97 Peter’s Escape from Prison [Acts 12:1–17]
The Bible passage: [Acts 12:1–17]
The Story:
About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, and he killed James, John’s brother. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too. After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
On the night before Herod was going to bring him out for execution, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.
Suddenly an angel appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He woke Peter up and said, “Quick, get up!” Then the chains fell off his wrists.
The angel told him, “Get dressed, and put on your sandals. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
So he went out and followed, but he thought he was seeing a vision.
After they passed the two guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. The gate opened by itself. They went outside the city and passed one street, and the angel left him.
Then Peter understood that he wasn’t dreaming and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.”
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.
He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda answered the door. She recognized Peter’s voice. She was so excited that she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.
“You’re crazy!” they told her, but she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, “Perhaps it’s his angel!”
Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.
Motioning to them to be quiet, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. Then he told them, “Report these things to James and the brothers.”
Then he left and went to a different place.
The Lessons:
- This is Herod Agrippa, the son and grandson of the two Herods that we read about before.
- Herod was working hard to stop the growth of the church.
- We usually see angels delivering messages from God. This time, the angel was sent to release Peter.
- It’s very sad that the people were praying for Peter to get out of prison, but when they heard that he was at the door, they didn’t believe it. We need to pray with faith, believing that God can and will answer us.
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