Acts 12:11-25 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 12:11-25. Let’s go!
Acts 12:11-12 (NIV)
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
On verses 11-12: Peter now realizes that the deliverance from prison he was dreaming about was actually real. His first instinct is to go to the house of Mary, mother of John-Mark, where many are praying for him. Peter wants those praying for him to see for themselves the incredible deliverance God made possible for him, knowing how much encouragement that would bring to them.
Acts 12:13-16 (NIV)
13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
On verses 13-16: Acts is not without its moments of humor. Funny how Rhoda answers the door, hears Peter, tells everyone in the house that Peter is outside, but doesn’t open the door! I wonder if we do that with Jesus sometimes? We hear Jesus knocking on our door, we even tell others that we think He is knocking, but we never get around to opening the door. When Jesus knocks, let’s be sure not only to recognize His voice but also to open the door and let Him in. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Acts 12:17 (NIV)
17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
On verse 17: Peter didn’t take God’s incredible deliverance for granted. Peter knows that the risk of him being executed for his faith is still looming and he doesn’t want to put him or his church family in any further danger. So Peter leaves for an undisclosed place, possibly to hide temporarily. Likewise, when God rescues you from great trouble or temptation, don’t take His rescuing for granted. Be careful to avoid situations where you can easily get into the same trouble once again.
Acts 12:18-22 (NIV)
18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while.
20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.
22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”
On verse 22: Likely the only reason the people of Tyre and Sidon were calling Herod a god and not a man was not because they truly believed he was a god, but because they depended on Herod for their food supply and were flattering him, stroking his ego (v20). Yet Herod takes their praises seriously.
Acts 12:23 (NIV)
23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
On verse 23: Interestingly, Luke’s account here of Herod’s sudden death is corroborated by the ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, who was not a Christian. In Book XIX, chapter 8 of his book Antiquities (http://www.
Contrast the way Herod accepted the claims of divinity from the crowd with the way that Peter would stop people repeatedly from bowing down and worshiping him (see Acts 3:12; 10:25-26). It reminds me of Proverbs 27:21 which says, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but a person is tested by the praise they receive.” You and I will be tested from time to time by the praise people give concerning us. May we always respond to praise in healthy and humble ways.
Acts 12:24-25 (NIV)
24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
On verses 24-25: While Herod dies, the church continues to grow and the word of God continues to spread. Human kings can appear invincible yet they will eventually die, while the church can sometimes appear weak but it will never die and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Holy Spirit, may I never take Your rescuing and deliverance for granted. Also, since we are tested by the praise we receive, I pray that I would respond to people’s praise in healthy, humble, constructive ways that bring glory to You, health to me, and blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
