Context No. 3702 of 4322 · Acts
Context · Reflection
Acts 12:7-14: in context
7And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Stand up quickly!” His chains fell off his hands. 8The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” He did so. He said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” 9And he went out and followed him. He didn’t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. 10When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.” 12Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
While the church prays, an angel comes to the imprisoned Peter, wakes him, and his chains fall off; the doors open of themselves, and he walks free, at first thinking it a dream. God answers the church's prayers with a stunning deliverance.
And then a delightful, human touch. Peter comes to the house where believers are praying, knocks, and the servant girl Rhoda recognizes his voice but is so overjoyed she runs to tell everyone without opening the gate, leaving Peter standing outside. Two things stand out. God's power to deliver is greater than any prison; chains and iron gates are nothing to him when he chooses to act. And there is a gentle irony: the very people praying for Peter's release could hardly believe it when the answer stood knocking at the door. God sometimes answers our prayers more wonderfully than our faith expects, so that we are caught off guard by his goodness. He hears and delivers, often far beyond what we dared to hope.
Do I pray expecting God to answer, and am I ready to receive his deliverance with joy rather than disbelief when the answer to my prayers comes knocking?
Sources
- Acts 12:7: "An angel of the Lord stood by him... He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, Stand up quickly! His chains fell off his hands."
- Acts 12:11: "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod."
- Acts 12:14: "When she recognized Peter's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate."