Acts 12 - Persecution, Prayer, & Perseverance
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[PRAYER]
[TS] Let’s notice three TRUTHS about persecution, prayer, and perseverance from Acts 12…
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
TRUTH #1: God’s sovereign control is our comfort in persecution (Acts 12:1-6)
TRUTH #1: God’s sovereign control is our comfort in persecution (Acts 12:1-6)
1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.
[EXP] The Herod mentioned in this chapter was Herod Antipas, grandson of Herod the Great who ruled Judea when Jesus was born. Like his grandfather, Herod Antipas was a Roman-appointed, murderous scoundrel deceived by his own self-importance.
He’s the one who stole his brother’s wife and had John the Baptist beheaded for telling him it was wrong.
As an Idumean, he was neither Roman nor Jew but found himself in need of the favor of both.
When he first began to rule, he was favored by some of the most powerful people in Rome, but as his favor with Rome began to fade, his favor with the Jews became increasingly important. He especially needed the favor of the powerful men in Temple leadership, the men who had previously persecuted Apostles like Peter and John.
For that reason, when Herod Antipas saw that he could likely increase his standing with the Jewish religious leaders (and thereby the Jewish people in general) he “laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them,” (Acts 12:1).
Up to this point, the Jewish followers of Jesus had generally been considered another sect or group within Judaism. There were the powerful Sadducees, the devoted Pharisees, the violent Zealots, the monk-like Essenes, but all were Jewish in identity.
The initial followers of Jesus were also Jewish in identity, but soon Samaritans were welcomed into the group and then Gentiles were welcomed into the group and not as second-class members but as members of the Christian church with full rights and privileges.
Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles were all equal in the Christian church. No one was a second class member.
The incorporation of Gentiles into what had been considered a Jewish sect, may have angered the Temple leadership.
Seeing this anger, Herod Antipas saw an opportunity; if he persecuted these Christians, the Temple leadership would favor him.
That meant James was going to die by the sword.
Verse 2 tells us that this James was the brother of John, one of the two Sons of Thunder, a nickname given to the two brothers by Jesus because it seems they were quick to call for wrath to fall on people rather than mercy.
Maybe James had been warning Herod Antipas of the wrath that would fall on him.
Maybe James reminded Herod Antipas of John the Baptist.
Maybe James was just the Apostle that Herod Antipas could get his hands on, but for whatever reason, James was chosen, and he was put to to death with the sword.
James and his brother had once asked Jesus for thrones, but Jesus said the price for a throne was a cup of suffering and a baptism into death; Jesus said that James and his brother would one day pay that price (cf. Mk. 10:39).
That day had come for James.
If James’s death was a political execution, then he was beheaded in the Roman fashion, but if the motivation for his execution was to please the Jews, James may have had the length of the blade thrust through his body.
The Jewish people held beheading as a desecration to the body, but perhaps they didn’t care so long as James died.
In any event, Herod saw that his death delighted the Jews, and decided to execute another Apostle, the lead Apostle, the Apostle Peter.
Peter was seized, imprisoned, and guarded by a rotation of four squads of soldiers. Each squad had four soldiers and at all times Peter was chained to two soldiers while two more guarded the door.
Peter’s death was to be a spectacle, a show that won him favor with the Jewish people, but Herod couldn’t execute Him immediately.
It was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and to execute someone during that time would’ve likely enraged the Jewish people, so Herod had to wait until after the Passover.
Peter was set to die at the same time of year that his Lord Jesus had died.
But while Peter was imprisoned, God’s people were earnestly, fervently praying.
And while they were up in the night earnestly, fervently praying, Peter was soundly sleeping.
[ILLUS] When I was in high school, I had my appendix removed. It was severely inflamed and actually ruptured as they tried to remove it. I was sick for a good while afterward, but before the surgery I didn’t really understand just how dire my situation was.
As I was headed to the operating room, people were somberly saying, “We’re praying for you; we know the Lord is going to see you through,” etc., but I joked with a friend, “You can have my CD collection if I don’t make it.”
I had peace going into surgery because I didn’t understand how serious my situation was.
Peter, however, didn’t misunderstand. He knew how serious his situation was. He knew that James had been killed, and he knew that he would be killed unless the Lord intervened.
Nevertheless, Peter slept because Peter had peace.
And Peter had peace because he knew God was in control.
[APP] God’s sovereignty is our comfort in persecution.
The sovereignty of God refers to God’s ultimate rule over all of creation so that His divine will reigns supreme.
As James went to the sword, a king was in control, but it wasn’t Herod.
As Peter slept in prison, a king was in control, but it wasn’t Herod.
James died, and as we’ll see, Peter lived, but both I believe were comforted in knowing that everything was working according to the will of King Jesus.
If we are persecuted for following Jesus, some will of us die and some of us will live, but King Jesus will be in control of it all, not our persecutors.
His control will be our comfort in persecution.
[TS] …
TRUTH #2: God’s sovereign control is our confidence in prayer (Acts 12:5-11, 12-19)
TRUTH #2: God’s sovereign control is our confidence in prayer (Acts 12:5-11, 12-19)
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird 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 continued to follow, and 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 second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
[EXP] Peter had been imprisoned, the church had been praying, but the day had arrived. When the sun came up the next morning, Herod would bring him forward and put him to death.
But just before that could happen, an angel of the Lord showed up and struck Peter’s side, urging him to get up and get dressed so they could get out.
The chains fell off Peter’s hands as began to follow the angel’s instructions.
This type of description is called the divine passive.
That’s when something in Scripture is just described as happening on its own, but we all know that God caused it happened.
The chains fell off Peter’s hands because God took them off.
Wrapped in a cloak Peter followed the angel, but everything was happening so fast that Peter thought he was seeing a vision.
We might say, “I thought I was still dreaming.”
That’s what Peter thought.
He continued to follow the angel past the two outside guards who were presumably sleeping like the two presumably were who had been chained to Peter.
Then Peter and the angel came to an iron gate that led into the city. Jumping the gate or picking the lock was unnecessary because the gate opened on its own.
This is the divine passive again.
God opened the gate.
They went out, went along one street, and then the angel was gone because his job was complete.
Peter suddenly realized that this whole thing hadn’t been a dream, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting,” (Acts 12:11).
God’s people had prayed, and God said yes to their prayer, but they found God’s yes hard to believe.
Look at vv. 12-19…
12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. 19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.
Peter went to Mary’s house. Mary was the mother of John Mark who will later go accompany Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. He will also author the Gospel of Mark helped by Peter’s testimony.
Many were gathered there praying for Peter when Peter suddenly knocked on the door.
A servant girl named Rhoda went to the door and recognized Peter’s voice but was so excited that she ran to tell the others instead of opening the door.
While Rhoda and those praying debated if Peter was really there or not, Peter, an escaped prisoner, stood outside knocking.
At first, they thought Rhoda was crazy. How could Peter be at the door when they were still praying for Peter to be free?
Then they may have thought Peter was dead. They said, “It is his angel,” (Acts 12:15).
There was a Jewish belief that each person had a guardian angel that would appear immediately after a person’s death. That belief may be what prompted them to think it was Peter’s angel instead of Peter.
They likely thought that Herod Antipas killed Peter a little early, and know Peter’s angel had arrived to let them know.
They found it easier to believe that Rhoda was crazy or that Peter had died and gone to heaven than that their prayers had been answered.
Finally, they let Peter in. They were so excited that Peter had to quiet them with calm them with a wave of his hand so he could speak.
He explained the miraculous rescue that had taken place, and then told those present to report the events of that night to James, the half-brother of Jesus, and the other believers in Jerusalem.
Peter, however, would be immediately leaving Jerusalem because he knew that Herod Antipas would soon be looking for him.
The next morning there was quite the hullabaloo among the soldiers who were supposed to be guarding Peter.
“Well, he was chained to you guys?”
“Well, he had to walk right past you guys?”
“Who unlock his cuffs and opened the gate?”
Herod Antipas searched high and low, but Peter was nowhere to be found.
After interrogating the guards, he ordered they be executed.
If a prisoner sentenced to death escaped, the Roman soldier or soldiers guarding the prisoner paid with their lives.
So, having failed to please the Jews with Peter’s death, Herod Antipas decided to leave Judea and spend some in Caesarea.
[ILLUS] As we inch closer to the next presidential election in November of 2024, we will start to hear more and more about those running. From those running, we will hear why we should vote for them. And from those running against them, we will hear why we should not vote for them.
Some of us will vote for this one, and some of us will vote for that one, but some will not vote at all, and when asked why, they will say, “Because my vote doesn’t really matter.”
I understand that perspective when it come to voting, but some have the same perspective when it comes to prayer, and I don’t understand that.
[APP] God’s sovereignty is our confidence in prayer.
Again, the sovereignty of God refers to God’s ultimate rule over all of creation so that His divine will reigns supreme.
The sovereignty of God means that God is in control, but God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean that our praying doesn’t matter.
God has sovereignly decided to do some things only in answer to our prayers.
There’s a very familiar verse that demonstrates this truth; 2 Chronicles 7:14 says…
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Notice that condition in that verse, “if my people.”
If God’s people humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, turn from sin, then God will hear, forgive, and heal.
But if God’s people don’t humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from sing, then God will not hear, forgive, and hear.
God told His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that He would hear, forgive, and hear, but only in answer to prayer.
Consider what we’ve read so far in Acts 12.
This chapter doesn’t present prayer to us as something that doesn’t matter.
No, we are told that although Peter was securely imprisoned, God’s people were fervently praying.
And when Peter showed up at the door of the prayer meeting, they had a hard time believing that God answered their prayer, but God had certainly answered their prayer!
God is in control. Our confidence in His control is why we pray to Him.
We know He can change things.
He can save the sinner, so we pray to Him.
He can heal the body, so we pray to Him.
He can rescue the prisoner, so we pray to Him.
He can strike down the tyrant, so we pray to Him.
We know He can change things, but we also know that He doesn’t always change things. He’s in control; we’re not.
In His sovereignty, He sometimes says no, like when folks prayed for James to be rescued.
And in His sovereignty, He sometimes says yes, like when folks prayed for Peter to be rescued.
Nevertheless, we should give ourselves to prayer more and more because our God is sovereign, and His sovereign control means that He can and very well may change things for the better in response to our praying.
His control over all things is why we can have confidence in prayer.
[TS]…
TRUTH #3: God’s sovereign control is our certainty in perseverance (Acts 12:20-25)
TRUTH #3: God’s sovereign control is our certainty in perseverance (Acts 12:20-25)
20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. 21 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.
[EXP] Quite a while after Peter’s escape and Herod’s departure to Caesarea, Herod became angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon.
We aren’t told why, but we are told that Tyre and Sidon convinced Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, to help them broker peace with Herod Antipas because they desperately needed the food that Herod’s kingdom provided.
Perhaps they needed it because the famine prophesied by Agabus in Acts 11 had finally come to pass.
A special day was announced one which an ancient press conference of sorts would take place. The magnificent Herod Antipas would give a speech promising peace and benevolence to the people of Tyre and Sidon, and because the people of Tyre and Sidon didn’t want to starve, they would applaud like crazy.
The Jewish historian, Josephus, also recorded this event.
He said that Herod put on a garment of silver and came into the theatre early in the morning, so that his silver robe would glimmer and shine in the sun’s rays.
Either because they were truly dazzled by his appearance or because they had to flatter Herod to get food, the people called out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” (Acts 12:22).
Josephus tells us that Herod did nothing to stop them. He embraced their blasphemous praise. He loved.
“And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died,” (Acts 12:23).
Josephus says that Herod lingered near death for five days before finally dying.
I can’t help but wonder if that angel that struck Herod down to the grave was the same one that struck Peter on the side to lead him out of the prison.
In any case, Herod did not give God the glory and paid with his life.
The tyrant was dead, but the church went on and the Word went on with it. The one that murdered James and tried to murder Peter was killed by worms from the Lord, “but the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied,” (Acts 12:24).
An example of that growth and multiplication is found in the very last verse of this chapter…
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.
The relief that was gathered in Antioch for the poor brothers and sisters in Jerusalem had been delivered.
Soon Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark would take their first missionary journey, and the word of God will continue to persevere to the ends of the earth.
As I said, the church went on and the word went on with it.
[APP] God’s sovereignty is our certainty of perseverance.
One more time: the sovereignty of God refers to God’s ultimate rule over all of creation so that His divine will reigns supreme.
God’s divine will is that the His church endures.
God’s divine will is that His word perseveres.
Tyrants come and tyrants go, but not even the gates of Hell will prevail against the church.
Tyrants come and tyrants go, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.
God will see to it.
He is in control.
[TS]…
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER]
[RESPONSE]
From Jerusalem to Antioch to known and unknown places throughout the centuries, God has sovereignly caused His church to persevere and His word along with it so that His message would reach you this morning.
His message is His Son, Jesus, who lived for you, died for you, and rose for you.
We were all sinners separated from God and deserving death until Jesus came to die for us.
His perfect life qualified Him as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and after He paid for our sins, He rose from the dead because He had no sins of His own.
Now all who trust in Him shall not be disappointed; all who call on the Name of the Lord Jesus shall be saved.
They were saved in Jerusalem when they called on Him.
They were saved in Antioch when they called on Him.
They have been saved in every place, those who have truly called on Him for salvation.
Will you call on Him in this place this morning?
He is in control.
He has brought His word to you.
How will you respond?