Sermon Tone Analysis

Public Reading of Scripture

Pray

Introduction to Theme

Perilous times call for persevering prayer.

Peter is languishing in prison.

By some accounts he could have been there five to six days.

He is heavily guarded.

His only crime is being associated with the church of Jesus Christ.

There is no known way of escaping this predicament.

Peter’s doom is certain if Herod has his way, for he will bring Peter out in due time after the feast, to be put on a public trial and to be executed after the Passover.

James, a son of Zebedee, the brother of John, whom Jesus called “Sons of Thunder,” a man who was appointed by Jesus as one of the twelve has already been killed by the sword (which indicates he was likely beheaded).

Peter is next in line in the sights of a man named Herod.

Notice this text begins by mentioning the actions of Herod.

This is Herod Agrippa the first.

He enters the book of Acts in Chapter 12, and he exits the book of Acts in Chapter 12.

This is his moment to shine, and he shines as an agent of oppression and violent persecution against the church of Jesus Christ.

Herod Agrippa is the grandson of Herod the Great who was the king of the Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth.

Herod Agrippa’s grandfather was the one responsible for killing all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under at the news of the birth of Jesus by the wise men who had seen His star (Matthew 2:1-17).

Herod Agrippa is the nephew of Herod Antipas who was the tetrarch of Galilee during the reign of Tiberius Ceasar at the time of Jesus’ ministry (Bruce, F. F. Acts: Bible Study Commentary.

Nashville, TN; Bath, England: Kingsley Books, 2017.).

It was that Herod Antipas who did many evil things, including locking up John the Baptist in prison and having him beheaded.

So here is King Herod Agrippa, joining his family in the work of persecuting those associated with Jesus, the King of the Jews.

And Herod Agrippa became very powerful, with a kingdom nearly as great as his grandfather’s — so he had the power to put the apostles and disciples in much danger.

Herod Agrippa was very popular with the people.

He supported the Pharisees and attended the temple often.

He grew up in Rome and was friends to two men who would become emperors (Gaius / Caligula and Claudius) (Garland, David E. Acts.

Edited by Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton.

Teach the Text Commentary Series.

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2017.)

He was trusted by the Romans, and had his own army.

Unlike times before and after him, King Herod had the ability to order capital punishment.

So he has James executed.

Luke does not tell us why Herod killed James, or why he laid hands on some who belonged to the church to harm them.

But verse 3 says:

Herod was a people-pleaser.

A master politician in this way.

This is a temptation for anyone who is placed in a position of leadership or authority, to make decisions to please the masses.

But those who lead in this way ultimately never serve the people well.

King Herod was most concerned with one person — himself.

He enters the book of Acts pleasing people, and he exits pleasing people, because God strikes him dead because he fails to give God glory.

Herod attacks the followers of Jesus thinking he is fighting against humans.

What he does not realize is that he is ultimately fighting against God (Garland, David E. Acts.

Edited by Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton.

Teach the Text Commentary Series.

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2017.).

And so while he lays violent hands on some in the church, while Peter is locked up in prison, the church recognizes that this battle is not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

(Ephesians 6:12).

The church joins the battle on the battlefield of prayer.

This prayer fo the church is not described as routine prayer (if prayer can be called that).

This prayer by the church is described as “earnest” prayer.

Earnest prayer is persevering prayer (BDAG).

It’s the kind of prayer that doesn’t give up on praying for Peter when they might have been tempted to give up praying for him after seeing what happened to James!

Earnest prayer is praying through agony.

This is the same type of prayer that Jesus prayed when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion when Luke 22:44:

I know some of you are praying through agony.

Some of you know what it means to persevere in prayer for a long time in dire circumstances.

Don’t stop praying!

Earnest prayer is praying with others.

Verse 5 tells us that this prayer was being made “to God by the church.”

Earnest prayer gathers others to join in carrying that burden with you.

When Jesus was praying earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane,

It is a persevering prayer.

The church, gathered together, earnestly prays for Peter in the midst of this violent oppression and attack by King Herod.

This is why when we gather together on Wednesdays as a church, or Tuesdays mornings with the men to pray, there is power in praying together for needs that especially burden us.

But this prayer meeting in the Scripture was not a pre-scheduled meeting.

It is a meeting to pray as a direct response to persecution against the church.

Luke tells us that Peter was in prison sleeping.

Was he sleeping for sorrow?

Or did he have a peace from God that sustained him because the church was praying?

Or did he have a peace believing God’s will will be done regardless of what happens?

Because Peter already has experienced God miraculously delivering him from prison once before in Acts 5:19 when the angel of the Lord appeared during the night and opened the doors and brought them out?

Been there — done that!

A prison is no barrier that is of concern to the Lord!

But will God rescue him from prison again?

Many of us are eager to see miracles.

We want to witness the mighty works of God!

We pray for God to work a miracle!

But don’t forget that miracles are graces in the midst of pain.

God miraculously rescued Peter, but he rescued him from a hopeless situation.

If we want to see a miracle, are we willing to endure the pain that it requires?

To see the miracle of resurrection, means that first there is death.

To see the miracle of healing means that first there is sickness.

To see the miracle of deliverance means that first there is a prison.

The Gospel of Jesus reminds us that before the miracle of salvation and new life, there is first sin and death.

Before the empty tomb, there was first a cross.

But God works miracles!

May God give us the perspective to look at the worst situations as potential miracles.

Peter is sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains and two guards were placed before the door.

The only way of translating this scene is to say humanly speaking, escape for Peter was impossible.

And at the last minute, the text says “when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night” God showed up in the form of an angel of the Lord.

Peter was not rescued the night of his arrest.

He was rescued the night before he was about to be brought out and put on trial.

Some suggest Peter was in prison for 5-6 days.

Yet it was the night before that he was delivered.

Praying earnestly means persevering until the last minute.

Never giving up.

This was not a one-night prayer session, but this prayer of the church would have lasted for several days!

(Marshall, I. Howard.

Acts: An Introduction and Commentary.

Vol. 5. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.