Many are familiar with the story of the Apostle Peter being arrested and thrown into jail. We delight in the miraculous intervention by God to set him free:
[That night] Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Other soldiers were guarding the door of the jail. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shined in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Hurry! Get up!” the angel said. And the chains fell off Peter’s hands. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And Peter did. Then the angel said, “Put on your coat and follow me.” So Peter followed him out, but he did not know if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he might be seeing a vision. They went past the first and second guards and came to the iron gate that separated them from the city. The gate opened by itself for them, and they went through it. When they had walked down one street, the angel suddenly left him.[Acts 12:6-10]
[All quotes are from Acts 12 in the NCV]
I don't know about you, but I giggle as I read this! What an experience! Poor
Peter wasn't even sure it was happening!
Of course, most of you will remember that this miraculous escape was brought
about - at least partly - due to the prayers of Peter's friends and family!
[Immediately]
...he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. Many
people were gathered there, praying. Peter knocked on the outside
door, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. When she
recognized Peter’s voice, she was so happy she forgot to open the door.
Instead, she ran inside and told the group, “Peter is at the door!”
They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she kept on saying it was
true, so they said, “It must be Peter’s angel.”
Peter continued to knock, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were
amazed. Peter made a sign with his hand to tell them to be quiet. He explained
how the Lord led him out of the jail, and he said, “Tell James and the other
believers what happened.” Then he left to go to another place. [vs.13-17]
Now, I'm more than giggling - I'm full-blown laughing! This is hilarious! It doesn't say much for Rhoda's faith! She's been praying for his release, but when he shows up at the door, she can't believe her eyes!
[For those who might wonder about the James mentioned by Peter: Since the Apostle James had been killed, we can assume that this James is the brother of Jesus. This James gave us the Book of James in our New Testament! He also became a prominent leader in the New Testament Church (See the first NT Council recorded in Acts 15.]
BACKSTORY!
But to gain a full and rich appreciation for this historical event, we must go back to the first verses in this chapter.
This new church has been growing in numbers and influence since Pentecost! So much so, that it has caught the attention of King Herod! He became SO UPSET about this spiritual uprising, that he “began to mistreat some who belonged to the church.” [Eventually] “…He ordered James, the [Apostle] brother of John, to be killed by the sword. [vs.1-2]
There’s little good that can be said about Herod!
The King Herod in Acts 12 is actually King Herod Agrippa I – grandson of Herod the Great! He is a ruthless ruler who has no regard for God or human life. Notice that he has the guards at the prison killed for allowing this miraculous escape by Peter and the angel! He also kills several family members whom he suspected of trying to undermine his ruler ship.
When Herod saw that some of the people liked this [James’ death], he decided to arrest Peter, too. (This happened during the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) [v.3] Those who were pleased were probably Pharisees whom Herod viewed with some fear. Pleasing them would be a wise political move for Herod!
It is crystal clear that Peter’s life was in real peril. Without a divine intervention, it would have been highly likely that Peter would have been killed during this feast!
A SURPRISE ENDING!
This same chapter continues by telling us of a day [not very long after Peter’s escape] when Herod celebrated a political victory after negotiating a peace arrangement with the people of Tyre and Sidon.
On a chosen day Herod
put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to the people.
They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not a human!” Because Herod did not
give the glory to God, an angel of the Lord immediately caused him to become
sick, and he was eaten by worms and died. [vs.21-23]
THE END RESULT
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