1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4
After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Why so many soldiers? Herod was afraid of Peter? Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel
of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. Smacked by an Angel! :0) "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Read Billy Graham's book Angels.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen."
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed
she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" This is one of those spots in the Bible where I figure it has to be true. Why would you include Rhoda's silliness of leaving poor Peter standing at the door in your book if you were trying to impress people with your faith?
15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." Guess they didn't have much faith in there prayers working! 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this," he said, and then he left for another place. 18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Herod was a cruel King. He so refused to see the power of God at work that he blamed his guards and killed them. Why didn't he see this miracle of God for what it was? Do we refuse to see miracles in our lives?
