Acts 12:7–12, 16–19

Explore the Bible
Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile

Extraordinary

Acts 12:7–12,16–19 

Deliverance (7–10)

So far in the biblical account, the persecution was largely instigated by the religious authorities. Now, however, the government began to initiate the persecution. Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, killed James earlier and now he was going to kill Peter. However, it was not time for Peter to die. God sent an angel to free Peter from prison. 

It is interesting to see God’s sovereignty in this story. James was killed by Herod, but Peter was spared. Why? We do not know why God chose to save Peter and not James, but we need to trust God’s sovereignty. 

Often, Christians question whether or not God is there in our time of need. We have seen loved ones die without God intervening to extend their lives. But this should not cause us to question God’s sovereignty. We need to trust that God works for our own good — we see this in Romans 8:28. God loves us and wants what is best for us, but sometimes we do not see it that way. 

Just as a child may not understand why he is being disciplined and may think his parent harsh for doing so, it is out of love that parents discipline children. Because we know God loves us (Rom. 5:8) we can trust Him even when circumstances try to make us question God. 

We need to be grounded in Scripture so that when trials come our way, we can lean on the promises of God to help us through. And how we handle trials can serve as a witness to other Christians and strengthen their faith. 

It also can serve as a witness to non-Christians by showing them that the hope we have is not contingent upon our circumstances, but is instead in Christ who lives within us.

Delight (11–12)

Once Peter was rescued, it took him a few minutes to realize what had happened. Just because Peter was saved in this miraculous fashion doesn’t mean God will rescue us in dire circumstances. 

Some Christians believe that if you just have enough faith, God will keep you from bad circumstances. The Bible repeatedly shows that this is clearly not the case. Paul had plenty of faith and yet was executed by the Romans. Jesus says we will suffer if we follow Him, so we should not be surprised if the world hates us (see John 15:18–19).

Determined (16–17)

Peter shared his miraculous rescue with the other Christians. It is important for us to remember to share with other believers how God has answered our prayers. These believers had been praying for Peter’s release and God answered their prayers. Telling others of God’s love and care for us is an important aspect of Christian fellowship. It builds up the faith of believers and this is crucial, especially when society is opposed to Christianity. 

Disturbance (18–19)

The escape of Peter brought frustration to the authorities. Governments have been trying to silence Christianity since its inception, but all have failed. In fact, it often seems that the harder the authorities try to stamp out Christianity, the less they succeed. 

This is encouraging for us today. In spite of a world that often plots against Christianity, we can have hope that the Church will never be destroyed. The very gates of hell cannot prevail against it, which gives us the strength to live in confidence that God is for us. And if God is for us, who can be against us (see Rom. 8:31–39)?