Peter's Providential Predicament
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Big Idea for the Series: In the book of Acts, we see God advancing his Kingdom by his Spirit through his Church.
FCF: God works providentially to expand his kingdom and bring glory to himself, whether through our deliverance, our suffering, or his justice.
Overview of 11:19-30
Last week, we saw in the first part of chapter 11 that the gospel has now expanded to include the Gentiles. Gentiles, who have not converted to Judaism and have not been circumcised, have placed their faith in Christ, received the Holy Spirit, and been baptized. The Church is no longer Jews only, but open to all who believe in Christ.
The persecution that arose at the stoning of Stephen (ch. 6-7) continues and has now forced Jews who believe in the Messiah out of Jerusalem. Some, as we see in v. 19, have traveled northward and westward to Phoenicia (present-day Lebanon), Cyprus (an island about 100 miles off the coast, in the Mediterranean), and Antioch (in Syria), fleeing persecution. Antioch was a massive city of half a million people, the third largest city of its time.
Some believing Jews were only speaking about Christ to other Jews, but some have now been emboldened by the conversion of Cornelius (as we saw last week) to preach the gospel to Gentiles, the “Hellenists.” They have remarkable success, and “a great number” believe and become Christians (v. 21). So, the gospel is now beginning to spread. From this point on, the church is going to become increasingly more and more Gentile, but for now, it’s still predominately Jewish.
Barnabas is sent up to Antioch to confirm the reports and, presumably, to make sure the new churches are off to a good start, and Barnabas recruits Saul to help him with the missionary work (v. 25). It’s at Antioch that believers in Jesus are first called “Christians.” (v. 26)
Some of the prophets in the church at Jerusalem receive a revelation of a pending famine in Judea, so a collection is taken up at Antioch to send relief to the church in Jerusalem. And so, this fledgling church plant in Antioch, full of Gentiles, is now helping to financially support the church at Jerusalem, and Saul is now fully engaged in the mission of the Gospel.
But, the growth and success comes at a cost. As the church expands and grows, it draws the attention of those who want to stamp it out. And nowhere is the persecution as intense as in Jerusalem.
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.
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. 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.”
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.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Prayer
In the title of the sermon, there’s a big theological word, “Providence,” that I’ll probably use a good bit today. Inside the word “Providence,” you’ll probably see a word you recognize— “provide.” So, the doctrine of God’s providence is the doctrine of how God provides, not just for his people, though, but for all of Creation. It entails the way that God provides for your needs, but it also encompasses millions of things that you normally don’t even think of, like how God upholds the creation at this very moment, or how God works all things together for the good of his people. So, I’m going to use this word “providence” a lot today because God’s providence is on full display in this passage, and I want you to understand what I mean by it when I say it.
In this passage, we see the miraculous providence of God in at least three different ways.
God’s providence is displayed in the protection of his people.
God’s providence is displayed in the protection of his people.
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. 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.
Peter is sleeping, awaiting what is sure to be his execution the next day. Just as with his Savior, Peter finds himself in custody at Passover, about to be delivered up for execution to satisfy the bloodthirst of Jewish leaders who hate Jesus and everything he stands for. The situation looks pretty bleak. The church has been praying, but nothing has happened yet. Herod hasn’t changed his mind, and despite the fact that the Jews weren’t authorized to carry out executions, he has already executed James without any consequences. It looks now like Peter will meet the same end.
Herod seems to be aware that they’ve had difficulty keeping these apostles in prison, maybe he’s heard of the previous prison break in Acts 5? So he’s taking no chances. There’s armed guards everywhere, probably 3-4 per squad, with the squads rotating out every three hours throughout the night to keep them alert. Peter is literally sleeping between two armed soldiers. In fact, he’s probably chained to the soldiers. There’s no way to get out without alerting the guards.
And there’s nothing that Peter or anyone in the church can do. There’s no well-hatched plan, no tunnels dug, no guards paid off.
And yet, just when it seems most hopeless, an angel shows up and they just walk out the front door together.
And these armed guards, which no unarmed man could dare hope to overpower, they just stand there completely oblivious to Peter and the angel as they walk out.
Peter’s chains, which must have felt so unbreakable, just fall off his hands (v.7) as if they’re made of silk.
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.
The iron gate that was securely locked and unbreakable just opens itself for them. And it’s all so unbelievable, that Peter himself is in a daze thinking that he’s having a vision or something—this can’t be real. And yet, it is!
And so finally, coming to himself, he heads to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. (This is the first time we meet John Mark. He’ll go on to be an important missionary in the book of Acts. John Mark becomes Peter’s traveling companion and will be the one to document Peter’s account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in the Gospel of Mark.)
And when the servant, Rhoda, answers the door, she’s so shocked to hear Peter’s voice that she forgets to open the gate and let him in and instead runs inside to tell everyone. And none of them believe it at first, which just goes to show how hopeless they thought the situation was. We know that they were praying for Peter, but it seems that they didn’t actually expect him to be rescued.
In God’s providence, he sometimes delivers us when we don’t expect it.
In God’s providence, he sometimes delivers us when we don’t expect it.
Peter wasn’t expecting deliverance.
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.
The Jews weren’t expecting it.
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.”
Rhoda wasn’t expecting deliverance.
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.
The Church wasn’t expecting deliverance.
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.
We serve a God of the unexpected. Some of you have loved ones that are in chains, bound by sin. They’re locked in a fortress of their own making, unreachable, unteachable. It seems like all hope is lost for them. It seems as though their fate is sealed. But we serve a God who breaks chains. We serve a God who opens prison doors. We serve a God who opens blind eyes and softens hard hearts, and we’ve seen it over and over again in Acts.
So don’t lose hope! Peter’s deliverance came after the Church made “earnest prayer for him.” Keep praying! Keep fasting! We serve a God of the unexpected!
But, this does raise an important point...
If God can rescue Peter, God could also have prevented his imprisonment.
If God can rescue Peter, God could also have prevented his imprisonment.
We remember the stories of Jesus, of how when he was about to be stoned he just walked through the crowd and went his way. We remember how he fed the 5,000 and healed the sick and the lame with a word.
Why did God allow Peter to suffer and be imprisoned like this? Why put the church through all of this nerve racking stress?
Ultimately, God does this for the same reason he does all things—
God ordained Peter’s imprisonment for his own glory and the strengthening of his Church.
God ordained Peter’s imprisonment for his own glory and the strengthening of his Church.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah records God’s words to a rebellious Israel. Isaiah has foretold of coming judgement upon Israel for their sins, but he’s also told of God’s mercy and Israel’s coming deliverance. Why all this back and forth? Why does Israel have to suffer first only then to be forgiven and restored? Why not just skip all that messy suffering part? Look at what God says:
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.
In our Bible reading this last week, we read about the plagues of Egypt, and we’re coming up to the Red Sea crossing. And so, as you get to that story, I want you to ask yourself this question: Why did God allow the Israelites to end up backed up against the Red Sea? Why did he wait until the Egyptian army was bearing down upon them to part the Red Sea? Why did he not already part the waters so that the Israelites could just walk through on dry ground? Why did God allow Pharaoh to go on refusing him? There’s a key verse embedded in that story that shows us why:
14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.
16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
God did all of it for his glory. So that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth as the God who protects his people with a pillar of fire from the most powerful army in the world; as the God who parts the sea and lets his people walk through on dry ground; as the God who breaks the chains of his people and leads them out of the prison against all odds.
So, without the army, there’s no need for the parting of the Red Sea. Without the prison, there’s no need for the prison break. So, God delivers us ultimately so that he will be glorified. When God saves the day, he is shown to all to be the God who cannot be defeated, the God who delivers and rescues us.
But that implies another truth. If God is glorified in our deliverance, then it is also true that...
God’s providence is displayed in the perseverance of his people.
God’s providence is displayed in the perseverance of his people.
Peter got deliverance, but James didn’t, and neither did Stephen. They had to persevere through trials and even to the death.
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...
Now, the name “James” in the Greek is actually “Jakobos,” or “Jacob.” And this was an extremely common name in this time, so we need to specify which James. This is not the James who wrote the book in our Bible named “James.” That James, who wrote the book that bears his name, was the brother of Jesus. Jesus’ brother, James, becomes a very prominent church leader in Jerusalem, and we’ll hear more about him in later chapters, and in the book he wrote.
This James is the brother of John, son of Zebedee. These two—James and John—were the ones Jesus called the “Sons of thunder.” And it’s this James that is executed by King Herod Agrippa. (And this is not the same Herod who was Herod when Jesus was born, nor the same Herod that was ruling when Jesus was crucified.)
Now, the brief attention that is given to his execution—just a few words in v. 2—makes it seem like he’s not a significant person. But, James wasn’t a minor or insignificant figure in the early church. He was one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. He was one of three—Peter, James, and John—that got to witness Jesus’ transfiguration.
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
The murder of Stephen, the deacon, was bad enough. But now, with the execution of James, one of Jesus’ top three disciples, it’s becoming more and more clear...
Obedience to God does not guarantee physical safety.
Obedience to God does not guarantee physical safety.
James is the first apostle to be martyred for Jesus, but he won’t be the last.
In fact, according to church tradition and stories that have been handed down, all of the remaining apostles except for John—James’ brother—were martyred for their faith.
Saul, who later goes by his Greek name, Paul, suffered a great deal during his ministry for the Lord, and eventually was martyred.
There’s a popular notion floating around that if you’re following the Lord, the road will be smooth and easy. But that’s not what Jesus said. He said,
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
And there’s a similar idea that “God will never give you more than you can carry,” which is probably based upon a misinterpretation of I Cor. 10:13. But, Paul said at one point...
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
God does sometimes give us more than we can handle in our own strength, so that we will not rely upon our own strength but upon God. And those times aren’t fun, but they are necessary.
In fact, even Peter, who we see get delivered in this passage, was foretold by Jesus to suffer and die for his faith later.
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
According to Church tradition—this is not recorded in the Bible, so we can’t be 100% sure of its truth—Peter was eventually crucified upside down. That fits with Jesus’ description here in John 21.
But, here in Acts 12, we see this miraculous deliverance of Peter—which we’ll get to in a minute—but James gets no miraculous rescue. Like John the Baptist before him and like Stephen, James pays the ultimate price for his faith.
And we’re not told that there was any jealousy or animosity about that in this passage, but put yourself in their shoes. Imagine that you’re John, and your brother James was just executed for his faith. And then Peter gets thrown in jail, too. And of course, you don’t want Peter to die.
But, at the same, I could imagine feeling conflicted if I were in John’s shoes, or the wife or family of James. God obviously can deliver his people from the clutches of death—he did for Peter, and he arranged a miraculous prison break for all of the Apostles that got arrested in Acts 5 as well. So, why didn’t God spare James?
Sometimes in life we go through gut-wrenching loss. Sometimes we pray and we pray and God says ‘no.’ God does not provide the deliverance we’d hoped for. And then we look over at someone else, a fellow believer, and they seem to be prospering, and God seems to be answering all of their prayers and we get jealous. Maybe it’s financial struggles that you’re going through, or health problems, or you’re dealing with people at work or at school who just don’t seem to like you no matter what you do.
In those moments, it’s tempting to look over at others and envy what they have, envy what God is doing for them and through them. As a matter of fact, in this passage, we see Peter being spared while James is killed. But, it hadn’t been that long ago when, after Jesus told Peter of how he would one day die, Peter had looked around at John and said, “But what about him?!?!”
21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
Why was Peter spared, but not James? Why was John granted a long life and not Peter? The Bible doesn’t ever answer those questions for us. We can see how Peter was used, and we can see how John was used, but certainly God could have used James similarly.
God is glorified when his people value him more than life.
God is glorified when his people value him more than life.
It’s true that God is glorified when he is shown to be the all-powerful deliverer and rescuer. But, he is also shown glorified when his people value him above life itself.
When James was imprisoned, he could have recanted and that would have almost definitely resulted in his freedom. But he refused to recant and deny Christ, even when it would cost him his life. And when God’s people do that, when they stand for Christ even when it means the ultimate price, that shows God is worthy, it glorifies him in a way that nothing else can do.
In Revelation, look at what is said of those who have been martyred for the faith:
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
See, worship means to “ascribe worth” to something or someone. How do we ascribe worth to something? By what we’re willing to give in exchange for it. If we value money, we will give up our time and energy for it. If we value family, we will give up money and time and energy for them.
If God is, as we say he is, worthy of everything, worthy of our all, then when we pay the ultimate price for him, we show the world around us that God is worth more than even life itself.
Does this make God evil? If God allows his people to suffer so that he can be glorified, does that mean God is evil? If a human did that, then we’d say yes. So, why is it different with God?
Think of who God is and what he is like. God is good, God is loving, God is holy, righteous, the epitome of good and truth. The problem with the world is that it is filled with people who are not those things. The problem with the world is that it is filled with people who are pursuing, chasing after—VALUING and GLORIFYING—things that are evil, bad, and rotten.
If that is the case, then the best thing for this world is to be shown a vision of God, to be shown that God is worth trading all those lesser things for. See, we are naturally drawn to that which we worship.
We become what we worship.
To put it differently, imagine a world where everyone fully glorified God, where everyone agreed that God was good, holy, loving, compassionate, and supreme. That would be a world in which people would be good, people would be holy, people would be loving, people would be compassionate.
A world in which God was glorified more than life itself, my friends, would be a world without suffering. It would be, literally, heaven. If everyone was willing to give up their life for Christ, then no one would have to.
So, is God evil for allowing his people to suffer so that he might be glorified? NO! Because God’s glory is the best gift he could give to his creation!
And there is coming a day when the world will be transformed to that image. A day when God will be supremely glorified and people will be transformed into his image.
Because God will execute judgement upon those who refuse to glorify him and instead seek to glorify themselves, glorify evil and wrongdoing.
God’s providence is displayed in his punishment of the wicked.
God’s providence is displayed in his punishment of the wicked.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
Josephus actually records an expanded account of this story of Herod.
It seems that Herod was throwing a festival honoring Caesar at Caesarea.
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 8: What Other Acts Were Done by Agrippa until His Death; and after What Manner He Died
On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him...
and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.”
Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery...A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, “I whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death...When he said this, his pain was become violent.
...And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign...
Of course, we don’t need extrabiblical verification of what the Bible says, but I think it’s pretty neat when we get it.
And Josephus’ testimony makes it evident that even non-Christians could readily see that Herod’s death was directly carried out by the hand of God as a punishment for his arrogance.
Herod thought he was untouchable. He executed James with impunity, and he would have executed Peter. But God always gets the final say.
We’re reminded of God’s words to Pharaoh,
16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
Herod preyed upon God’s people in order to gain favor and reputation with the Jewish leaders, and he exalted himself against God. So, God executed judgment upon him.
For decades, our brothers and sisters in Iran have suffered at the hands of evil Islamist dictators and terrorists. They’ve been imprisoned, tortured, and murdered for their faith. The Ayatollah boasted of his power and thought himself untouchable. But he was not. And who can look at this and conclude anything but that the hand of the Lord has done this?
Whether you’re for or against the war in Iran is not the point here. The point is simply that God will execute justice upon his enemies, whether by the hand of an angel or by a bomb from their geopolitical enemies.
Of course, we pray for the conversion of those who don’t know the Lord. That’s why we’re praying and fasting this month, because we want to see those in our lives that don’t know the Lord come to know him and experience the grace and mercy that he offers. And we pray for those who, like Paul, carried out persecution on believers.
We know that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
But, we also know that, in the end, Christ will be glorified one way or another, as every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. God does not take pleasure in executing wicked men like Herod, but he will be glorified through it, regardless.
22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
10 ...For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So, let us glorify God and recognize his providence in the times when he gives us deliverance! Let us glorify God and recognize his providence in the times of suffering, pointing to him as worthy of all that comes. And, let us glorify God and recognize his providence in his justice upon those who hate him and seek to destroy his people. And as we do this, may this be said of us:
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Reflection Questions:
What does the term 'providence' mean?
Why do you think God waited until the night before his execution to free Peter?
How can we maintain hope and faith in God during times of suffering or when prayers seem unanswered?
What personal experiences can you share where you felt God's providence in your life?
