Acts 12
"Touch not My anointed ones"
e27
1 ¶ About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Chapter 12 begins with “About that time”. This is like Luke saying, “Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem …” We had left off in chapter 11 with a time of spiritual harvest in the town of Antioch, Syria.
The church's growth sparked interest with the elders in the Jerusalem church and they had sent Barnabas to investigate.
Barnabas sees a ministry opportunity for Saul, the ex-persecutor of Christians, and goes to Tarsus to get him. Both Barnabas and Saul spend an entire year assisting the church in Antioch. This must have been a good opportunity for Saul to get first hand training in Christian church basics.
Prophets from Jerusalem visit the Antioch church and Prophet Agabus predicts a coming famine. The church, not knowing how soon the famine would be coming, immediately began collecting money, and perhaps goods, to bring to the Jerusalem church.
Why bring the donations to Jerusalem? Why would the famine hit there any worse than anywhere else? My thoughts are that these visitors from Jerusalem would possess current information about the state of affairs in the church. Even prior to a famine’s coming, it would appear that this church is struggling. They would be experiencing the after effects of ‘having had all things in common’ prior to the persecution that scattered them all. The cost of feeding thousands of members would have been huge. Perhaps many of them had not been holding down jobs.
But add to that, the remaining members are living in a situation where Christians are not liked or welcomed. Finding employment was likely near impossible. So help was already needed, even before the famine arrived. Donations to the Jerusalem church might just put them in better shape to fend off starvation.
So, meanwhile, we allow the writer, Luke, to bring our thoughts back to the Jerusalem church. The church has been growing again. Its numbers had dropped from thousands down to twelve. One would think that the persecutors … the Jewish public and the Jewish leaders would be satisfied. But the church is growing again. Public sentiment was still very much against them.
So we read, 1 ¶ About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
King Herod is not just a member of the general public, nor is he a Jewish leader. He is not a part of the Jewish Sanhedrin court. He is not a Pharisee. Who is he?
He is known as Herod the second. He was born about 10 years before Jesus was born. Ethnically he was an Edomite. That is, a descendant of Esau, Jacob’s brother. His father would have been the king which had all of the baby boys killed at the time of Jesus’ birth. Rome had granted Herod’s family the responsibility and privilege of ruling in Judea and surrounding provinces.
Herod II died in the year 44. The current date of this chapter was about the year 43. There will be more about this later in the chapter.
Here, in verse one, we have Herod wanting to appear as a good king over the Jews. He has come to notice just how much the Jews despised the Christians, so he takes an action that will please the Jews.
2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,
3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, …
Herod’s killing of James was no random act. He targeted one of the most obvious of the church leaders. In my opinion, James was considered the main lead pastor of the church. At this point he would have held that position for about 8 years.
By the way, several men with the name of James are mentioned in scripture. James, the son of Zebedee. James the less (or little James), and James, the Lord’s half-brother.
The one killed by Herod was James, the son of Zebedee. His brother was the apostle John. James, John and Peter are mentioned several times in the New Testament. James and John were nick-named ‘the Sons of thunder’ by Jesus.
Now, one of the sons of thunder has been killed by Herod. Why was he not miraculously protected by God? Was it somebody’s fault? Did the church not hold up their leaders in prayer as faithfully as they should have? Was there some ‘secret sin’ in James’s life? Or should we consider that God blessed him by graduating him to heaven? These are questions for which we do not have answers. But questions which we should ponder in relation to our own church leaders.
At any rate, James is taken to heaven, and no matter how we answer the questions, God is involved in this. But God will hold Herod responsible for this heartless act, as we will see in a few verses.
But first, Herod, seeing that it pleased the Jews, proceeded to take the next most popular leader, Apostle Peter.
3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
The days of unleavened bread comprised a full week of the Jews ridding their homes of any signs of leaven prior to the Passover Feast. Many thousands of Jews would make the trip to Jerusalem for the occasion. What an ideal time for Herod to make a good impression on them.
He arrests Peter.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 ¶ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
The church fears, or at least expects, that Peter’s life is in danger and they do the only thing that can remove a feeling of helplessness … they pray. James had been taken from them suddenly. Surely this would affect the urgency of their prayers for Peter. As a church, to pray constantly would have to include prayer meetings, then prayer at home with their family, then prayer in their prayer closets, praying alone. It may be that prayer groups agreed to be taking turns, praying right around the clock.
Meanwhile, in the prison; 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, (after Passover) Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
We don’t know how many days Peter was in prison, but it could have been close to seven. If God is going to answer the prayers of the church for Peter, why does it seem like He waits for the last minute? When Jesus raised His friend Lazarus back to life, why did He wait for four days before coming to the scene? What we know for certain is that God is always on time. We also know that God can achieve multiple benefits in His time and in His way of doing things. We can learn that our hope should be in God alone. We can learn to lean upon Him and leave the outcome to His wisdom.
I think it is safe to assume that Peter spoke about the Saviour to his guards. And if the guards were changed several times during Peter’s stay, several ‘new names’ may have been written down in glory.
Peter may have been thinking that his days are numbered and that he would be joining both James and Stephen very shortly. He may have thought his death to be imminent. And yet he slept. In times like that nothing else matters but being at peace with our God.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."
Guards were posted outside the prison door. Guards were on either side of Peter. Peter could not leave, visitors could not come in, and yet Peter receives a visitor.
Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
That is a comforting thought. But James also had an angel of the Lord encamping ‘around’ him, to deliver him. So what happened? God, in His plan and wisdom delivered him from the hands of Herod and took him straight to heaven.
In Peter’s case, light flooded the dark prison, Peter was jarred awake, chains fell off, guards continued sleeping, the angel spoke to Peter, 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
Peter seems to have needed a moment. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
Luke includes a few details about Peter’s release and how it affected the church.
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"
Keep in mind that the writer, Luke, was not here as a witness. He was not one of the twelve disciples nor a part of the Jerusalem church. He became a believer under the ministry of Paul and became Paul’s companion and personal physician. For him to write with such detail seems to show how much he enjoyed hearing these stories and recording them.
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
Tell these things to James …but James is no longer here. Did Peter forget? I don’t think so. In the interval between Herod’s killing James and then arresting Peter, a second James has been appointed leader of the Jerusalem church. This James is the Lord’s half brother who was not a believer until Jesus appeared to Him personally after His resurrection.
Following Peter’s release …18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Well this sounds like the end of the story. But it is not.
20 ¶ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Herod is dead. Pride goes before a fall. When he killed James it was so that he would look good to his constituents. When he reached for Peter, it was more of the same. It was all about him.
Now he had given an oration and willingly took the praise and worship as if he were a god.
But, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7
God has said, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"Ps 105.15
Herod dared to touch God’s anointed ones … and God took him out. Judgment does not always occur immediately. It may be difficult for us to wait, but Paul says this to us, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Ro 12:19
Judgment is sure.
As he concludes this chapter Luke notes,
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
Chapter 12 begins with “About that time”. This is like Luke saying, “Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem …” We had left off in chapter 11 with a time of spiritual harvest in the town of Antioch, Syria.
The church's growth sparked interest with the elders in the Jerusalem church and they had sent Barnabas to investigate.
Barnabas sees a ministry opportunity for Saul, the ex-persecutor of Christians, and goes to Tarsus to get him. Both Barnabas and Saul spend an entire year assisting the church in Antioch. This must have been a good opportunity for Saul to get first hand training in Christian church basics.
Prophets from Jerusalem visit the Antioch church and Prophet Agabus predicts a coming famine. The church, not knowing how soon the famine would be coming, immediately began collecting money, and perhaps goods, to bring to the Jerusalem church.
Why bring the donations to Jerusalem? Why would the famine hit there any worse than anywhere else? My thoughts are that these visitors from Jerusalem would possess current information about the state of affairs in the church. Even prior to a famine’s coming, it would appear that this church is struggling. They would be experiencing the after effects of ‘having had all things in common’ prior to the persecution that scattered them all. The cost of feeding thousands of members would have been huge. Perhaps many of them had not been holding down jobs.
But add to that, the remaining members are living in a situation where Christians are not liked or welcomed. Finding employment was likely near impossible. So help was already needed, even before the famine arrived. Donations to the Jerusalem church might just put them in better shape to fend off starvation.
So, meanwhile, we allow the writer, Luke, to bring our thoughts back to the Jerusalem church. The church has been growing again. Its numbers had dropped from thousands down to twelve. One would think that the persecutors … the Jewish public and the Jewish leaders would be satisfied. But the church is growing again. Public sentiment was still very much against them.
So we read, 1 ¶ About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
King Herod is not just a member of the general public, nor is he a Jewish leader. He is not a part of the Jewish Sanhedrin court. He is not a Pharisee. Who is he?
He is known as Herod the second. He was born about 10 years before Jesus was born. Ethnically he was an Edomite. That is, a descendant of Esau, Jacob’s brother. His father would have been the king which had all of the baby boys killed at the time of Jesus’ birth. Rome had granted Herod’s family the responsibility and privilege of ruling in Judea and surrounding provinces.
Herod II died in the year 44. The current date of this chapter was about the year 43. There will be more about this later in the chapter.
Here, in verse one, we have Herod wanting to appear as a good king over the Jews. He has come to notice just how much the Jews despised the Christians, so he takes an action that will please the Jews.
2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,
3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, …
Herod’s killing of James was no random act. He targeted one of the most obvious of the church leaders. In my opinion, James was considered the main lead pastor of the church. At this point he would have held that position for about 8 years.
By the way, several men with the name of James are mentioned in scripture. James, the son of Zebedee. James the less (or little James), and James, the Lord’s half-brother.
The one killed by Herod was James, the son of Zebedee. His brother was the apostle John. James, John and Peter are mentioned several times in the New Testament. James and John were nick-named ‘the Sons of thunder’ by Jesus.
Now, one of the sons of thunder has been killed by Herod. Why was he not miraculously protected by God? Was it somebody’s fault? Did the church not hold up their leaders in prayer as faithfully as they should have? Was there some ‘secret sin’ in James’s life? Or should we consider that God blessed him by graduating him to heaven? These are questions for which we do not have answers. But questions which we should ponder in relation to our own church leaders.
At any rate, James is taken to heaven, and no matter how we answer the questions, God is involved in this. But God will hold Herod responsible for this heartless act, as we will see in a few verses.
But first, Herod, seeing that it pleased the Jews, proceeded to take the next most popular leader, Apostle Peter.
3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
The days of unleavened bread comprised a full week of the Jews ridding their homes of any signs of leaven prior to the Passover Feast. Many thousands of Jews would make the trip to Jerusalem for the occasion. What an ideal time for Herod to make a good impression on them.
He arrests Peter.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 ¶ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
The church fears, or at least expects, that Peter’s life is in danger and they do the only thing that can remove a feeling of helplessness … they pray. James had been taken from them suddenly. Surely this would affect the urgency of their prayers for Peter. As a church, to pray constantly would have to include prayer meetings, then prayer at home with their family, then prayer in their prayer closets, praying alone. It may be that prayer groups agreed to be taking turns, praying right around the clock.
Meanwhile, in the prison; 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, (after Passover) Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.
We don’t know how many days Peter was in prison, but it could have been close to seven. If God is going to answer the prayers of the church for Peter, why does it seem like He waits for the last minute? When Jesus raised His friend Lazarus back to life, why did He wait for four days before coming to the scene? What we know for certain is that God is always on time. We also know that God can achieve multiple benefits in His time and in His way of doing things. We can learn that our hope should be in God alone. We can learn to lean upon Him and leave the outcome to His wisdom.
I think it is safe to assume that Peter spoke about the Saviour to his guards. And if the guards were changed several times during Peter’s stay, several ‘new names’ may have been written down in glory.
Peter may have been thinking that his days are numbered and that he would be joining both James and Stephen very shortly. He may have thought his death to be imminent. And yet he slept. In times like that nothing else matters but being at peace with our God.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."
Guards were posted outside the prison door. Guards were on either side of Peter. Peter could not leave, visitors could not come in, and yet Peter receives a visitor.
Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
That is a comforting thought. But James also had an angel of the Lord encamping ‘around’ him, to deliver him. So what happened? God, in His plan and wisdom delivered him from the hands of Herod and took him straight to heaven.
In Peter’s case, light flooded the dark prison, Peter was jarred awake, chains fell off, guards continued sleeping, the angel spoke to Peter, 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
Peter seems to have needed a moment. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
Luke includes a few details about Peter’s release and how it affected the church.
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.
15 They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"
Keep in mind that the writer, Luke, was not here as a witness. He was not one of the twelve disciples nor a part of the Jerusalem church. He became a believer under the ministry of Paul and became Paul’s companion and personal physician. For him to write with such detail seems to show how much he enjoyed hearing these stories and recording them.
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
Tell these things to James …but James is no longer here. Did Peter forget? I don’t think so. In the interval between Herod’s killing James and then arresting Peter, a second James has been appointed leader of the Jerusalem church. This James is the Lord’s half brother who was not a believer until Jesus appeared to Him personally after His resurrection.
Following Peter’s release …18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Well this sounds like the end of the story. But it is not.
20 ¶ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
22 And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Herod is dead. Pride goes before a fall. When he killed James it was so that he would look good to his constituents. When he reached for Peter, it was more of the same. It was all about him.
Now he had given an oration and willingly took the praise and worship as if he were a god.
But, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7
God has said, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"Ps 105.15
Herod dared to touch God’s anointed ones … and God took him out. Judgment does not always occur immediately. It may be difficult for us to wait, but Paul says this to us, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Ro 12:19
Judgment is sure.
As he concludes this chapter Luke notes,
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.