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Sunday
January 31, 2010
Embodying Hope and Celebrating our Unity in Christ Jesus
Introduction
Acts 12:1-19: King Herod is persecuting some members of the church. Peter
is arrested and put in jail. An angel appears to him and the chains fall
off his hands. Peter leaves with the angel, thinking it is a dream. But
when he is able to leave the city and the angel disappears, he realizes
that God sent the angel to rescue him. Peter goes to the house where
people are praying for him, and everyone is amazed.
Today's Scripture: Acts 12:9Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing, however, if what the
angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
How is this Scripture passage speaking to me today? Today's Reading
1About this time King Herod
began to persecute some members of the church.
2He had James, the brother of John, put to death by
the sword.
3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he went
ahead and had Peter arrested. (This happened during the time of the
Festival of Unleavened Bread.)
4After his arrest Peter was put in
jail, where he was handed over to be guarded by four groups of four
soldiers each. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after Passover.
5So Peter was kept in jail, but the people of the
church were praying earnestly to God for him.
6The night before Herod was going to bring him out
to the people, Peter was sleeping between two guards. He was tied with two
chains, and there were guards on duty at the prison gate.
7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a
light shone in the cell. The angel shook Peter by the shoulder, woke him
up, and said,
“Hurry! Get up!” At once the chains fell off Peter's
hands.
8Then the angel said,
“Tighten your belt and put on your sandals.” Peter
did so, and the angel said,
“Put your cloak around you and come with me.”
9Peter followed him out of the prison, not knowing,
however, if what the angel was doing was real; he thought he was seeing a
vision.
10They passed by the first guard station and then
the second, and came at last to the iron gate that opens into the city.
The gate opened for them by itself, and they went out. They walked down a
street, and suddenly the angel left Peter.
11Then Peter realized what had happened to him,
and said,
“Now I know that it is really true! The Lord sent his
angel to rescue me from Herod's power and from everything the Jewish
people expected to happen.”
12Aware of his situation, he went to the home of
Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered and were
praying.
13Peter knocked at the outside door, and a servant
named Rhoda came to answer it.
14She recognized Peter's voice and was so happy
that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Peter
was standing outside.
15“You are crazy!” they
told her. But she insisted that it was true. So they answered,
“It is his angel.”
16Meanwhile Peter kept on knocking. At last they
opened the door, and when they saw him, they were amazed.
17He motioned with his hand for them to be quiet,
and he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison.
“Tell this to James and the rest of the believers,”
he said; then he left and went somewhere else.
18When morning came, there was a tremendous
confusion among the guards—what had happened to Peter?
19Herod gave orders to search for him, but they
could not find him. So he had the guards questioned and ordered them put
to death.
After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.
Reflect
How does the church respond to what happens to James and Peter? Why did
God's message continue to spread even though people tried to stop it? Why
does God's message continue to be spread in today's world?
Pray
Lord, the strength of your gospel penetrates the most entrenched systems,
the most broken communities and the hardest of hearts. Empower me as your
follower to share your good news with those who need to hear it most.
Amen.
Prayer Concern
Those who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ
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