When those fixated upon glory and honor from man can’t deliver, someone needs to pay. We have seen this in recent times when it comes to political parties and their leaders, or of countries. When they can’t provide what is required someone else takes the fall. We will get to what Herod does a little later … but let’s first read some more about Peter … and remember this is still the first part of the answer to the Church’s prayers.
Ac 12:11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
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 girl 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 brothers 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.
1) It was not a vision or a dream.
Ac 12:11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me.”
Peter thought he was experiencing a vision of being freed from those chains and lead all the way out of the prison up until he was left alone by the angel. Then suddenly he became aware that this was real … that it was actually happening … it:
Ac 12:12 dawned on him.
God has His way of working things out which are mostly beyond our comprehension.
2) It was God’s deliverance. This was the supernatural at work. Peter realized that:
Ac 12:11 “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
His deliverance by God was on two fronts.
(1) From Herod’s clutches. The military command was loyal to the king. Once they had arrested and secured you the way they did Peter, escape was impossible. As already mentioned, Herod wanted to use Peter and his public trial for personal gain and mileage. His obsession was personal power and glory. God, through the angel sent to rescue Peter from Herod’s prison (clutches), robbed him of intended glory.
(2) From the Jewish people’s anticipation. They could not kill Peter themselves. That would be an offense. Only Rome could sanction an execution as they did with Jesus under Pontius Pilate. (It is strange though that Stephen was murdered at the hands of the Jews without a Roman approval!) The Jews were bloodthirsty. They were so steeped in religious error that they could not grasp that the Church of the Lord Jesus was God’s “New Wine and New Covenant” replacing the Levitical Animal Sacrifices which were now obsolete. They were at an all-time high as they waited for Peter to be judged guilty in their Kangaroo Court which Herod was going to approve. And … man’s plans failed because God overruled! Are you able to see how all this fits together?
3) It was because of prayer.
Ac 12:12 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.
It seems as this was the house they started off praying in. The house belonged to John Mark’s mother. She seems to be a lady of means and is not mentioned again in the Bible. It is possible that she was one of the ladies who took care of the practical needs of our Lord Jesus. John seems to have been called “the evangelist”, writer of Mark’s Gospel, which are the sermons (teaching) of Peter. He was cousin to Barnabas, companion to his cousin and Paul on some of their missionary journeys and at times called John Mark. As mentioned before, the first part of the miracle was Peter’s release from prison, a divine act of God because of the fervent prayers of the Church. Beloved, again please see the great importance of a Church Prayer Meeting.
4) It was difficult to enter the house. Peter could not at first get into the house.
Ac 12:13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl 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.
One can’t but help thinking of Jesus’ words:
Mt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Peter’s persistent knocking opened the physical door. Jesus says our persisting knocking in prayer opens heaven’s door!
5) It was difficult to believe Peter was alive. Even once Rhoda believed it was Peter, the Prayer Group did not! This group believed in the power of prayer, that is why they prayed … but why were they so slow in believing God answered their prayers? Are we like this? Do we believe in prayer but lack faith to believe God answers our prayers?
6) It required a proper explanation. Peter explained what God had done and then they believed. Beloved, God explains what He is doing in the Bible. Let us believe Him!
7) It required relocation. Peter needed to relocate for his own safety and that of the Church because …
8) Someone needed to take the fall for the king.
Ac 12:18 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.
Herod lost all of his intended grandeur and popularity. Peter was not found. Herod’s loss was the soldiers’ death.
Father, thank You again for Your Word which is a huge encouragement to us and a motivation to pray passionately. Teach us, Lord, to pray. Amen.