Daily Thoughts from Acts: God’s Hidden Purposes (Acts 12:12-25)

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. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 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. 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!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 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.

Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 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.

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. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 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.

But the word of God increased and multiplied.

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.  (Acts 12:12-25 ESV)

It is strangely comforting to know that even the early church sometimes did not believe God would answer their prayers.  Despite their lack of belief God did answer.  Here they are meeting in the house of Mary and her son John Mark, whom tradition tells us was the one who recorded Peter’s rendering of the gospel in what is known to us as the Gospel of Mark.  We also will learn later that John Mark is the nephew of Barnabas.

Peter explains to the church what happened, and we commend their faith in this, that they were up and praying at an hour when everyone else was asleep.  They were concerned and were leaning on their only prop, their Father in heaven.  And He was doing things that they must trust.  His miraculous release of Peter, for example, resulted in the death of the guards who were keeping Peter and resulted, in addition, of Peter’s need to leave Jerusalem to escape further threat to his life.

Though God does not kill Herod for executing James, arresting Peter, or killing the guards who held Peter, Herod’s willingness to accept the acclaim of being a god is the last straw and what finally does him in.  And despite, or maybe even because of, the persecution, the spread of the gospel is increased.  Tertullian, one of the early leaders of the church, said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

Paul and Barnabas have been in Jerusalem during this festival to deliver the offering for the Jerusalem saints that was gathered in Antioch to meet their upcoming need during the famine to come.  Luke’s focus has been on Peter and the Jerusalem church up until now, but is shifting to what God is doing through Paul to bring about the spread of the gospel westward toward Rome.