Day 1124: Light in the dungeon - Acts 12 vs 1 - 11

1-3 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

6-7 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8-9 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” Acts 12:1-11 English Standard Bible

John Gill says in his exposition of this chapter that the Herod referred to here was not Herod the Great who slaughtered the infants at Bethlehem, nor was it Herod Antipas who beheaded John. Rather, he was one called Herod Agrippa. It's likely that this event took place around 43 – 44AD. Herod had been given power in the region and was keen to be accepted by the Jews. Verses 1-3 show the terrible lengths he went to in order to do this, by having James, the brother of John, killed with a sword. James had been told by Christ that he would “drink of the cup that He was to drink of.” (Matthew 20:23.) And so it came to pass.

James’ martydom isn't recorded by Luke with the same detail as the martydom of Stephen. In fact, the death of no other apostle is mentioned in the Bible, but we know from Church history that they were all martyred. And so Herod's attention turned to Peter. What did the Church do when Peter was arrested? (vs 5)

They lifted up earnest prayer to God. Notice that they did not riot in the streets, or demand their rights. They prayed fervently that God would intervene. And intervene is what God did. On the very night before Herod would bring Peter out, Peter was asleep. He'd slept before when Christ had asked him to watch and pray. But this was the sleep rather of a man at peace with God. He did not fear what man could do to him. I wonder if Charles Wesley had this in mind for his famous hymn 'And can it be'. He wrote: “Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee.”

And so Peter rose, wrapped his cloak around him, and followed the angel. And when they came to the iron gate, it opened for them of it's own accord. God was way ahead of today's supermarket stores! But having helped Peter to do what he could not do, the angel then left. And Peter said to himself: “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” See God's providence here. James was taken, but Peter still had work to do.