Commentary - Acts 12:1-17

Bird's-eye view

In this chapter, Luke gives us a masterful illustration of the central conflict of all history: the kingdom of man versus the Kingdom of God. On the one side, you have Herod Agrippa I, a petty tyrant with a crown, a sword, and a prison. He represents the full bluster and impotence of the secular state when it sets itself against Christ. On the other side, you have the church of God, armed with nothing but fervent prayer. Herod has maximum security; the church has access to the throne of heaven. Herod kills James, and seeing that this pleases the unbelieving Jews, he decides to make Peter his next victim. But as Paul would later say, the Word of God is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9). Man can chain up an apostle, but he cannot chain up the God who sends the apostle. This entire account is a divine comedy, showcasing the utter futility of resisting the Almighty. God waits until the last possible moment, the very night before the planned execution, to send one angel to spring Peter, making a mockery of Herod’s sixteen soldiers, his chains, and his iron gates. The story climaxes not just with Peter’s freedom, but with the humorous unbelief of the very saints who were praying for it. It is a story of God’s overwhelming power and the church’s often underwhelming faith, and how the former triumphs regardless of the latter.

Outline

Commentary

1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to harm them.

Luke, the careful historian, pins this event in time. "About that time" places us around A.D. 44. The Herod in question is Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great. Like his grandfather, he is a man who understands political theater and the use of force. He "laid hands on" some from the church, which is a sterile way of saying he initiated a violent persecution. His motive is simple: "to harm them." The world has two basic responses to the church: conversion or persecution. There is no middle ground of polite indifference for long. Herod, a man of the world, chooses the path of every tyrant. He sees the church not as a body of worshipers but as a political problem to be managed or crushed.

2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.

The first of the apostles to be martyred is not Peter, the outspoken leader, but James. This is the son of Zebedee, one of the "sons of thunder." He and his brother John had once asked Jesus for the seats of honor in His kingdom. Jesus replied by asking if they could drink the cup He was to drink, and they affirmed that they could (Mark 10:38-39). Here, James drinks that cup. He is not crucified or stoned, but dispatched "with a sword," a beheading, which was a Roman form of execution. This was a brutal, straightforward act of state power. Herod is sending a message. But God is sending a different one. The church is not built on the safety of its leaders, but on the blood of its martyrs, which is the seed of the church.

3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

Herod's motivation is laid bare. He is a man-pleaser, a poll-watcher. The execution of James was a political success; it "pleased the Jews," meaning the antagonistic leadership and the Jerusalem mob they could stir up. So, like any politician doubling down on a popular policy, he proceeds to arrest Peter. The timing is significant. It was "during the days of Unleavened Bread," the festival connected to the Passover. The irony is thick. The Jews are celebrating their historic deliverance from bondage in Egypt, while simultaneously delighting in the persecution of those who preach the ultimate deliverance through Christ, the true Passover Lamb. They are celebrating a shadow, having rejected the substance.

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.

This is not a simple holding cell. Peter is delivered to four squads of soldiers. A squad was four men, so sixteen soldiers were assigned to guard one fisherman. They would work in shifts, with two soldiers chained to the prisoner and two guarding the door. This is maximum security. Herod is taking no chances. The apostles had a history of mysteriously getting out of jail (Acts 5:19). Herod intends to make a public spectacle of Peter "after the Passover." He wants to put on a show for the people, likely a trial followed by a public execution. The world loves to parade its power, to show everyone who is in charge. But God specializes in overturning the plans of proud men.

5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

Here is the central contrast of the story. On the one hand, Peter in prison, guarded by sixteen soldiers. On the other, the church at prayer. The Greek indicates the prayer was earnest, intense, stretched-out. This is the church's only weapon. They did not form a militia to storm the prison. They did not organize a protest. They prayed. And they prayed to God, the one who holds the king's heart in His hand. The world sees the chains, the guards, the stone walls. God sees the prayers of His people ascending to His throne. The real battle is not in the prison, but in the heavenlies. Herod thinks he has Peter, but the church knows who has Herod.

6 Now 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.

God's timing is impeccable. He waits until the last night. The execution is scheduled for the next day. Humanly speaking, all hope is lost. And what is Peter doing? Panicking? Trying to file at his chains? No, he is sleeping. He is sleeping so soundly that an angel has to strike him to wake him up. This is the peace of a man who knows his life is in God's hands. He is chained between two soldiers, a picture of utter helplessness. But his conscience is clear, and his trust is in God. He learned his lesson from the night he denied Christ. This time, there is no fear, only a serene trust that allows him to sleep on what is supposed to be his deathbed.

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, “Rise up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.

The deliverance begins. It is not a subtle affair. "Behold," Luke says, telling us to pay attention. An angel "suddenly appeared." Heaven invaded the prison. A light shines in the darkness, a classic biblical theme. The angel has to physically strike Peter to rouse him. This is not a dream. The command is urgent: "Rise up quickly." And as a simple matter of fact, "his chains fell off his hands." No human effort was required. The chains were a symbol of Herod's power, and they fall away impotently at the command of God's messenger. The power of the state is nothing when confronted with the power of God.

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 garment around yourself and follow me.”

Peter is still dazed, and the angel has to walk him through the basic steps of getting dressed. "Gird yourself", that is, tie up your tunic. Put on your sandals. Get your outer cloak. This is all very practical. God is not interested in a mystical, out-of-body experience here. This is a real, physical jailbreak. Peter is to walk out of this prison on his own two feet. He is to follow the angel. Obedience is simple, even when you don't fully understand what is happening. Peter simply "did so."

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 was thinking he was seeing a vision.

Peter's perspective is clouded. The event is so miraculous, so far outside the bounds of normal experience, that his mind cannot process it as reality. He thinks it must be a vision. This is a wonderful touch of realism. Miracles are not mundane. When God truly breaks in, it can be disorienting. Peter is moving, he is following, but his mind is lagging behind the reality of God's deliverance.

10 And when they had passed the first and second guard posts, 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.

They walk right past the guards. The sixteen soldiers are rendered completely useless. They pass the first post, then the second. No one sees them. No one hears them. The final obstacle is the main iron gate. This would have been a massive, heavy barrier. And it "opened for them by itself." The Greek is automatē, from which we get our word "automatic." God's will is being done, and creation complies. Once Peter is safely out in the city, the angel's job is done, and he departs. God provides the miracle, but now Peter must walk in it.

11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now truly I know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

The fog lifts. Standing alone in the cool night air, Peter "came to himself." The reality of it all crashes in on him. This was not a vision. This was a rescue. He articulates the truth plainly: the Lord sent His angel and rescued him. He was delivered from two things: the "hand of Herod," representing the power of the state, and the "expecting" of the Jewish people, representing the murderous desire of the mob. God has thwarted both the tyrant and the bloodthirsty crowd.

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.

Having been delivered, Peter's first instinct is to go to his people. He goes to a known Christian meeting place, the house of Mary, who was the mother of John Mark (the future gospel writer) and the aunt of Barnabas. And what were they doing there? They were having their prayer meeting. This is the very group whose prayers God had just answered in such a spectacular fashion.

13 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.

The scene shifts from high drama to high comedy. Peter, the object of their intense prayers, is standing outside knocking. A servant-girl named Rhoda comes to the door. She is a nobody in the world's eyes, but God has written her name into His eternal Word. She is about to become a wonderful illustration of faith and folly.

14 And when she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate. But she ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

Rhoda recognizes Peter's voice, and she is overcome with joy. This is a genuine, unfeigned delight. God has answered their prayers! But in her joyful excitement, she completely forgets the most practical and obvious thing to do, which is to let Peter in. Instead, she leaves the celebrity escapee standing out in the street, where he could be discovered at any moment, and runs back inside to tell the others.

15 And 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.”

Here is the punchline. The prayer warriors, the ones who had been "fervently" petitioning God for Peter's release, are told that Peter is at the door, and their immediate, pious response is, "You are insane." They were praying for a miracle, but they did not actually expect one. Rhoda insists, but they have a more "spiritual" explanation. It cannot be Peter; it must be his guardian angel. They would rather believe in a ghostly apparition than in a direct answer to their own prayers. This is a profound encouragement to all of us. God answers our prayers not because of the strength of our faith, but because of His grace and power. He is not limited by our spiritual feebleness.

16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded.

Meanwhile, the answered prayer is still outside, making a racket. Peter keeps knocking, probably a little more urgently now. Finally, they go see for themselves. When they open the door and see him, they are "astounded." They are shocked to see that God actually did what they asked Him to do. Their astonishment is a testimony to God's glorious sense of humor and His great mercy.

17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he recounted to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.

Peter has to quiet them down. Their astonished cries could attract the wrong kind of attention. He quickly gives them the report, not of what he did, or what the angel did, but "how the Lord had led him out." All glory goes to God. He then gives instructions to inform the leadership. The James mentioned here is not the one Herod killed, but James the brother of Jesus, who had become the leader of the Jerusalem church. And then, with great practical wisdom, Peter leaves. He goes "to another place." He is a wanted man. This was a real jailbreak, and there are real consequences. Peter does not presume upon God's protection by being foolish. He was on the lam for Jesus, and he acted like it. This is not a lack of faith, but the proper exercise of God-given sense.