SERMON               Herod Harasses the Church

                                       Acts 12: 1-24                                    

      Pastor Robyn Hogue                   July 26, 2015                   Skyline Presbyterian Church

 

Discouragement over what we perceive as unanswered prayer in the past wilts our willingness to pray. We assume there was no answer because what happened was not what we wanted. Our limited view of time and eternity narrows our own perception of what an answer should be. Even after years of seeing God use what we thought were problems for a greater potential, we forget that experience and get caught in judging what God will do in a present situation on the basis of what we thought God should have done previously, but didn’t. This, perhaps, was what the church in Jerusalem was facing. “We prayed for James and he was beheaded; what else can we expect for Peter?”

How many of us know someone who has closed their heart against God because at one time in the past they prayed for something and God failed to provide that specific request? It can be enough to turn some away from God for the rest of their lives. Now imagine with me praying to a God who granted everything we asked for at the minute we asked for it and in just exactly the way we asked for it. Can that god be worthy of our worship, allegiance and praise? Can the creator of the cosmos be summoned and directed by mortals? Scripture reveals a relationship between God and humanity where each is free. God does not direct every human action as if we were puppets on celestial strings. And humans do not direct God’s will. We influence it, yes. But direct it; control it? No.

 

We can make no sense of the tragic death of James. But on the night that Herod was about to bring Peter out, the angel of the Lord appeared in the prison to set him free. The sleeping apostle did not wake easily. I don’t know about you, but I doubt very much that I would have dropped off into a deep and trusting sleep the way Peter had if I was chained between two Roman guards while facing my execution in the morning.

 

Apparently Peter did not respond to the calling of his name. The angel kicked Peter in the side, told him to get up and get his sandals and robe. It was time to get out of there. I don’t know how you picture angels or angels at work. But I doubt this is the way we picture them very often!

 

What happened next was a three-part miracle. The first part was to get Peter out of the chains fettered to the arms of the guards on each side. The second was to get him past the guard posts. And the third was to get him through the iron gate of the wall surrounding the whole prison. The angel accomplished all three without the guards being roused. It wasn’t until Peter and the angel were out of the prison and down the street that he fully woke up!

 

Once awake, he makes his way to the Christian fellowship gathered at the home of Barnabas’s aunt, the mother of John Mark, the site of the Upper Room. Peter was the church’s answer to prayer on two feet. An outer courtyard probably separated Mark’s home from the street. A heavy wooden gate was the only way inside, and it would have been rightly locked. These were dangerous days for those early Christians. Every precaution for safety was taken; at least here would be an early warning of the intrusion of Herod’s soldiers or the temple guard. Can we imagine what Peter’s feeling? Relief? Fear over being caught again? Excitement to tell the people of The Way that their prayers have been answered?

 

He knocks. And waits. He knocks again. He knocks more loudly. What’s going on inside the huddled fellowship? Finally a young woman named Rhoda is sent by the praying church to see who is interrupting their prayers for Peter. Peter urges her to open the gate. But she is so amazed at recognizing peter’s voice on the other side of the gate that she does not open the lock. She leaves Peter and runs to tell the others. They think she’s crazy or that she’s seen an angel. They were praying…expecting the worst…and not able to see God’s best. We can be like that too.

 

All this while, Peter continuously knocks. God’s answered prayer in the form of Peter at the outer gate continues to present himself until he is recognized. When finally they opened the gate, the praying fellowship is astonished to see Peter. He has to motion them to be silent so that he can get a word in edge-wise to share with them the wondrous story.

 

Herod’s reaction to Peter’s escape was so violent that he killed the guards to assure that no one would hear of the miraculous escape. He was attempting to placate the religious leaders and help them suppress this new religious movement. There was a famine in Jerusalem at the time and he hoped James’ and Peter’s execution would divert the people’s attention from Herod’s failure to provide famine relief.

 

Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there. (Verse 19)

 

There was no small stir: This is one of the great understatements of the Bible. Herod was furious that his prized prisoner had escaped. He examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death: The execution of the guards was customary. In that day, if a guard’s prisoner escaped, the guard was given the penalty due to the prisoner - in this case, death. Perhaps to draw attention further away from Jerusalem, Herod draws the media to the people of Tyre and Sidon, who are anxious to please Herod in exchange for food.

 

Herod receives the overstated praise of the people of Tyre and Sidon when they chant “The voice of a god and not of a man!” It is in human nature to look for political deliverers and messiahs, and the people of Tyre and Sidon seemed to praise Herod as if he were a god. For his part, Herod enjoyed it, taking the glory unto himself as if he were a god. But he was not. He was human. And he died a very painful death.

The ancient Jewish historian Josephus – writing to the Roman world – also described the death of Herod in gory detail (Antiquities, XIX.8.2).

“He put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and one from another (though not for his good), that he was a god…A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner…when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life.”

We’ve seen an awful king and an awkward church so far. Now we see a dead king and a dynamic church.

The contrast between Herod and the church was clear. Herod believed he had the upper hand against God’s people, but could not prevail against the gospel.

Herod fought against God. He killed James but didn’t defeat God’s plan. He arrested Peter, but the church saw God rescue Peter and the apostle’s work continue.

Again in the master of the understatement, Luke writes “But the word of God continued to increase and spread.” Indeed, one cannot fail to admire the artistry with which Luke depicts the complete reversal of the church’s situation. At the beginning Herod is on the rampage—arresting and persecuting the church (the minority scapegoat in his region). At the end he is himself struck down and dies. Acts chapter twelve opens with James dead, Peter in prison and Herod triumphing. It closes with Herod dead, Peter free, and the word of God triumphing. Such is the power of God.

How do we respond? Has God spoken to you today? Maybe God wants you to trust Him, even when things are tough, when there are no answers. Maybe God wants to remind you that there are angels watching over all who love and serve the Lord. Maybe God wants to challenge you to pray not only with earnestness and passion but also with faith. Maybe God wants you to make sure you are living for Him and not for your own power and prestige. Respond in your heart as we close in prayer.