Peter is released from prison by an angel.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:6-19
Peter was scheduled for execution the following day. He was asleep between two guards with more guards at the door. An angel appeared and woke Peter. Luke says that the angel struck him on the side to wake him. My mental image is the angel kicking Peter lightly in the ribs and saying, “Get up.” Notice that the angel has to give Peter step-by-step directions: get up, get dressed, put your shoes on, put your coat on, follow me. Peter thought that it was a vision rather than reality.
It was not until they were outside and away from the prison that Peter realized that it was all real. He went to the home of Mary which seems to have been a gathering place for some of the Christians in Jerusalem. Many people believe that this home was the place of the last supper and the place where the events of Pentecost began. We do know that Mary was the mother of John Mark.
John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He went with Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Peter calls him his spiritual son in 1 Peter 5:13. John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark. Most scholars believe that he was the young man who ran from the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52).
There is some real irony in Peter’s arrival at Mary’s house. He knocked on the door and Rhoda got so excited that she forgot to let him in. She told everyone in the house that Peter was at the door. They didn’t believe her. Wait a minute! They had gathered together and fervently prayed for Peter. They had prayed for a few days. Now, God has answered their prayer and Peter is at the front door. But they don’t believe it.
We do the same thing. We pray, but often we don’t really believe that God will answer our prayer. When He does, we don’t recognize it. This is related to our lack of faith. We say we believe, but we live as if we really don’t.
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Acts 12:5 said, "prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church" so Peter being released should not have been such a big surprize to them - surely this was what they were asking God to do - and they had seen so many miracles that they could surely believe one more would happen.
But, this passage makes me think of all the times that I've prayed for something to happen, even expected it to happen and then when it did happen I too would think, "no - He didn't just answer that prayer did He?" I mean sometimes God even answers my unspoken prayers. I am still in awe at His great love for me and amazed that He would draw near, listen and answer me.
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