Portraits of a Resurrection People: The Ethiopian Eunuch

Group Discussion Guide

Summary

As we continue our Portraits of a Resurrection People series, we explore the story of the Ethiopian eunuch—a person of wealth, power, and access, yet marked by deep exclusion. His encounter with Philip on a wilderness road reminds us that the resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical event but the beginning of a radically inclusive new reality. Through the eunuch’s story, we see how God is always making a way for those on the margins to belong, to be baptized, and to rejoice.

This text invites us to imagine the world differently—to see with resurrection eyes. It challenges us to recognize the barriers we create and asks whether we believe that nothing can prevent someone from fully belonging in the household of God.

Opening Question

• Have you ever been in a space where you felt like you truly belonged? What made it feel that way?

• Conversely, have you ever felt on the outside looking in? What barriers were present?

Scripture Reading

Read Acts 8:26–39 aloud together.

Reflection Questions

1. The Wilderness Road

• Why do you think God sends Philip to a wilderness road? What might this say about how and where God works?

• Have you ever had a surprising or unexpected encounter that felt divinely orchestrated?

2. The Ethiopian Eunuch's Identity

• The eunuch holds both power and exclusion. What does this tension reveal about how society (then and now) defines belonging?

• How do you imagine the eunuch felt reading Isaiah? Why might the passage from Isaiah 53 resonate so deeply with him?

3. Encountering Scripture and Jesus

• Philip asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” and the eunuch replies, “How can I unless someone guides me?”

  • What does this exchange teach us about spiritual curiosity, humility, and community?

  • What role has another person played in helping you understand your faith or Scripture more deeply?

4. Barriers and Belonging

• The eunuch asks, “What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

  • What might that question reveal about his past experiences with exclusion or rejection?

  • Are there people today who might be asking the same question? What barriers—real or perceived—might still exist?

5. Resurrection Imagination

• What does this story teach us about what it means to be a resurrection people?

• How can we cultivate the same kind of imagination and joy as the eunuch—seeing ourselves and others as fully included in God's story?

Practice Together

Take a few moments of silence to reflect on one person in your life who might feel excluded from belonging. As a group, brainstorm practical ways you can embody hospitality and resurrection hope toward that person or community.

Closing Prayer

God of the wilderness road,
You go ahead of us, preparing surprising encounters and holy moments of belonging.
Thank you for seeing the ones the world tries to forget—
for meeting us in our questions, our wounds, and our hope.
Give us eyes to see like Philip, and a heart to trust like the eunuch.
Unravel the barriers we have built.
May our churches, homes, and hearts be places where everyone can say,
“There is nothing to prevent me from belonging here.”
In the name of Jesus, the one who sees us and saves us—Amen.