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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 12:1-19

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Church on the Move, and we are about to enter the second and biggest section of the book of Acts—the movement of the gospel to the Gentiles through the ministry of the apostle Paul.

We mentioned last time that we first needed to get through two other events: the start of the church in Antioch, and King Herod’s attack on the church in Jerusalem. Last time we looked at Antioch, where we saw the church beginning to spread to the Gentiles. Today we come to Herod.

The Herod event closes up the story of Peter in the book of Acts. Peter has been prominent in the first part of Acts as the apostle to the Jews, but the focus will soon shift to Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. This is all in keeping with Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 regarding the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. (Read Acts 12:1-3 and pray.)

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Have you ever prayed for something and then been surprised when God answered? Sometimes when we pray and God answers, we seem shocked.

In one way, this makes sense. There is a sense in which we should be astounded that the God of the universe hears our individual prayers and personally intervenes. When you add in the fact that we are all sinners and God is holy, it becomes even more astounding. We certainly haven’t earned the right to ask God for anything, and we don’t deserve God’s gracious intervention in our lives.

But there’s another sense in which we should never be surprised when God answers prayer, as this demonstrates a lack of faith on our part. This was a lesson the early Christians in Jerusalem needed to learn, and God teaches us this lesson through a story that is part adventure but also humorous at the same time. I like that! Life with God and answered prayer is a great adventure. At the same time, we should be able to laugh at ourselves, even as we find ourselves laughing at (or hopefully with) our fellow believers here in this story in Acts.

I like to call this story “The Great Escape.” We have already seen one great escape earlier in Acts. That was Saul’s great escape when the believers lowered Saul over the wall in a basket to escape those who wanted to kill him. But this one is even better, because God intervenes in a special way.

This was an impossible situation with insurmountable obstacles and no human solutions available. There was nothing left to do but pray, and that’s when God does his very best work in your life and mine. So, now let’s look at Peter’s great escape.

I. Herod’s persecution (1-5)

The story begins with King Herod initiating a second wave of persecution against the believers in Jerusalem. There are several King Herods in the Bible. This was the Herod known as Herod Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus at his birth. He was also the nephew of Herod Antipas, who joined forces with Pontius Pilate when they put Jesus on trial, leading to his crucifixion.

   A. James executed (1-2)

The story begins when Herod arrests James and has him put to death with the sword. Look at verses 1-2 with me now:

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. (Acts 12:1-2)

There are two important men named James in the New Testament. There is James the apostle and James the brother of Jesus. This is James the apostle, the brother of John. He was one of the three main apostles—Peter, James and John. These men formed an inner circle among the twelve apostles and shared in various experiences with Jesus that none of the other apostles did.

Unfortunately, James got caught up in the new wave of persecution—this time from Herod instead of the Jewish leaders. We have seen persecution come in waves throughout the book of Acts. There is a period of persecution, followed by a period of peace, followed by a new time of persecution. This teaches us not to get too comfortable during the times of peace, but also not to despair during the times of persecution.

Herod had James put to death by the sword, which means James was beheaded, similar to John the Baptist in the gospels. James was the first of the apostles martyred for their faith, but he was not the last. Others would follow.

Remember, the Jewish leaders seemed to leave the apostles alone at first, focusing their persecution on the general followers of Jesus. But now Herod steps in. Herod’s job was to keep the peace in his part of the Roman Empire, and that meant stamping out minority movements before they had the chance to grow big. But as we’ll see later, he picked the wrong fight when he decided to persecute Christians.

   B. Peter arrested (3-5)

Herod executed James. Next, he had Peter arrested. Look at verses 3-5:

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. (Acts 12:3-5)

Here we learn Herod’s motivation. When he saw that killing James pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter next. It was the Passover, and Herod planned to bring him out for a public trial right after Passover ended.

He made sure Peter was well-guarded with four squads of four soldiers each watching over him. Perhaps he had heard about the apostles’ earlier escapes from prison. Either way, Herod is taking no chances. However, he can’t try Peter until after the Passover, so this buys Peter some time. Once again, God’s timing is always good. God’s timing is always right. God is always in control.

Peter was in grave danger here. James had just been executed, and Peter was next in line. He was not going to get a fair trial. Herod was out to please the people. They liked what happened with James, so Herod was not about to give Peter a pass. Peter is locked up in prison and heavily guarded with a death sentence hanging over his head—literally, if Herod intended to behead him as he did with James.

Peter is in prison, and the church is earnestly praying. It’s a beautiful picture of the church at work in prayer. Praying for each other is an essential part of what we do as a church.

II. The angel’s rescue (6-11)

Next, we move from Herod’s persecution to the angel’s rescue. This was a hopeless situation for Peter, except for one little detail. The church was praying for him. When you have God and prayer in the mix, there is always hope for your situation.

   A. An angel in the cell (6-7)

That hope comes to fruition for Peter with the appearance of an angel. Look at verses 6-7:

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. (Acts 12:6-7)

Don’t miss the connection between the church praying and the angel appearing, because even the church did at first. The angel appearing in verse seven is a direct result of the church praying in verse five. As Thomas Watson wrote, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.”

It was the night before the trial, when Peter would likely be sentenced to death, and what was Peter doing? He was sleeping. Would you be sleeping? This reminds me of Jesus sleeping in the boat in the midst of the storm, safe and secure in God’s hands. Isaiah 26:3 says: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” We read in Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7). Psalm 127 says God gives his loved ones sleep (Ps. 127:2). No matter how pressing the problem, no matter how desperate your situation, no matter how immediate the deadline, when your trust is in God, you can sleep in peace. Why? Because God’s got this. He’s got you. You can trust him.

Peter was sleeping, but not the guards. There were four squads of four soldiers each, so they would be working a rotation to stay awake at all times. Here’s this situation. Peter is bound with chains to the two soldiers on either side of him. There are wide-awake sentries standing guard at the entrance to his cell. There are other sets of guards posted down the corridors. There is a locked iron gate blocking the exit. There is no chance of a rescue here without some kind of a miracle.

And that’s when the angel appears. The church is praying, Peter is sleeping, and God is working. A light shines in the dark cell. The angel pokes Peter (I like that detail) and wakes him up. Peter’s chains fall off.

Notice there is no mention of the guards. After all the buildup, they are completely ignored at this point. It’s almost as if they aren’t even there, which is the whole point. The guards were never an obstacle to God rescuing Peter. Don’t let appearances fool you. As Christians, we walk by faith, not by sight.

   B. A dream-like sequence (8-10)

Next, we enter a dream-like sequence as the angel proceeds to rescue Peter. As you read the next verses, imagine you are a film director. How would you film these verses in order to bring out the dream-like feeling throughout the scene? Look at verses 8-10:

Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. (Acts 12:8-10)

The angel tells Peter to get dressed, and then he leads him out of the prison. Peter doesn’t even know this is actually happening. He thinks he is dreaming or having some sort of vision. They walk right past the first and second set of guards. When they come to the iron gate blocking their exit, the gate opens for them by itself. They go through the gate, walk down the street, and then the angel leaves Peter just as suddenly as he appeared.

   C. Full realization (11)

That’s when Peter comes out of his dreamlike state and realizes everything that just happened really happened. Look at verse 11:

Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” (Acts 12:11)

Peter snaps out of this dreamlike state and finds himself standing in the street. It really happened. God sent his angel and rescued him. He is a free man.

When God comes through for you in a big way, it can often feel like a dream. The Jewish exiles in the Old Testament felt that way when God returned them to Jerusalem. We read in Psalm 126: “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Ps. 126:1-3).

When God first brought me back to this church in 2012, it felt like a dream. We had been gone eight years, and it didn’t seem possible that we would end up back at Plantation Community Church. But God closed the door at every church where we applied for three years, so that we would be available at the right time. He planted us a mile and a half down the road a whole year before the pastor position even became open. When we first came back, I remember walking through the hallways of the church after all those years, and it really did feel like a dream.

God is amazing. We don’t understand all that he is doing behind the scenes. It might seem like a long time waiting, but then God moves, and we come to the full realization that he was working all the time.

III. The church’s response (12-17)

We’ve seen Herod’s persecution and the angel’s rescue. Next, let’s look at the church’s response.

   A. Fervent prayer (5,12)

As we saw earlier, the church’s first response to Peter’s arrest was fervent prayer. Look at verse 12:

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. (Acts 12:12)

Peter goes to Mary’s house where everyone is praying. This is Mary the mother of John Mark. That’s the same Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. It’s the middle of the night, and you have a large group of people praying earnestly for Peter and his release. Now that’s fervent prayer!

   B. Excitement and joy (13-14)

Their next response was excitement and joy—well, at least on the part of one of the people praying. Look at verses 13-14:

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!” (Acts 12:13-14)

This is such a fun part of the story. The servant girl, Rhoda, hears Peter knocking and goes to answer the door. She recognizes his voice, and she is so excited that she forgets to open the door. She just leaves Peter standing there in the middle of the night and runs back to tell the others.

I love that God chose to give us Rhoda’s name. Not everyone gets their name in the Bible, but we will always remember Rhoda, who was so excited that she left Peter knocking at the door.

   C. Astonishment and disbelief (15-17)

But it gets even better. When she goes back to tell the others, they don’t believe her! Look at verses 15-17:

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. (Acts 12:15-17)

Rhoda tells them Peter is at the door, and they don’t believe her. “What? Peter’s outside? You’re crazy! Peter’s in prison. Now stop interrupting us. We’re busy praying for God to rescue him!”

Meanwhile, the person at the door keeps knocking, and when they finally open the door, there’s Peter. They are astonished—astonished that God answered their prayer. It’s a funny story, but don’t be too hard on the people here, because we often do the same thing. We pray for something, God answers, and then we say, “I can’t believe God answered my prayer!”

They must have been making a lot of noise, too, because Peter motions for them to be quiet. “Sshhhh! Do you want to wake up Herod?” He tells them how God sent the angel to rescue him. He gives them instructions to tell James and the other believers. (This would be James the brother of Jesus. Remember James the apostle had already been killed.) And then Peter leaves for another place.

What a great story! Peter was in danger. The church gathered to pray. God heard their prayers and rescued him.

IV. Herod’s response (18-19)

So that was the church’s response. What was Herod’s response to all this? Look at verses 18-19:

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. (Acts 12:18-19)

There is a huge commotion in the morning as everyone is trying to figure out what happened to Peter. Herod makes a full search for him, but they can’t find him anywhere. He cross-examines the guards. They can’t give him a straight answer, so he gives orders that they be executed instead.

This reminds me of Darth Vader in Star Wars. Each time one of his commanders messed up, Vader would execute them on the spot and then say to the next in line: “Congratulations. You’ve just been promoted!” Usually, that’s good news, but the next commander would look particularly nervous under the circumstances.

Back to the guards, this was common practice in those days. If a guard let a prisoner under his watch escape, he would be subject to the same punishment as the prisoner. The fact that these guards were executed shows that Herod had planned to execute Peter, just as he did with the apostle James earlier.

V. God’s response (next week!)

We’ve seen the church’s response to Peter’s rescue. We’ve seen Herod’s response to Peter’s escape. So, what was God’s response to Herod? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out!

CONCLUSION: In closing, what should our response be to all this? We shouldn’t be surprised when God answers prayer. God hears the prayers of his people, and he has promised to answer our prayers when we come to him through Jesus his Son. God tells you to ask and receive in Jesus’ name so that your joy may be full.

We need to grow in this whole area of faith and expectation when it comes to prayer. God has promised to give good things to his children. When we pray in Jesus’ name and according to God’s will, we should never be surprised when God answers.

As the old saying goes, when you pray for rain, bring an umbrella! Don’t be surprised when God answers prayer. Instead, be thankful! And give God all the glory, honor and praise.

© Ray Fowler

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