Sometime before Agabus’ prophecy of severe famine throughout the Roman Empire, Herod Agrippa I, ruler of Palestine, began to violently seize Christians in Jerusalem. He executed James, the brother of John, making James the first apostle martyred. When Herod observed that the Jews in Jerusalem were pleased with his brutal treatment of Christians, he became further emboldened and proceeded to arrest Peter as well during the days of Passover. Herod held Peter in prison, planning to bring him out after Passover for a public execution before the people. But very importantly, God’s people were earnestly praying to God about Peter’s perilous condition.
On the very night before Peter’s planned execution, as Peter slept soundly while chained to 2 Roman soldiers, an angel sent by Jesus suddenly appeared in the darkened cell with heavenly light suddenly illuminating the cell. When he woke Peter, Peter’s chains fell away from his hands. The angel commanded Peter to quickly dress and follow him out of the prison. When they reached the outermost door, it automatically opened, an act of God’s might. Shortly after leaving the prison, the angel left Peter just as quickly as he had appeared.
Peter then snapped into a full realization that the Lord had sent His angel to rescue him from Herod’s hand and the Jewish people’s expectations of his death. Immediately, he went to Mary’s house, a well-known meeting place. There, many Christians were praying for him. When he knocked on the door, Rhoda, the gatekeeper, recognized his voice, and ran into the house with great joy to tell the people that Peter was there! As Peter continued to knock at the gate (which Rhoda had not opened), the people refused to believe Rhoda’s proclamation of the good news. But Rhoda would not be deterred. Despite the people telling her she was out of her mind, she insisted that Peter had been delivered by God.
Eventually, they opened the door and were astonished to see Peter standing there. Peter explained this amazing story of God saving him from the murderous clutches of Herod. He instructed them to tell all that had occurred to James (Jesus’ half-brother) and to the other elders of the church. Peter then went to an undisclosed location to keep away from Herod.
In the morning, the soldiers were stunned to find Peter missing in the morning. A massive manhunt was made for him, but Peter was not found anywhere. Herod interrogated the soldiers, and, finding no satisfactory or plausible answer as to how Peter could have escaped such a heavily guarded prison cell, he ordered the soldiers responsible for guarding Peter to be executed for dereliction of duty. Rendered powerless by God, Herod departed Jerusalem to spend a period of time in Caesarea. But just as God got the glory over Pharaoh in the Exodus, so too would He get the glory over this arrogant ruler who also sought to destroy God’s people.
You can listen to this teaching on Acts 12:1-19 by clicking on the following link: When God’s People Pray
