Peter Is Released from Prison

Herod the king. “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church” (12:1). This Herod was a grandson of the Herod who ruled when Jesus was born. To harass means to keep troubling and hurting someone. James. “Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword” (12:2). James was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. He was the first of the apostles to die for Jesus. Not forgotten. James did not lose. He went to be with the Lord he loved. God does not always stop hard things right away, but He never leaves His people. Pleasing people. “And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also” (12:3). Herod cared more about being popular than about doing right. Peter, James and the whole first church were Jewish too. Passover week. “Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread” (12:3). This was the week of Passover, when Israel remembered how God brought them out of Egypt. Guarded. Herod “delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him” (12:4). That was sixteen soldiers in all. Herod’s plan. He was “intending to bring him before the people after Passover” (12:4). Herod thought he was in control. A picture. Many Christians see a picture of Jesus here. Jesus was also arrested at Passover time, and God raised Him from the dead. What we learn. Rulers can do wrong and hurtful things. But no ruler is bigger than God. When life feels out of control, God is still on His throne.

Herod Agrippa (12:1). “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.” This was Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great. Rome had given him the rule of Judea in AD 41. The first apostle to die (12:2). “Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” James, the son of Zebedee, was one of the three disciples closest to Jesus, with Peter and John. Why James and not Peter? Both men were faithful. God allowed one to die and set the other free. His care for His people does not always mean rescue from death, but it always means He is with them, and death cannot take them from Him. The crowd (12:3). “And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.” Peter, James and the first church were all Jewish. The danger came from a king who wanted the approval of the people around him. Unleavened Bread (12:3-4). The Days of Unleavened Bread were the feast week that began with Passover. Herod planned to bring Peter “before the people after Passover,” most likely for a public trial when the feast was over. Four squads (12:4). The Greek tetradion (say: teh-TRAH-dee-on) means a squad of four soldiers. Four squads made sixteen men, most likely taking turns through the watches of the night. A picture of Jesus. Many Christians see a picture of Jesus here: He too was seized at Passover time, and the grave could not hold Him. Application. Herod looked powerful, but he could not go one step beyond what God allowed. You can trust God when people in power do wrong.

King Herod wanted to hurt the church. He even had James, one of Jesus’ apostles, killed. That was a very sad day for the believers. James loved Jesus, and now he is with Jesus. Then Herod arrested Peter. Herod thought he was the one in charge. But God is the King over every king. It was the week of Passover. At Passover, God’s people remembered how He freed them from Egypt. Jesus was arrested at Passover time too. Many Christians see a picture of Jesus here. God raised Jesus from the grave! When bad things happen, God is still in charge.

King Herod was mean to the church. But God was still in charge of everything. God is bigger than any king in the world.

Kept in prison. “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (12:5). What the church could do. Herod had soldiers, chains and gates. The church had no swords. But they could pray, and prayer goes straight to God. Constant. Constant means without stopping. They kept on praying, day after day. By the church. The believers prayed together. Peter was not forgotten, even in prison. To God. They did not beg Herod or the soldiers. They prayed to the One who rules over every king. The last night. “And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers” (12:6). Asleep. Peter knew what Herod had done to James. Yet he was sleeping. Most likely he had put his life in God’s hands. Guards everywhere. “And the guards before the door were keeping the prison” (12:6). There was no way out, unless God made one. What we learn. When someone you love is in trouble, pray, and keep on praying. When you are afraid, you can trust God and rest.

Two kinds of keeping (12:5). “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Herod’s soldiers kept watch over Peter, and the church kept watch in prayer. Constant. This prayer was earnest and kept going, like a runner stretching toward the finish. It did not stop after one meeting. By the church. These were gathered believers praying together, as verse 12 shows: “many were gathered together praying.” Weak in the world’s eyes. The church had no army and no friends in Herod’s court. Prayer was their strength, because it brought the whole matter to God. The night before (12:6). “And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.” The trial was set for the morning. Chained to soldiers. Most likely each chain fastened Peter to one of the soldiers, so that any movement would wake them. Rest. Sleep the night before a trial is not carelessness here. It is the rest of a man whose life is in God’s hands, whatever the morning brings. Application. Prayer is not the last thing God’s people try when nothing else works. It is the first and strongest thing they do. Pray for believers in trouble, and pray together with others.

Peter was locked in jail. The believers could not open the jail door. But they could do something better. They prayed to God for Peter! The Bible says the church kept on praying. They did not pray just once. They prayed again and again. Prayer is talking to God. God hears His people when they pray together. That night Peter was sleeping. He had chains on, and soldiers were beside him. Most likely Peter was trusting God to take care of him. You can pray for people who are in trouble.

The church prayed for Peter again and again. They did not stop praying for him! You can pray for people you love too.

An angel of the Lord. “Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison” (12:7). An angel is a messenger and servant God sends. Arise quickly. The angel “struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands” (12:7). Peter was sound asleep until the angel woke him. Step by step. The angel said, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals” (12:8). Gird means to tie on your belt. Then he said, “Put on your garment and follow me.” God even cared about Peter’s sandals and coat. Like a dream. Peter “did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision” (12:9). The iron gate. They came “to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord” (12:10). Of its own accord means all by itself. Now I know. Peter said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod” (12:11). Delivered means rescued. Who did it? Peter did not praise the angel. He said the Lord had sent him. Every rescue like this comes from God. What we learn. No chain or gate is too strong for God, and He knows how to reach His people anywhere. He does not always end a hard time right away, but He is always able and always near.

Light in the prison (12:7). “Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison.” God’s light shone right into Herod’s prison. Raised up. The angel “struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands.” Peter did not break the chains or plan an escape. God did it all. Ordinary steps (12:8). “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals.” Then, “Put on your garment and follow me.” God did what only He could do, and He told Peter to do the simple things Peter could do. Real, not a vision (12:9-10). Peter thought he was seeing a vision. Yet they passed “the first and the second guard posts” and came to “the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord.” Came to himself (12:11). “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” The Greek exaireo (say: ex-eye-REH-oh) means to take out, to pull someone out of danger. The expectation. Many in Jerusalem expected Peter to be tried and put to death, as James had been. God overturned what people expected. Glory to the Sender. Peter gave the credit to “the Lord” who sent the angel, not to the angel himself. Application. God is not limited by locks, guards or rulers. Whether He rescues His people quickly, as He did Peter, or brings them home to Himself, as He did James, He is Lord over every chain.

God sent an angel to Peter. An angel is a helper God sends. A bright light filled the jail. The chains fell off Peter’s hands. No key did that, but God did! Peter walked right past the guards. The big iron gate opened all by itself. God opened every door for Peter. At first Peter thought it was a vision. Then he knew it was real. He knew the Lord had rescued him. Nothing is too hard for God! God still hears and helps His people today.

An angel woke Peter up in the jail. The chains fell right off his hands! God set Peter free.

Mary’s house. Peter “came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying” (12:12). John Mark will appear again later in Acts. Still praying. It was still night, and they were still praying. God answered while they prayed. Rhoda. “A girl named Rhoda came to answer” (12:13). Rhoda was a young servant girl in the house. Too glad to open. “When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate” (12:14). Beside yourself. They said, “You are beside yourself!” (12:15). That means they thought she was out of her mind. But Rhoda “kept insisting that it was so.” Surprised by the answer. They were praying for Peter, yet they could not believe God had answered. God was kind to them anyway. He answers even when our faith is small. Astonished. “When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished” (12:16). Go, tell. Peter told “how the Lord had brought him out of the prison” and said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren” (12:17). This James was not the apostle Herod had killed. He was most likely James, the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19). An empty cell. In the morning “there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter” (12:18). Herod searched for him and did not find him. What we learn. Keep praying, and expect God to answer in His way and His time. When He does, tell others what the Lord has done.

A house of prayer (12:12). “He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” Believers met in homes, and this home stayed open for prayer in a dangerous week. Rhoda (12:13-14). “A girl named Rhoda came to answer.” She recognized Peter’s voice, and “because of her gladness she did not open the gate.” Her joy ran ahead of her hands. “It is his angel” (12:15). When Rhoda kept insisting, the others said, “It is his angel.” They found it easier to believe in an angel at the gate than in an answer to their own prayers. Astonished (12:16). “Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” The Greek existemi (say: ex-IS-tay-mee) means to be knocked out of your usual way of thinking, amazed beyond words. Small faith, faithful God. Their prayer was real, and God answered it. Their surprise shows that God’s answers rest on His faithfulness, not on the strength of our faith. Go, tell (12:17). He “declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison” and said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” This James was most likely the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19), who later spoke as a leader in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). The empty cell (12:18-19). “There was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.” Herod searched, questioned the guards and had them put to death, then went down to Caesarea. His anger could not reach the man God had freed. Application. Pray with expectation. When God answers, give Him the credit and tell others what He has done.

Peter went to Mary’s house. Many believers were there praying for him. God answered while they were still praying! Rhoda heard Peter’s voice at the door. She was so glad that she forgot to open it. The others did not believe her at first. They were praying for Peter, yet the answer surprised them! Sometimes God answers in ways we do not expect. When they saw Peter, they were amazed. Peter told them how the Lord brought him out. He told them to tell the other believers too. Good news about God is for sharing! God hears His people, and He is always with them.

Rhoda heard Peter’s voice at the door. She was so happy that she forgot to open it! God answered the prayers of His people.