Pastors Tom and Sarah Cochran

The Bible is our foundational source of evidence about Jesus. It is the truth we rely on to know Him. Written over a span of 1,500 years, it is a collection of 66 individual books that cover a wide range of genres, including history, law, poetry, and letters.

Because it was written over such a long period of time, the Bible is not just the account of one person. It is the reliable Word of God Himself. And all of Scripture, across all 66 books, points to one person: Jesus.

More Than History and Evidence

In the story of Philip and the Ethiopian leader, we see a pattern that helps us understand how to seek evidence of our faith through Scripture.

At that time, the question was simple yet profound: Who is Jesus, and why does He matter? The same question is still being asked today. And just like Philip and the Ethiopian official, we answer it by returning to the Word of God.

Step One: An Encounter With Jesus

The first step in this pattern is to have an encounter with Jesus.

Acts 8:30-31 tells us: “Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’ And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.”

The Ethiopian leader recognized that Philip had the knowledge and experience he needed. But before Philip ever arrived, God was already working in the Ethiopian’s heart, drawing him closer. That is the character of Jesus, God in the flesh, actively orchestrating events so that people might encounter Him.

As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” Philip had already encountered Jesus personally, and in this passage, the Ethiopian leader was also encountering Him through the words of Scripture.

Step Two: Understanding Jesus Through Prophecy

The Ethiopian was reading from Isaiah when Philip joined him. Acts 8:32-33 records the passage: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated, and he received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch then asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”

Philip began with that very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. He started with Isaiah 53, a prophecy written about 700 years before Christ, and showed how it was pointing directly to Him.

Isaiah 53 is only one of more than 100 prophecies in the Bible about Jesus. These prophecies detail His family line, where He would be born, how He would live, how He would die, that He would be buried, and that He would rise again.

Many of these prophecies have already been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Yet some remain unfulfilled, pointing to His future return. For believers, this truth is vital. Jesus is coming back. That reality should give us urgency to lean in, to pay attention to the questions our culture is asking, and to respond with the truth of the gospel.

Because there are so many prophecies that Jesus has already fulfilled, we can trust that He truly is who He says He is.

Step Three: Responding to Jesus

After hearing the good news about Jesus, the Ethiopian did not just listen and move on. He responded. Acts 8:36 tells us that as they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”

Philip baptized him right there. The Ethiopian did not wait. His encounter with Jesus through Scripture and his understanding of prophecy led to immediate action.

This shows us something important: encountering and understanding Jesus is not the end. We are invited to respond. For the Ethiopian, that response was baptism, a public declaration of faith in Christ. When we encounter Jesus and see who He really is, we are called to act.

Why Encountering Jesus Matters

Until you and I encounter Jesus, we cannot truly know God. All of Scripture points back to Him, beginning at creation itself.

John 1 says: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.”

In this passage, the “Word” refers to Jesus. From the very start, He was present. Through Him, all things were made, and through Him, life itself was given. Everything points back to Jesus.

Jesus, the Foundation of Faith

This is why Jesus matters. He is the foundation of our faith. He was born into the world, fully God and fully human. He came in the flesh to reveal God to us so that we might truly know Him.

From Genesis to Revelation, every page of the Bible directs us toward Christ. He is not just part of the story. He is the story. And encountering Him through Scripture changes everything.