Acts 12 Part 1

Background Information

As we closed Chapter 11 last week Barnabas went searching for Saul in Tarsus and when he finds him, Barnabas brings him back with him to Antioch to minister for 1 year. There was a guy named Agabus, a prophet, who prophesied a famine over the entire Roman empire. So some in the Antioch church, a primarily Gentile church though it was a good idea to take up an offering for the church in Judea, a primarily Jewish church. And they sent the gift back by Barnabas and Saul. And now we begin Chapter 12.

Acts 12:1 NKJV

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.

In the early life of the church, their one family that stands out as against God and the Jews and it is the Herods. This Herod spoken of here is Herod Agrippa the First. He is the grandson of Herod the great. Herod the Great was called Herod the Great because of the building projects he did. He build massive fortification around Jerusalem. He build this artificial mountain so that he could build a palace on to overlook Bethlehem.It was called the Herodium. He built another amazing palace on a rock formation in the desert called Mosada. He also build out into the water in Ceaseara another palace where boats could come up and dock to it.

Herod the Great did not have a great relationship with his son Aristobulus and his mother Miriam because Herod was always afraid that they were conspiring to take his throne. And he eventually killed several more of his sons and wives because he was afraid that they were after his throne. Emperor Augustus said it was better to be Herod’s pig than his son.

Herod the great sent Herod Agrippa to Rome to be educated there. While in Rome, he met a man named Gaius who would become Caligula the Emperor of Rome from 37 AD to 41 AD . And Caligula gave Herod Agrippa the land of Israel to rule over. And Herod Agrippa reigned to AD 44 when he was killed.

Now about that time- Remember as we were finishing Acts 11 we were around AD46 so we are backtracking about five or 6 years.

Points

Acts 12:2 NKJV

Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Remember James and John. Their mother went to Jesus and say that I want one of my sons on the right hand and one on the left. This is that James. He is the first apostle martyred for his faith. And he is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the Scriptures. This is not a general persecution but a very specific persecution. Herod Agrippa 1 is going after the leadership of the church in Jerusalem.

Remember also that James, john and Peter were the inter circle of Jesus. They went up on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. They went with Jesus to the house of Jarius.

Jesus told James about his future in Mark 10:37-39 (NKJV) 37  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." 38  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39  They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

And what I find is interesting is that James is the first one to die, John is the last to die. And in between all the other disciples drank of the cup of suffering.

By the sword- Deuteronomy 13:12-15 (NKJV) 12  "If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13  'Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods" '--which you have not known-- 14  then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, 15  you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword

So it is most likely Herod Agrippa charged James with leading the people astray. He is leading people to Jesus. this is sort of like a change of focus. The leadership up to this point has escaped the persecution now they are at the center of the persecution.

Acts 12:3–4 NKJV

And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Why does God chose to deliver Peter and not James? Is God playing favorites? You can make the argument that if you think that way that James was favorite because he gets to go into the presence of God.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV) 29  The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

The answer is sometimes, God does not reveal it to us.

Herod the Great was an Edomite, Miriam his wife was a Jew. So Aristobulus was a half breed. And He had a son Herod Agrippa 1 would have also been of mixed heritage. Agrippa knew Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (NKJV) 14  "When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15  you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

And this displeased Agrippa, not being a pure Jew, and so when he say that the killing of James pleased the Jews, He felt like he was endearing himself to them. So this is why he has Peter arrested.

So Agrippa picks him up during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and delivers him to 4 squads of soldiers ( 16 soldiers 4 guard at a time six hour shifts; two chained to him and two outside) and wants to hold him unto after Passover.

This seems like overkill that many guards. But remember Acts 5. Acts 5:22-25 (NKJV) 22  But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23  saying, "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!" 24  Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25  So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"

Agrippa may have heard about Peter’s first imprisonment and how they could not keep him in the jail house.

There is some controversy about verse 4 because in the King James the word that they use for Passover is Easter. That argument goes something like this. Passover would have already been over so it is referring to the pagan custom of Easter.

However, it is probably the Jewish Passover that Luke is referring to. Luke 22:1 (NKJV) 1  Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. In Luke’s mind, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the whole week is called Passover. The Passover was usually the Day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Ezekiel 45:21 (NKJV) 21  "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.

By the time we get to the New Testament Passover is a one day event. Unleavened Bread is a 6 day event and Feast of First FRuits will begin after the third day of the Feast of unleaven Bread. Luke says that this whole time is called Passover.

So, on the eight day after the Festivals, he was going to have Peter killed.