The Great Escape

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Introduction

This is one of my favourite Bible stories to tell to children. It has suspense, drama, plotting, excitement and a great story line. It involves a ruler, guards, prison, captives, Angels, and even a child.

If you have take the time to prepare for this morning by reading the text sent out in the bulletin you know what the story is about.

Turn with me and we are going to look at Acts chapter 12.

If you have just tuned in or visiting, we have been travelling through the book of Acts to discover the beginning of a movement we have come to call the church.

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.

I wonder if Charles Dickens was reading this when he sat down to pen his classic. Someone was dead....

I often hear at church conferences that the church, the gathering of the saints have gotten so far off track that if we were to be like the first church things would be so much better for the church.

Although this statement may have some truths I am not sure many of us would be willing in this country in which we live would want to have a target on our person because we are followers of Christ.

Folks, I often get in my emails from people who I am connected with across the country and there are many warning signs that Canada is turning in a direction that is not favourable for Christians. The faith that was once broadcasted from our government is no longer present, but turning into what this passage is talking about, we are not there… the question remains are we heading there?

I’m not sure but I do know that this text is a reminder of the power of God is far greater than any country or ruler of that government can ever be.

The Church has faced opposition

One thing is for certain.

The church has always faced opposition.

When Christ was here walking among the people, there were many that received his word, but for some it became quite offensive and dismissive.

Christ’s message was then given to the church, His followers to go into the world and proclaim and from that moment the gathering has faced opposition.

There are two types of opposition Public and Spiritual. Both of these will be seen in our text this morning. Both of these opposition are what we face in the world today.

Public Opposition

In this text the public opposition to the followers was that of a king.

Let me give you the background of this king

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts 1. The Deliverance of Peter (12:1–19a)

The Herod of Acts 12 is Agrippa I (born in 10 B.C.), the grandson of Herod the Great and the son of Aristobulus. After his father’s execution in 7 B.C., he was sent with his mother Bernice to Rome, where he grew up on intimate terms with the imperial family. In his youth he was something of a playboy, and in A.D. 23 he went so heavily into debt that he had to flee to Idumea to escape his creditors. Later he received asylum at Tiberias and a pension from his uncle Herod Antipas, with whom, however, he eventually quarreled. In 36 he returned to Rome but offended the emperor Tiberius and was imprisoned. At the death of Tiberius in 37, he was released by the new emperor Caligula and received from him the northernmost Palestinian tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias (cf. Luke 3:1) and the title of king. When Herod Antipas was banished in 39, Agrippa received his tetrarchy as well. And at the death of Caligula in 41, Claudius, who succeeded Caligula and was Agrippa’s friend from youth, added Judea and Samaria to his territory, thus reconstituting for him the entire kingdom of his grandfather Herod the Great, over which he ruled till his death in 44.

Knowing how profoundly the masses hated his family, Herod Agrippa I took every opportunity during his administration in Palestine to win their affection. When in Rome, he was a cosmopolitan Roman. But when in Jerusalem, he acted the part of an observant Jew.

What is worst than an angry king is a king who is out to prove something.

It is interesting that this king didn’t have a problem with the followers of Christ, but wanted to gain popularity with the Jews of the time.

Peter was one of those Jews who had become a follower of Christ.

The scripture doesn’t tell us but you can tell by Peter that this public opposition was not deterring him from Following the Risen Lord.

He found himself in a prison with the news of a friend another disciple had been killed by the same person who placed him in this cell.

He is bound to two soilders and two outside watching gaurd.

Take a moment and put yourself in his situation.

What would your reaction be?

As a follower of Christ, where is your hope? Your trust?

When public opposition to the Gospel comes your way, how do you respond?

Peter’s example is one of courage for us today.

Courage to sit in a cell chained to guards, guards watching and yet his faith remained.

I wondered what he would be saying to those guards?

Was he explaining the he wasn’t a flight risk, that he was willing to do whatever it took to follow Christ.

Afterall, it wasn’t Peter that brought about the command of the guards, it was his opposition.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts 1. The Deliverance of Peter (12:1–19a)

While in prison, the apostle was guarded by “four squads of four soldiers each,” probably on shifts of three hours each (cf. Vegetius De Re Mili 3.8), with two soldiers chained to him on either side and two standing guard at the inner entrance to the prison (cf. v. 6). Evidently Agrippa planned to make of Peter a spectacle and warning at a forthcoming show trial. And he did not want to be embarrassed by Peter’s escape.

When you find yourself in a situation where you are being opposed for your faith.

Remember, it is not you they are after, to make a specktical. It is the one we serve.

Spiritual Opposition

The second type of opposition that we as believers will be under is a spiritual opposition.

The well known verse found in Ephesians, Paul reminds us as believers that our opposition is often unseen

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle 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.

I could well image that Peter knew that it was the message of truth that was untimately under trial as he sat in the prison.

The other week I was in Kamloops waiting to pick Heather up at the airport and had a free Saturday night for myself.

I choose to attend a Sat night service at one of the churches in Kamloops and the speaker was talking about peace.

How to have peace in the world we live in today. Peace that seems to allude everyone as we see wars and battles among us.

One thing he said really stood out to me and got me thinking.

As we consider spiritual opposition, how often do we give the devil too much credit.

It seemed to be a theme that week as Chuck Swindol on the radio seemed to give the same message.

But How much credit do we give the arch enemy of God himself.

The created being, credit by God that fell away from God’s grace and leads an army of others to thwart God’s plan here on earth.

That is the battle we fight.

But how much credit do we give this finite being.

The speaker pointed out something that we all know in our minds, but sometimes not in our practice.

“The Devil is not omnipresent, when we say, the devil made me do it we are giving him too much credit.”

He is one and can’t be everywhere at all times.

The speaker went on to say that

“The devil would want to spend most of his time, delegating and and yet I would image that he was travelling alongside Jesus every moment of his walk on this earth.”

There is no denying it, there is spiritual opposition that we need to be aware of as we live out our faith.

Peter’s Opposition

Peter’s opposition was at this point in the text his jail cell. Notice what Verse 5 states,

Acts 12:5 ESV

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Earnest prayers

The church, the gathering, the believers were on their knees with passion for God to do an amazing event.

How do you pray

How do we as a church pray?

I believe there is much earnest prayer in this congregation. We gather at various times throughout the week to pray. In small groups of three and regular meetings, we pray through the means of the prayer chain and offer prayers to people through the ministry of the prayer quilt.

We offer corporate prayer each Sunday morning in our segment of Children’s and Elder prayer.

We come into the presence of God’s throne when we offer our prayers on behalf of people.

I’m not saying this to pat ourselves on the back, but to recognize that fervent earnest prayer needs to be ongoing.

Have you ever wondered what they prayed for?

Where they praying for Peter’s release?

Where they praying for his strength to endure the trial of being sent to prison?

Where they praying for God’s will to be done?

Where they praying that Peter would have the strength to speak the truth even to the jailers that sat on either side of him, bond to him.

I would answer yes to all.

When we earnestly come to prayer to our All knowing, omniscient Father who desires and fulfills all the best for us, we can walk away we the Peace that God is in control.

repeat

Let’s move along in the text

Acts 12:6–11 ESV

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.”

The Great Escape

Here is where the story begins to unfold.

When I was growing up, there were stories being shared among believers to show the power of God. I am not sure if they were true, although looking at this text they very well could have been, but they were great stories. Stories of people picking up hitchhikers, who shared the good news of Christ, then disappearing.

Meeting up with individuals in their walk and then vanishing.

All the stories had the same theme. A normal looking person, engages in spiritual thoughts then suddenly disappears to give the listener the goosebumps as we relive that thought that angels are among us.

Peter

In the middle of the great escape, Peter thought he was dreaming what was happening.

A dream that he would be released.

That the prayers of his church have heard the Father and that in the end his opposition would somehow change his mind and release him. His fate at this moment in time would not be that of his friend James.

Peter’s Situation

Any time I tell this story, verse 7 gives us a clear understanding of Peter’s thoughts.

Put yourself in the shoes of Peter.

You are in jail, your friend has been killed by the same man who has put you in jail.

You know that in the morning, you are going to be used to make a spectical of the believers.

You are in a dark, cell, chained to guards,

and yet you sleep.

To me, although the text implies it, Peter was at peace with his situation.

Peter’s encounter with an Angel

He was so at peace that when he was sleeping, and the bright light shone in the cell, that didn’t awaken him.

Have you ever been asleep and the light in your room gets turned on.

Unless your a teenager who enjoys sleeping in, most people are awoken, but Peter isn’t.

He is so restful, that the Angel needs to strike him on the side to wake him up.

His chains fall off,

The guards do nothing as he walks by him.

Even the gate opens on it’s own like that of the supermarket wanting us to walk through them.

The had to make their way through to one street and poof,

The angel is gone.

verse 11

Acts 12:11 (ESV)

11 When Peter came to himself, he said, .......

Peter’s Response

Peter’s response.

That moment when he realized that he was not seeing a vision.

The cool early morning air, standing alone on the street, Peter realized that his time on this earth was not coming to an end at daybreak.

The plan of the opposition was once again thwarted and he was saved from his captors.

He realized in the early morning that the captor was motivated by the Jewish people who still wanted him to be silenced

So he did what anyone would do, let’s go to my friends house, especially the ones who have been praying for me.

The Church

The church has gathered. At this point in the development of the church, they hadn’t gathered their resources together and built places of worship.

They came together in homes.

Look at the text

Acts 12:12–16 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.

They are gathered

They were gathered at the house of Mary. Luke makes it quite clear that this was not the mother of Jesus, but of this new and upcoming familiar person called John or as we know him Mark.

These would be known as the second generation of believers. Those who where not present to seeing Jesus, but were followers of Christ, the converts from the disciples.

Mary’s home would have been known to many as the description of the gateway would be a home that was glorious to that time.

They are praying

They were gathered at this home to have a special prayer meeting for their friend, Peter.

Once again we see that when the people of Christ, the beginning of the movement we call the church we see a community.

A community of people gathered to pray for one another.

So intent on their prayers that they were not disrupted by a knock on the door.

In comes the servant girl.

The child in the story

One writer states this scene so clearly

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts 1. The Deliverance of Peter (12:1–19a)

and Rhoda the servant girl was rushing back and forth for joy. The unfolding scene is one of confusion and joyful humor, which must have led to hilarity every time it was repeated among the early believers. There was Peter’s knocking, becoming more and more urgent as he beat on the door; Rhoda’s losing her wits for joy and forgetting to open the door; the Christians’ refusal to believe it was Peter, even though they had just been praying for him; their belittling of Rhoda (“You are out of your mind” [mainē]) and of her saying she had heard Peter’s voice at the door (“It must be his angel”); Rhoda’s frantic persistence; and their utter astonishment when they finally opened the door and let him in.

If you are like me, there is often a list full of requests awaiting to be prayed for.

We are determined to make sure that we are on our knees praying and interceding for one another.

But I am reminded of another thing.

Do we stop and take the time to listen.

To listen to God speak to His answer

To have a sense of wonder and amazement every time He answers our prayers.

To celebrate that God of the Universe. The one who sustains life is willing to hear our prayers, and what amazes me even more is moved by those prayers to respond and answer.

This should drive us to our knees even more.

There sat the disciples praying for Peter that the miracle of the Angel begin sent by God to deliver him from the prison was almost missed because they didn’t stop to listen.

The excitement of the servant Girl Rhoda was almost dismissed if it wasn’t for her persistence and that of Peter banging on the gate to be heard.

When God speaks and answers are prayers, are we watching and listening.

When Peter was finally allowed into the house, notice his response.

Acts 12:17 ESV

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.

Peter desired that the news of his release be told especially to James. Who still was mourning the loss of his brother would especially like to hear the news of Peter’s great escape. Tell the other brothers.

A phrase used to describe the apostles.

And no sooner had he arrived he went on his way knowing that the opposition to his work was still at hand.

The people who once held him captive would not be happy that the great escape happened.

Acts 12:18–19 ESV

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 Oppositions response

Morning had arrived and we see the result of the great escape.

It was quite a night shift for those 4 guards.

The bright light had not awoken them. The clanging of the chains following off, the doors being opened and two individuals walking right by them without a response what the talk of the town.

How could trained soldiers allow this to happen.

Luke uses the phrase, “There was no little disturbance”

It would have been quite the disturbance.

So astonishing is this event that even the King was involved in the hunt and the questioning of the guards.

If you think for a moment that Peter was to make it another day under guard, the outcome of the guards tell us the story.

As the laws of the day, if a guard allowed a prisoner to escape, he would be punished with the same punishment of the prisoner.

When the king ordered that they should be put to death, it reminds us what was to become of Peter that day.

In Summary

As the worship team comes forward to lead us in a response to worship of Whom shall I fear.

Let me remind you of this.

The great escape happened by the people praying.

The great escape event took place with the aid of an Angel

The great escape brought glory to God

When we come to Christ, the great escape happens in our life and we are saved from death to life.

Let’s sing a song of knowing the one who goes before us and with this be able to face anything that comes our way.

Response to Worship

Benediction