Acts 12: Highlights and Discussion

Highlights:

Acts 12:1-4: Herod's persecution of the church. James was killed. Peter is in prison.

Acts 12:5-17: Constant prayers for Peter was offered to God. Peter freed from prison and shows up at the door of some church members who were praying and tells them how the Lord brought him out of prison.

Acts 12:18-19: Herod found out that Peter escaped and the guards were put to death.

Acts 12: 20-24: Herod's death.

Discussion:

"And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison." {Acts 12:6}

I don't know about you, but if I knew that I would be killed the next day, I am not sure that I could sleep the night before. Have you ever tossed and turned in bed, worried or anxious about the next day? Whether it be worries about work, or an important conversation that is to take place, or a major event that is to come. Sometimes, we find ourselves anxious thinking about the future. But, here we find Peter sleeping, who has been in prison all through the feast following the Passover, which lasted seven days (Acts 12:3) and is now about to face his death the next day. Ok, maybe he was closing his eyes and not really sleeping some may think or say. But, if we read closely in the following verse, verse 7, we find that the "angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison." If there was an angel standing next to me and I was just closing my eyes, I think I would realize a light near me. The light shone by that angel was not a dim light, but rather a bright light. But, still Peter did not wake up, the angel had to "struck Peter on the side and raised him up..." {verse 7}.

How could Peter sleep at such a time as this? Could it be that his heart was at peace with the fact that his death was near? Could it be that he had the hope of salvation? I think that Peter had no fear of death because of his assurance in Jesus Christ, our risen savior.

Are you afraid death, my friends? I think, instinctively, as fallen human beings, we are afraid and we are sad when we think about death. Whether it be our own or a family or friend. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us cling onto this scripture text found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

And let us also remember this verse found in Phillippians 4:6-7:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.