Hard Times

Through out the time of the early chruch we have seen them have problems and we have seen the power of God move in mighty ways.

However here in chapter 12 we see a more stronger group begin to take issue with this group of Young Christians and it is the government its self.

Herod The Man (v 1)

To understand the persecution cited in this text, we need to understand what King Herod was like.

His father, Aristobulus, had been murdered by his own father, Herod the Great, the ruler who had ordered the slaughter of innocent babies at Christ’s birth.

After the death of Aristobulus, the Herod of Acts 12 was sent to Rome to be educated, and there he grew up as a close friend of the imperial family.

He was something of a playboy, and in A.D. 23 he fled to Palestine to escape his creditors.

In Palestine he lived in humility and poverty under his uncle, Herod Antipas.

Upon his return to Rome, he was imprisoned by the Emperor Tiberius for some critical remarks he had made.

His life had hit bottom. But then Tiberius died, and Herod’s childhood friend, Caligula, came to power—not only freeing him from prison, but giving him a gold chain weighing as much as his iron fetters in prison.

Soon Herod was named ruler of some Palestinian provinces. When another childhood friend, Claudius, succeeded Caligula, Herod became ruler of Judea and Samaria.

Murder and intrigue had been the currency of his entire life.

Herod was preeminently a politician.

When he was with the Romans, he did as the Romans did.

Though he was Jewish only by race and not by conviction, when he was with the Jews he acted like a Jew. T

He would do anything to maintain his popularity with the Jewish people.

However, he saw Jewish Christians as divisive and believed their activities would disturb the people.

The Murder of James (v 2)

James was executed with the sword because, according to The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 9:1), the sword had to be used for murderers and apostates.

This action endeared Herod even further with the Jews.

James, the Apostle John’s brother, was dead, and Peter was in prison, destined for the same end.

God’s people appeared utterly powerless in this grim situation.

This must have been especially difficult for the Apostle John.

As we see in the Gospels, he and James were always together.

Now with the sudden word of a mad ruler, James was gone.

That must have shaken John terribly.

And the church was certainly in shock as well.

The believers had not expected this to happen to one of their leaders.

The Arrest of Peter (vv 3-5)

The authorities imprisoned Peter too.

As soon as the Feast of Unleavened Bread was over (executions were not permitted during the Passover), there would undoubtedly be a mock trial and Peter would join James in death!

The beleaguered Jerusalem church seemed overwhelmed and helpless.

There was nothing they could do.

Their despair undoubtedly moved to even darker levels because it was Passover week, the same week Christ had been earlier murdered.

Grim associations inevitably flooded their minds.

Their apparent weakness was underlined by the fact that all they could do was pray (v. 5).

Sometimes Christians today feel the same way about situations they face

—cancer in a loved one,

unemployment and an inability to find a good job,

trying to turn a straying son or daughter back to the Lord,

seeking to reverse the tides of evil in our land (abortion, murder, open immorality).

Does anything look more ridiculous to oppressors than a ragtag, group of believers praying for God’s help in the midst of oppressive darkness?

To those outside the family of God, this is terminal weakness.

Nevertheless, God’s people continued to pray—and rightly so! “The church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

The Greek word translated “earnestly” comes originally from a word that means “to stretch” or “to strain.”

What fools they were, their opponents thought, to pray about the situation.

After all, Herod’s power was irresistible.

The axe had fallen once, and it would fall on the helpless neck of another of their leaders.

Who were God’s people to dare to believe anyone or anything could help them now?