James Death, Peter's Freedom. Acts 12:11-19

Truth: Amanda

Acts 12:1–5 ESV

1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 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.

Prayer

Introduction

Good Morning church and thank you for being here with us as we worship Jesus Christ this morning. I hope you’ve had a great morning so far with pancakes, fellowship, bible study, and signing as we turn to our time in the word this morning. Amanda shared with us we are starting in chapter 12 this morning as we talk about the pendulum swinging the other way again. It almost feels like plays and counterplays. Everytime God does a work among the people to build up the church and rescue those who were lost, a new threat or obstacle rises up to oppose that work and seek to crush that momentum.

Tension

And if we are honest we feel the angst in that as well, don’t we? We’ve all heard the axiom that bad news comes in threes? Or how about this one, you take one step forward and (2 steps back). Every silver lining has a cloud. What goes up must come down. bad new travels fast, but good news takes the scenic route. and the old trope that fills all our stories, movies, and tv shows where the guy comes out to tell the detectives, “Well I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news, which one do you want first?”

In the light of the revival among the gentiles going on in Antioch, we see the Jewish rulers stepping up their game and turning up the temperature. Today we start chapter 12 in verse 1.

Exposition

Acts 12:1–19 ESV

1About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

Dr. Luke here, in his goal of outlining the history of the early church starts by juxtiposing the beauty of the moment that was happening at Antioch and God’s movement among the gentiles with the rejection of the messiah by the Jews. contrast the love of the church at Antioch for the saints at Jerusalem with the coldhearted enmity of Herod and the Jews for the church and you start to see that while gentiles hearts are being opened, many of the Jews have close theirs.

At the head of this inquisition is Herod the King. This Herod named here is Agrippa the First the grandson of Herod the Great who sought to have infant Jesus murdered by way of the wisemen and the edict that all male babies of a certain age should be killed, sending Mary, Joseph, and Jesus into Egypt. Herod the great had Agrippa’s daddy, His son Aristobulus killed for fears that he would try to take his throne. Upon doing that he sent young agrippa to Rome with his mother to be educated with the higher ups there. This networking in Rome did help him as he was eventually given rule over his grandfather’s kingdom and in 37a.d., emperor Caligula gave him the title of king and made him ruler over the territories former ruled by his uncle Philip. In 39a.d. Caligula extended to him rule over Galilee and Perea as well. And in 41 ad, his former schoolmate Claudius became emperor and gave to him rule of Judea and Samaria.

This created a bit of an issue with Harod Agrippa. He was well aware that his power came from his relationship to Rome and not the Jews. He also knew that much of the influence was tied to his relationship with Caligula, who was very much an unpopular Emperor with Rome; a point that was made clear when members of his Pretorian guard and the Senate assassinated him. Because of this he knew that while his reign over the Jews was of Roman origin, he needed to win the people to seem legitimate. As such, history tells us that Agrippa took a political policy of doing anything that would make him popular with the Jews. This explains his violent policy of Christians and vs 2.

Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 384.

Acts 12:1–19 ESV

2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 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 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.

He has James, brother of John, one of the apostles, and the son of Zebedee seized and killed. Notice the brief nature of this event by Luke, who didn’t want to dwell on this tragedy as much as he wanted to emphasize what God did with Peter. The Roman “death by the sword” was done by beheading but the Jews saw this as a desecration of the body and preferred to see the person ran through. We don’t know for sure the manner but the result is the same. Stephen and now James, and Peter well on his way along side them both.

We are told that Peter was captured during the days of Unleavened bread. Passover would take place then be followed by 7 days of eating unlaevened bread. The term passover was used to describe that entire period of time in Jewish calendar. And Agrippa being smart as he was knew that to have Peter tired and no doubt killed would have been seen as desecration. So, he elected to keep him on ice until the end of the festival. No doubt informed by the Sandhedrin about the slippery nature of trying to imprison Peter, he has him guarded by 16 soldiers and chains him in between 2 of them to prevent escape. This was overkill as Roman practice would change out guards every 3 hours for fresh eyes over the 12 hour night shift. He would take no chances. And so the drama intensifies as the night before Peter’s trial is set to begin. yet, Peter aware of all that is at stake, is somehow about to sleep in the circumstances, perhaps aware of what his captors are not: that he is soundly in the hand’s of God.

But the Sanhedrin had left some important details out of their reports about Peter’s escape. Apearently, if God’s got your back it doesn’t matter how many soldiers you are chained too.

Acts 12:1–19 ESV

7 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 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 around you and follow me.” 9 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.”

Peter, still dazed by the event is handheld through the entire ordeal. Get dressed, put on your shoes, put on your cloak, like a elementary student getting ready for school, mom has to help them with everything which further proves that this was not Peter’s escape as much as it was total deliverance by God. Every obstacle and every threat was nullified and pacified by God, perhaps by a deep sleep, perhaps they were made not to see what was happening but as the suspense escalated from will he make it out of prison to will he make it out of town, God again proves He’s bigger than prison bars, guards, and city gates.

And friends, I think its pertinant for us to ponder back upon our theological understanding of God’s provision and sufficiency in our lives. How big is your God? How great is is power? How mighty is his manner and how deep does his love for you go?

I’ll give you two questions for your heart to marinate upon. Despite all the roadblocks and all the impossibilities God rescued Peter. Given this power and God’s obvious will in this matter, we can also see that God could have done this for James the brother of John if He so willed it too. Yet James was killed and Peter saved. Why? Why one and not the other? Why does God allow such miracles in the same time as he allows such tragedy?

“Wow, Juston, couldn’t you have just jumped over this and talked about the cool thing that happened for Peter?”

Well friends, can we just be real for a moment. This is an awesome miracle in Peter’s life. No one would say otherwise. It’s amazing. I can even make sense of it. God wasn’t done with Peter yet, he still had a part to play. God, in His sovereignty had already told Peter how he would die and it was not the ordained time as of yet.

This took place as the disciples met Jesus after his resurection and Jesus made them breakfast on the beach. He turns to Peter and asks him 3 times if he (Peter) loves HIm (Jesus). Ironically He asks Peter this 3 times to reinforce the shame He wished to free Peter from. Peter had denied even knowing Christ 3x and now Jesus was here to mend his shame-filled heart and bring him into grace and purpose. Right after that in John 21 Jesus discusses the death that Peter would die to glorify God.

God knows the folds and stretches of history.

God ordains the days by His will and according to His purposes.

Take a quick listen to this truth as it is relayed by King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Here, live is laid out in a series of seasons that all have their time and purpose. Building upon this idea we add Psalm 90:12-17

Psalm 90:12–17 ESV

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

The Psalmist records a prayer of Moses here that positions us around God’s authority and power. Our days are numbered by Him and it is wise for us to both understand and seek to number them ourselves. Treat each day as one that is a gift and as verse 17 encourages us, to let God establish the work we should commit ourselves too with the days we have. None of us is guarentied a tomorow, but the word does guarentee us that we will one day stand before God to sit in account for how we spent our time and our life.

So, again,

God knows the folds and stretches of history.

God ordains the days by His will and according to His purposes.

I, while I don’t know how many days I have, have an obligation to use my time to honor God until my time is up.

Following Jesus faithfully does not nullify you or I from pain, death, or suffering. In fact, for the disciples it all but guarenteed it.

Putting all of this together for the application of these theological truths in my life, I can understand that God’s race was closed for James. He had ran his race and does so successfully despite the tragedy that befell him. In that same way Peter’s race was still being ran and God still had work for him ahead. It didn’t mean James did something wrong. It didn’t mean Peter was more faithful. It didn’t mean Peter was just better. It was God’s plan pure and simple. And it leads us to one of the greatest truths that we’ve still not touched.

death is not the end for the Christian! Death doesn’t mean you lost it means you won! James crossed the finish line first! When your measuring stick is eternity the reality we don’t fully grasp is that you will spend so much more time dead in your life than you did alive in it.

LRA: Rope timeline

Make no mistake for the follower of Christ your life starts as belief and never ends, even when they kill you.

Aside over, continuing on.

Peter’s rescue culminates in one of the funniest epilogues in the entire Bible. Let’s read together.

Acts 12:1–19 ESV

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The beleivers had gathered to pray fervently for Peter at John Mark’s mother’s house. Peter, knowing the place to be friendly and likely that the brother’s would be there went there and knocked on the gate to start a hilarious episode as they all try to guess who it could be that sounded so much like Peter. Could it be him or not or was it probably His ghost. And while they bicker back and forth over who it could be Peter is left out in the night, forgotten about.

Peter relays to them all that had happened and is off to his next place.

Meanwhile 18 and 19 tell us that while this encounter had great freedom for Peter it ended up costing all of the guards their lives for allowing him to escape. Further solidifying that this event was real and not a fabrication. If it were you wouldn’t kill those you thought responsible for a breakout that didn’t occur.

Landing

So what should we walk away from today’s message with today?

I see a real picture here of the good news bad news interplay. I does seem to be the case that while God was doing his great work in growing the early church the enemies of that movement were not skipping leg day. They were still very much at work. They were still out in force. And we too need to remind ourselves that we have an enemy who is out to oppose us and the work of God in the world. The word tells us that Satan, the tempter, the thief, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. God’s will is that not any should perish but that all would find eternal life and Satan wants the opposite. We do have an enemy but notice that while he may bruise the heel he gets his head crushed. The persecution took place and the church lost James but God busted Peter out of prison miraculously. Even though opponents try to snuff out God’s work and the truth of the gospel God always makes a way where there seems to be no way.

I also notice here that there is a sort of whole side story you could tell about the miscalculations and nothingness of Herod Agrippa I. Of all the things we talked about about his life, his calculations, his power, the politics, the moves and counter-moves to gain and keep power, today he stands as a footnote to history. If you lived in that day, in that time, everyone would have known the name of Herod, of Agrippa the First. They would know who was in charge and who was in power. No one would have known the name Peter. Yet today, some 2000 years later, no one knows the name Agrippa hardly at all and only know enough of Herod to get him confused with other “Herods”. Yet we all know the name of Peter, of Paul, and of James. In the light of eternity Herod and what he thought was his power and prestique is but a flicker in a burning out light bulb. God’s word, his kingdom, his power, and his plan might seems small or threatened in the moment but that is only because our sample size is too small. When we take a longitudinal view of history we see how He was always moving and making a way.

AS we think on this, in what places in your life have you waved the white flag declaring the battle to be unwinable? What places have you given up on? In what areas have you stopped seeking the Lord? Stopped praying? Relented? What would it look like for you to reconsecrate yourself for His glory? How could He be, even now, calling you to number your days and hand them over to Him? How do you want to spend the rest of your days, the rest of your rope?