Opening: Have you had someone you loved die suddenly and unexpectedly? A tragic
accident? A heart attack or other sudden physical cause? What was it like? What
were your feelings?
Scripture: Read Acts 12:1-23.
Insights:
- James is martyred! It is hard to imagine. He was one of the first disciples to join Jesus, along with his brother John. James was with Peter and John at the Transfiguration (see Mark 9:2-8). This “Inner Circle” was closest to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- King Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great from Jesus’ birth story. His sister was Herodias, who had been responsible for the death of John the Baptist (see Mark 6:17-28). The Romans appointed Herod to rule over most of Palestine, including the territories of Galilee, Perea, Judea, and Samaria.
- The scene of Peter knocking on the gate is really quite humorous. Rhoda is so excited that she leaves Peter standing outside. Those in the house figure she’s imagining it and claim Peter’s dead. And Peter keeps knocking. Great stuff!
- Don’t be confused by the reference to “James” in verse 17. This James was Jesus’ half-brother, and other than Peter, he was the most influential leader in the church in Jerusalem. He was the author of the New Testament book James, and we will see him later in our study.
Life
Questions:
- Why James should die while Peter should escape is a “mystery of divine providence.”[1] Life is full of difficult questions like this. Why is one child physically disabled and another child athletically gifted? Why do people die before realizing their potential? Questions like these we cannot possibly answer in this life because we do not see all that God sees. He has chosen to allow evil in this world for a time. But we can trust God’s leading because he has promised to destroy all evil eventually. In the meantime, we know that God will help us use our suffering to strengthen us and glorify him.[2]
- Look what happens when the church prays: a miracle occurs – Peter is freed while under maximum security. (Remember in Acts 5:18-25, the apostles were miraculously freed once before, thus the reason for the security precautions.) What are you earnestly praying about right now? Have you asked others in the church to join you in prayer for this need?
Prayer
Focus: That no matter what happens, though we do not know
the answer to the “why” question, we know Who!
