ACTS 12. PERSECUTION AND DELIVERANCE Opposition and persecution were common in the early days of the church. There were religious Jews who openly opposed the name of Jesus and all who were associated with Him. Even though they crucified Him, the number of believers in the Lord Jesus as their Savior and resurrected Christ was increasing daily. The Gospel continued to be preached in Jerusalem, and was spreading and couldn’t be stopped. Tragedy, imprisonment, death – nothing both the Jewish and government leaders did even slowed down the work of God.
The early church didn’t have it easy in any way. Around ten years after the Lord Jesus Christ had died, Herod Agrippa I, Herodias’ brother who had married her uncle Herod Antipas who had been deposed, was appointed the tetrarch of Galilee and surrounding areas. To appease the Jews, he had James the son of Zebedee, put to death by the sword (likely beheaded). When he saw how pleased the Jewish leaders were, he arrested Peter in a strategic move so he could impress the great crowds of Jews who had come to the Passover celebration. He intended to put Peter to death at the end of the Passover and stop the work of God. Any attempts to stop what God starts and intends to keep going will fail.
Peter’s Perilous Condition, v.4-5. “Peter therefore was kept in prison.” Sixteen soldiers were assigned the responsibility of making sure Peter didn’t escape from prison. He had escaped before when the angel of the Lord freed John and him under circumstances that the chief priests couldn’t figure out. There is no question that in himself, Peter was completely helpless and hopeless, and as far as being free from the power of Herod. Those who “believe not” in the Lord Jesus Christ are “condemned already,” which was true of Herod. However, those who believe in Him are not condemned, as was true of Peter. Earthly leaders, no matter how powerful they imagine themselves to be, or how popular they are among the people, cannot put a hand on one who is a servant of the sovereign Lord unless He allows it to happen for His own reasons.
Peter’s Faithful Intercessors, v.5. “Prayer was made without ceasing unto God for him.” When prison doors on earth are closed and barred, that makes no difference whatsoever to the door of the throne of grace. The way into the throne room of the King of kings is open to us who recognize we have access there because of the “blood of Christ.” We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way He has consecrated for us.”
The believers who gathered at the house of Mary, Barnabas’ aunt, were in earnest, fervent, intercessory prayer on behalf of Peter. Perhaps it wasn’t really believing prayer, because they thought Rhoda, the girl who answered the door and said it was Peter, was out of her mind. It is possible for us to limit our perception of answered prayer, to those preconceived results we have in our own minds. God answers our prayers in ways that bring the greatest blessing in the long run to us, and also to bring the greatest glory to God.
Peter’s Peaceful Submission, v.6. “The same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bought with two chains.” Herod had intended that “same night,” to condemn and kill Peter. Yet, Peter was so calm in spirit that he could rest in assurance that the will of God was being done. He was able to sleep with the kind of rest one has who knows that all is well when the God of grace can lead us to lie down in green pastures, or go with us through the valley of the shadow of death. When children of God are confident, they are living and working in the way and place God intends, the rest of good conscience is real, and we can be content with whatever happens.
Peter’s Supernatural Deliverance, v.7. “The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison.” Angels are divinely created beings who have been given powers greater than that of humans. They are able to do great things as they carry out the work of God, and they are also messengers of God. They sometimes appear like humans and speak the language of the person to whom they are speaking. An angel guided Philip to go to meet the Ethiopian eunuch, was the one who struck down Herod when he was exalted to where people called him a god, and it was an angel who liberated Peter from prison.
Soldiers are helpless in the presence of angels. All of the actions and intentions of men are limited to practically nothing compared to the acts and will of God. “As for God, His way is perfect,” and God’s salvation is perfect. The angel of the Lord “came” into that prison cell with the light of divine presence, bringing the Light of life into the prison. God’s servant would have slept through the whole thing if the messenger of God hadn’t struck him on the side to wake him up.
Then there was the call the Spirit of Truth gives; “Arise up quickly!” The chains were left behind; Peter quickly dressed put his shoes on, and followed the angel. When a person is saved, there is a sense of the Spirit of God working to awaken a sinner, calling them to act and turn in repentance to change direction. Then, there is the offer of freedom in Christ. When Peter acted in faith on the word of the angel and the chains fell off of his hands, the bondage of sin was freed from one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Following the One who “sets at liberty the captive” is to be expected, and readiness to serve is expected, as Peter was ready when he dressed and got his shoes on to go into action. When God chooses to allow a servant to be killed like James and another to be miraculously delivered twice, like Peter, all we can say is “The will of the Lord be done,” even though we will not understand why or what God is doing. Our life and prosperity may be assured, or it all may be taken away by God’s sovereign choice. Whatever happens, may catch us off guard even though we have prayed confidently. Our faith will be amazed at the power of God in deliverance from tragedy or tested as to our ability to go through the tragedy and experience triumph at the end.
Peter’s Instant Obedience, v.8. “And he did.” When we are personally conscious that “Salvation is of the Lord,” the wise person of faith doesn’t argue or object. When we trust and obey, deliverance comes even to some “prison” one may be in. A message from God to one’s soul is like a “heavenly vision” to be acted upon without delay or equivocation. We know God hears and answers prayer. We may not know or particularly like the answer one time and be thrilled at the answer another time.
Peter’s Perfect Assurance, v.10-11. “Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath delivered me.” Sometimes, it is beyond our comprehension how or why a result of answered prayer leaves us dumbfounded. We are amazed at the grace and mercy of God. Peter followed the messenger of God in a condition of awe and wonder until the angel suddenly was gone. Then, he realized that God had arranged and carried out his rescue. At first, it seemed beyond actuality, but then, at the end of the street, alone with God, he realized God had worked for him, and now was the time for him to get on with his work for God. When a person is first saved, it seems almost too easy or too profound to understand God’s work of grace for us. But when we are assured from the word of God that we have been delivered, we begin from there and move forward in faith.
Peter’s Joyful Testimony, v.12-17. “He declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.” It is natural for a believer who loves the Lord and His people to seek to be where Christians are and, when they meet together, to be there with them. To share testimonies of God’s faithfulness to us is a way to encourage and strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ. The story of salvation is often a key part of a person’s life and testimony. Some may find it hard to believe in or accept miracles, unusual acts of deliverance, or blessings of which we testify. That’s okay; it is up to them to accept or reject what we know ourselves to be miracles. Just to confess such things have actually happened in our lives is a way we ourselves are blessed by remembering “the hole of the pit from which we have been dug, and the rock from when we have been hewn.
The death of Herod Agrippa 1 shortly after this event gives testimony to the fact that anyone who opposes God and accepts the praise of men as if he were a god will lose to righteous judgment. Whether immediately or at a later time, God’s justice will deal with any person who ignores and rejects Him. While enemies pursue and are determined to stop the work of God, we who serve the Lord and preach His word must continue to fulfill our calling. He is the One who will make His word increase where we are, and He can make it to spread to other places throughout the world.
DEVELOPING WORKERS