Peter's Miraculous Escape from Prison

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 17th day of November — Tuesday! Election updates:

Sydney Powell— a lawyer for the Trump Campaign said she will released the “Kraken” [evidence] of massive fraud alleging that Dominion/Smartmatic had manipulated the election results in favor of Biden— No single state had certified their official results as of yet— date to remember is December 14 when the electors will convene to cast their votes as reflections of the outcome of the presidential elections in their own respective state

Yesterday right here at “The Message”, we completed chapter 11 of the Book of Acts— We saw how the church in Antioch was established— we also saw the involvement of Barnabas and Saul to its growth— from that we learned the following:

I WILL PREACH ABOUT JESUS WHEREVER GOD TAKES ME

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE A SPIRITUAL PARTNER

I WILL BE ALWAYS READY AND WILLING TO HELP

Today we will begin with chapter 12— we shall see another miracle in the life and service of Peter— Open your Bible to ACTS 12:1-19— once you get there, type “let’s begin with chapter 12”

When studying passages in the Bible, carefully ask yourself the right questions [what, where, when, who, why and how]— because by doing so, you will see timeless biblical principles applicable to our lives today— keep in mind the Bible said, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”— it’s God’s words that will transform us— understanding it is a critical part of this transformation

READ ACTS 12:1-19

BOOK

Acts 12:1–19 NIV

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. 18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

WHAT: Miraculous escape of Peter from prison

WHERE: Prison then at the house of Mary [mother of John also called Mark]

WHEN: After the death [martyrdom] of James, the brother of John, son of Zebedee [do not be confused this James with the other James who was the biological brother of Jesus]— presumably sometime in 44AD— it was the festival of the unleavened bread when this happened [7 days every spring time in conjunction with Passover— around the same of the year when Jesus was crucified]— SHOW TIMELINE

WHO: Peter— the death of James the son of Zebedee was mentioned— Prison guards— An Angel— maid in the house of Mary [Mother of John Mark] named Rhoda— King Herod [this is not the same Herod as in Jesus’s day— this is Herod Agrippa the 1st— grandson of Herod the great— later in Acts 25-26, Paul encounters his son Agrippa II]

WHY: To rescue Peter from prison

LOOK

WHEN HE SAW THAT THIS MET WITH APPROVAL AMONG THE JEWS

He proceeded to seize Peter also— Agrippa I considered the growth and mission of the Christian community to be not just religious but a political threat— he very likely did these to further solidify his relationship with the Jews, obviously to protect his political interest

PETER WAS KEPT IN PRISON, BUT THE CHURCH EARNESTLY PRAYING TO GOD FOR HIM

Here’s an artist perspective how prison looks like during those times— it’s a dungeon— SHOW IMAGE

The night before Herod [Agrippa I] was to bring him to trial— Peter was sleeping while fully secured in chains and well guarded by soldiers

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and struck Peter and woke him up— quick, get up!— the chains just miraculously fell off from Peter’s wrists— the angel told him to dress up and follow him and he did follow the angel out of the prison

HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE ANGEL WAS DOING WAS REALLY HAPPENING

Peter thought he was just dreaming— they passed the first and second guards— came through a gate that opened by itself— and after walking a block, the angel left him— then Peter came to himself

I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THE LORD HAS SENT HIS ANGEL AND RESCUED ME

It was only then that Peter realized that he was not dreaming— it was only after it happened that he realized that it was another miracle

When all these had dawned on Peter— he went to the house of Mary [the mother of John Mark] where many people are gathered praying— Peter knocked and a maid named Rhoda [most likely a Christian], answered the door— when she recognized that it was Peter, she was excited to go back to the people praying in the house to tell them, she did not open the door so Peter was outside waiting

But the people gathered there praying did not believe suggesting that it must be a ghost of Peter— they were not anticipating their prayers to be answered in such a remarkable way

But Peter kept on knocking— and when they opened the door and saw him—they were all astonished [they’re not expecting him back alive— remember, James was just killed]— Peter motioned wit his hand for them to be quiet— he told them what happened and asked them to…

TELL JAMES AND THE OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS ABOUT THIS

Peter was referring to James the biological brother of Jesus— he asked them to tell James about his miraculous escape from prison, and then he left to somewhere else

When the morning broke— there was commotion among the soldiers— they made a thorough search but Peter is nowhere to be found— Herod [Agrippa 1] investigated the prison guards and ordered their execution

What resonated to me from these accounts of events was when Peter did not realized that it was a miracle— miracles are happening with us hardly noticing!— like us, Peter realized that it was a miracle after it happened

And the other thing that my mind and heart retained from this passage was when Peter asked them to tell James and the other brothers and sister about his miraculous escape from prison

Let me translate these into two easily remembered sentences that we can live by as Christians

TOOK

MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING EVEN WITHOUT US NOTICING

I WILL TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE LORD’S MIRACLES IN MY LIFE

SING

Deacon Anton— Why have you chosen me?