Salvation Is Jesus

Acts 12

More Christian Persecution

In Acts Chapter 12 we see the continuing persecution of Christians, driven largely by the jealousy and self-righteousness of the Jews.

Verses 1-5:

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Again we see the dangers presented in being a follower of Jesus Christ. This danger would be senseless if there were many ways to be right with God, but the truth is that God has chosen to use believers in Christ, empowered by His Spirit, to spread the Gospel to all nations even at the risk of persecution and death.

Peter’s Rescue

God answers the prayers of the believers praying for Peter and sends an angel to miraculously free him from prison, right out from under the nose of 16 guards. Next in an almost comical scene, Peter makes it to the house where the believers are praying for him, but when faced with the answer to their prayer, they don’t believe it!

Verses 13-19:

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

We can also see from these verses the common punishment (execution) of guards who fail in their duty to guard their prisoners.  This is one of many strong arguments that support the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. The guards guarding Jesus’ tomb would not have fallen asleep, and if they did, they would have been executed. But in the case of Jesus’ resurrection, the guards were protected by the Jewish leaders

Matthew 28:12-15:

When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Death of Herod and Spread of the Gospel

Acts 12 closes with the death of Herod and the continuing spread of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Herod had just completed some political negotiations which was popular with the public…

Verses 21-25:

On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.