Acts 12

This devotional is written by Sarah Harris.

Peter's miraculous escape from prison
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, 'Put on your clothes and sandals.' And Peter did so. 'Wrap your cloak round you and follow me,' the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, 'Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.'

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 named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognised 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 other brothers and sisters 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.

Herod's death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarrelling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply.

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, 'This is the voice of a god, not of a man.' 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul sent off
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Peter knew all about getting it wrong. At several points in the Gospels we see him fail to understand and fail to be faithful. His doubts get in the way: he sinks into the waters after walking upon them, and he denies his friend and master three times, despite passionately protesting that he would never do so.

But in Acts, Peter has come into his own. Gone are the days of doubt and weakness. He was previously terrified of being persecuted because of his association with Jesus, but his reaction to being imprisoned because of his work now to spread the gospel is now to sit tight. There are no fervent denials this time - and God moves to free him in an incredible, dramatic way. It feels like an escape worthy of a Hollywood film! He declares afterward "now I know without a doubt", and when doubts were expressed as to whether it could really be him at Mary's house, he also continued to persevere - no giving up here. Acts Peter is the man on whom the church is built.

I love seeing the transformation in Peter, and knowing that God can work through any of us, despite our weaknesses and our doubts. Be honest with God about where you feel weak, where you have doubts and let him heal you. Work through it with him. Your weaknesses and doubts don't count you out of doing God's work!