” (Baptism is a way to show everyone that Jesus has changed your life.) Phillip baptized the man. As he got out of the water and walked back to his chariot, God suddenly took Phillip to another place. The Ethiopian was surprised and looked around for Phillip. Where had Phillip gone? The man did not know. But he did know that his heart was full of joy! He jumped into his chariot! All the way back to Ethiopia, he sang praises of gratitude.
“Thank you Lord for sending Phillip! Thank you Jesus because you are my Savior!”
And, what happened to Phillip? He continued to travel from city to city, going wherever God sent him. In each place, Philip announced the Good News of Jesus.
connect the lesson
The baptism of the Ethiopian
Give the children Student Activity Sheet #241-A, #241-B and #241-C. Then, guide them to cut out and paste the figures of the Ethiopian and Philip. For this activity, you must give each one a large paper plate, colored pencils, and glue. Tell the children to write their names on the work done. This activity will help them think of people to whom they can tell the Good News about Jesus.
practice the memory verse
Prepare the memory verse in puzzle form. Cut the silhouettes (you will need 17 cards) of different means of transport, thinking about the means of transportation that the missionaries used in Bible times and those used today, such as horses, the silhouette of a person walking, carts, boats, planes, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, etc. Draw the silhouettes on 15 cm x 15 cm cards. Prepare two or three sets. Write on each silhouette one of the words in the memory verse. Take the silhouettes to the session and ask the children to color and cut them out. Be careful not to write the word in the part that will be cropped. Once the children finish coloring and trimming, repeat the whole verse together several times.
Then, divide into two or three teams. Mix up each set of cards and place them face down on the table, on the floor, etc. Ask the teams that when you count to 3, they should begin to assemble the puzzle text correctly. As a reward, the winning team will be the first to leave the room after the session is over.
wrap-up
Pray
This is a good lesson for children to feel the need to pray and tell the Good News to others who do not know Jesus.
Encourage
Encourage the children to tell their classmates and their families at home about the Lord if they are not Christians.
Invite
Say something interesting to encourage the children to attend the next session. Tell them to also invite friends.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™