Acts Bible Study: Day 20
Today’s passage: Acts 12:1–17
Focus verse: “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (Acts 12:15)
After Saul decides to stop fighting Jesus and follow him, the church enjoys a time of peace, one with little persecution. Then King Herod gets involved.
To harass Jesus’s church, Herod arrests John’s brother James and executes him. This pleases the Jewish leaders, so Herod grabs Peter next, hoping to earn more favor by killing him too.
This happens during the Passover, which is an inconvenient time for a trial and execution, so Herod puts Peter in prison, guarded by sixteen soldiers.
Once the Passover celebration is over, Herod will try Peter with the expectation of another execution.
This is the third time Peter’s been in jail for serving Jesus. Peter’s first arrest happened after he healed a lame man. They released Peter because they couldn’t deny what happened, and all the people were praising God.
The second time, a group of apostles, including Peter, was imprisoned. An angel rescues them, unlocking the doors and letting them out. It’s a supernatural jailbreak.
Will God intervene again to free Peter or will Herod prevail in killing his prisoner, just as he did with James?
The church gathers to pray for Peter. They intercede in earnest. For most of us, our prayers today seldom address life or death issues, but for Peter, that’s exactly what he faces. Without divine intervention he will surely die.
As Peter languishes in prison, the church prays. The night before his trial begins, an angel appears. The cell lights up. The angel nudges Peter to rouse him. Chained between two soldiers, the restraints fall off without waking the guards.
“Quick,” the angel says. “Get dressed and follow me.”
Peter thinks it’s a vision. They pass two sets of guards and reach an iron gate. It opens by itself, and they move through. They walk down the street. Then the angel disappears.
Peter realizes it’s not a vision and that he’s free. He heads to Mary’s house, which is where Team Jesus is having their prayer meeting. He knocks, anxious to get off the street before soldiers find and recapture him.
Rhoda, one of the believers who is praying for Peter, goes to the door. She hears his voice and, full of excitement, runs back to tell everyone that Peter is safe. But in her haste, she neglects to unlatch the door.
The people earnestly praying for Peter don’t believe her. Even though they pray in faith, they have a sliver of doubt that doesn’t allow them to accept that God answered their prayers.
Peter keeps knocking, and they finally let him in. They’re shocked. He updates them on what happened and leaves town in a hurry.
Questions:
- How do we understand faith and doubt?
- Which one is more common for us?
[Discover more about God’s divine intervention for his imprisoned servants in Acts 5:18–19 and Acts 16:22–28.]
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read more about the book of Acts in Acts Bible Study: Discover How the Early Church Can Inform What We Do Today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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