Acts 12: Herod vs Peter (God!)

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1)     Who can stand against the powers that be?

A)   Roman opposition

1)     Jewish opposition to this point:

(a)   2:13 – Mocking

(b)   4:1-3, 5-6 – Peter and John arrested

(c)   5:17-18 – Apostles arrested (v. 33 – wanted to kill, 40 - beat)

(d)   7:58 – Stephen killed

(e)   8:1 – A great persecution / scattering

(f)    Paul

(i)    9:16 – God about Saul: “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

(ii)  9:23 – Jews try to kill Paul in Damascus: “the Jews plotted to kill him”

(iii)          9:29 – Hellenists Jews seeking to kill Paul.

2)     vv. 1-3 – This is the first opposition from the Roman powers.

(a)   This is a different level of persecution. It’s not just mob violence, but sanctioned government power.

B)    v. 2 – “He killed James the brother of John with the sword.”

1)     Eusibius, EH 2:9:2-3 - And concerning this James, Clement, in the seventh book of his Hypotyposes, relates a story which is worthy of mention; telling it as he received it from those who had lived before him. He says that the one who led James to the judgment-seat, when he saw him bearing his testimony, was moved, and confessed that he was himself also a Christian. They were both therefore, he says, led away together; and on the way he begged James to forgive him. And he, after considering a little, said, “Peace be with thee,” and kissed him. And thus they were both beheaded at the same time.

2)     Foxe’s Book of Martyrs – James the Great - The next martyr we meet with, according to St. Luke, in the History of the Apostles' Acts, was James the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and a relative of our Lord; for his mother Salome was cousin-german to the Virgin Mary. It was not until ten years after the death of Stephen that the second martyrdom took place; for no sooner had Herod Agrippa been appointed governor of Judea, than, with a view to ingratiate himself with them, he raised a sharp persecution against the Christians, and determined to make an effectual blow, by striking at their leaders. The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a Christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both beheaded at the same time. Thus did the first apostolic martyr cheerfully and resolutely receive that cup, which he had told our Savior he was ready to drink. Timon and Parmenas suffered martyrdom about the same time; the one at Philippi, and the other in Macedonia. These events took place A.D. 44.

C)    v. 3 – “and when he saw that itT pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.”

1)     cf. Lk. 22:1 – I think we’re supposed to recall what happened to Jesus.

2)     The plan was to hold him until after the festival, and then kill him.

D)   v. 4 – Four squads of soldiers

1)     A squad was 4 soldiers, and they changed guard at each of the four watches of the night (every 3 hours).

2)     v. 6 – Chained to two soldiers and two soldiers guarding the doors.

3)     Remember, Peter has escaped before (Acts 5:19-24).

E)    v. 20 – People come to him for food.

1)     This is just to illustrate the power that was lined up against Jesus and his people.

2)     People from cities had to come to Agrippa to flatter him and beg for food.

F)    vv. 21-23 – “And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’”

G)   POINT: Who can stand against this kind of power! This is just as close to helpless as you can get.

2)     What do you do when you have no recourse at all?

A)   v. 5 – “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

1)     cf. v. 12 – Assembly together.

2)     v. 5 – “earnest”

(a)   NASU – “prayer for him was being made fervently”

(b)   NKJV – “constant prayer”

(c)   L/N - pertaining to an unceasing activity, normally involving a degree of intensity and/or perseverance.

(d)   This is the same word as Lk. 22:44 (Jesus praying in the Garden).

3)     I want to push back against a popular meme that you’ve probably seen.

(a)   After the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, The Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel urged politicians to “move beyond thoughts and prayers.”

(b)   After the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, the New York Daily ran a headline that said, “God Isn’t Fixing This.” Sub text: “As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes”

(c)   After the 2016 Orlando Pulse shooting, the meme, “Thoughts & Prayers: The Game” came out. See: https://thoughtsandprayersthegame.com/

(d)   After 2017 and 2018 (Las Vegas and Parkland), the garbage truck meme started up.

4)     When the first Christians were being hunted like animals, not only were their prayers the ONLY thing they could do, but they are also the most effective thing they can do.

5)     AND THAT’S TRUE FOR US TODAY TOO!

B)    Lessons from Peter

1)     v. 7 – Peter was sound asleep.

(a)   “struck” – L/N – “to strike a heavy blow, implying severe damage.”

(b)   The pinnacle of faith is to be on death row, locked in a cell, literally chained to two Roman soldiers, and be so sound asleep that an angel has to whack you to wake you up.

2)     v. 8-9

(a)   The angel told Peter to do what he was able to do.

(b)   God didn’t ask Peter to defeat the full power of the Roman Empire at that moment.

(c)   He asked him to get up, get dressed, and put his shoes on.

3)     What do we do when we have zero recourse in a situation?

(a)   Do what you can do.

(b)   v. 10 – Let God worry about opening the iron gates, you just worry about walking through them.

4)     v. 11 – “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.”

C)    vv. 12-17 – He went to his people.

1)     cf. 4:23 – “When they were released, they went to their own…”

3)     God wins in the end.

A)   vv. 18-19 – Herod had the guards put to death.

1)     The first time we read about these soldiers they seem unbeatable. There are four squads of soldiers, chained to Peter and guarding the doors, and they are reduced to absolutely nothing.

2)     “disturbance”

(a)   L/N - a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion…Since tarachos refers to the type of extreme anxiety which borders on fear, it may be possible in some languages to use a double expression, ‘were greatly distressed and afraid.’

(b)   Just a quick reminder, that when you have faith in Jesus, you can sleep soundly through an impossible situation. When you don’t, you have “no little disturbance.”

3)     “…when Peter was not found Herod first examined the guards and then we are told “they were led away,” presumably for execution. This was normal Roman practice— a guard who permitted a prisoner to escape was to bear the same penalty as the escapee was to suffer.”[1]

4)     “The guards are ‘led away.’ In this context this verb is a euphemism for being led away to execution. This was frequently the cost for letting an important prisoner get away. Acts 16:27 and 27:42 show that guards would kill prisoners to prevent their own lives from being lost. Sometimes they would kill themselves to escape the execution.”[2]

B)    vv. 22-23 – Herod’s death.

1)     Herod ruled all of Judea from AD 41-44, and Josephus tells the story of his death (Josephus, Antiquities, 19:342.350 / 19:2).

2)     2. (343) Now, when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Cesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety. At which festival, a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of dignity through his province. (344) On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; (345) and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.” (346) Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But, as he presently afterwards looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. (347) He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, “I whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.” (348) When he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace; and the rumor went abroad everywhere, that he would certainly die in a little time. (349) But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king’s recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. (350) And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign…[3]

3) POINT

(a)   The outside looked impressive.

(i) All of Herod’s power and the Jews’ ability to sway him.

(ii)  People begging him for food.

(iii)          His silver clothes and “voice of a god.”

(b)   But his insides were eaten up by worms, and he died a horrible and painful death.

(c)   The same word “struck” in v. 7 (angel struck Peter) is “struck” in v. 23. God whacked him.

4) Who would have imagined at the start of this story that Peter was the one who got away, and Herod died a miserable and painful death! (I guess those thoughts and prayers aren’t so worthless after all.)

C) v. 24 – “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”

[1] Witherington.

[2] Bock.

[3] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 523–550.