Philip and the Ethiopian Sunday School Lesson for Kids -

Philip Teaches the Ethiopian about Jesus

from...

Use this children’s Sunday School lesson to teach kids about the need to tell others about Jesus.

Needed: Bibles, slips of paper with prophecies about Jesus written on them

Intro Activity: Christian Story Interview

Have students pair up and ask each other the following questions. They’ll then present their partner’s answers as a reporter. They can write the answers down if they want.

What is your name?

How old are you?

When did you first hear about Jesus?

Who first told you about Jesus?

Have you ever told anyone else about Jesus?

When was the first time you went to a church?

When was the first time you came to this church?

Why do you believe in Jesus?

Lesson

Ask students, How do people learn about God and Jesus? (Accept all reasonable answers.)

One way people learn about God and Jesus is by other people telling them. Who are some of the people that tell you about God and Jesus? (Ideas could be parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers, pastors, etc.)

(Read Acts 8:26-31.)

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.

“‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

What was the man in the chariot reading? (The book of Isaiah in the Bible.)

Could the man in the chariot understand what he was reading in the Bible or did he need help? (He needed help.)

(Read Acts 8:32-35.)

“This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”

When Philip explained the Bible story to the man, did the man understand? (Yes.)

Who told Philip to help them man understand the Bible story? Look in verse 26 if you don’t remember. (God sent an angel to tell Philip to help him.)

Do you think God wants you to help other people understand about God and Jesus too? (Yes.)

You can help other people learn about God and Jesus just like Philip did. You can help other people learn just like someone helped you learn.

(Read Acts 8:36-40.)

“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?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”

After the man was baptized, where did Philip go? (God teleported him. God made him disappear and show up someplace else to teach other people about God and Jesus.)

God always wants us to go tell more and more people about Jesus. When we’re finished telling one person, we should go try to tell someone else.

Game: Fulfilling Prophecy

Before class, print or write out prophecy clues about Jesus, along with their Scripture reference, on strips of paper and hide them around the room.

Remind students that the eunuch was reading prophecy and that Philip explained how Jesus fulfills the prophecies written in the Old Testament.

When you say, “Go!” kids rush to find the clues you hid and then, put them in order according to book of the Bible.

When they’re finished, explain that all of the statements are prophecies about one person and see if they know who the prophecies are describing.

Prophecies could include:

Will be born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2

Will not have a human father – Isaiah 7:14

Will be a prophet – Deuteronomy 18:15

Will be protected by angels – Psalm 91:10-12

Will ride a donkey into Jerusalem – Zechariah 9:9

Will be rejected by people – Isaiah 53:1-3

Will be betrayed by a friend – Psalm 41:9

Will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver – Zechariah 11:12-13

Will die for other people’s sins – Isaiah 53:8

Will come back from the dead – Psalm 16:10

Game: Disciple Tag

Remind students that after Philip disappeared from talking to the eunuch, he went to tell other people about Jesus.

Choose one student to be It. When they tag someone, that person links hands with them and joins their team. They continue adding people to their team, linking hands with each one until all but one student is part of their chain. That remaining student becomes It for the next round.

Play two or three rounds and then, explain that when we tell people about Jesus, we want them to believe in Jesus too. If they do, they become a Christian and join our team. Then, they help us tell more people about Jesus.

Closing Prayer

Father God, thank You for all the people who help us learn about You. We pray that You’ll help us to be like them and like Philip. Help us to tell other people about You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.