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Good Monday morning May 13 to you friends,
We are reading 1 chapter of God’s Word each day from May 1 – September 30. We’re calling it “The 150 days of Summer 2019”.
As a friend of mind in Wisconsin pointed out, some parts of America don’t have that much summer! But here we go anyway…
Today we are in Acts 12 and may I make these observations for us as we read another wonderful, powerful chapter that shaped the early church… those people who were walking with the Apostles as they tried to follow Jesus in the months following His ascension.
This “Jesus movement” had shaken Jerusalem and now the surrounding area so much King Herod Agrippa needed to take action to settle things down. The last thing he needed was Rome thinking he couldn’t control his region of Palestine… so a crack down. In our day this is what is happening in China, India, and several other places where the Gospel has turned the status quo upside down.
A brief word about who “King Herod” is: The “Herod family” had four who ruled in Palestine in the 1st century…
1. ‘King Herod the Great’…was the one who received the Magi & murdered the baby boys of Bethlehem when Jesus was born (Matt. 2:1-18)
2. “King Herod Antipas”…son of “Herod the Great” was the one who called for John the Baptist’s head on a platter (Matt. 14:1-12) and the one before whom Jesus stood trial (Luke 23:6-12).
3. “King Herod Agrippa 1″…grandson of “Herod the Great”, is the one referred to in Acts 12, demanding James’ execution and Peter’s imprisonment.
4. “King Herod Agrippa 2” great grandson of “Herod the Great” is the one before whom the Apostle Paul stood trial (Acts 25:13-26:32).
Herod Agrippa 1 identified the key leaders of the Jesus movement and had two of them imprisoned… James and Peter. This James is the brother of John (Mark 1:19). They were the sons of Zebedee. Remember Jesus often drew three of the Disciples to Himself (Peter, James & John), that is this James. Remember the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-38)? James is now the third execution of the followers of Jesus… John the Baptist; Stephen and now James. Please notice however… history confirms, from the blood of the martyrs, the church grows.
Notice Acts 12 begins at the time of Passover, so this is an anniversary, of Jesus’ death & resurrection. James is killed, Peter imprisoned on death row. Notice something friends… God allowed James’ execution but He delivered Peter with a miraculous angelic visit! Why? Only God knows… eventually, each and everyone of the Apostles was killed as a follower of Jesus. Here, notice a prayer meeting is called begging God for the release of Peter.
Notice at whose home the prayer meeting takes place (Acts 12;12). This is the same John Mark whom we will see tomorrow accompanying Barnabas & Saul on their first ‘missionary journey’. Notice Acts 12:25 “When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark”!! Remember Barnabas & Saul had come to Jerusalem from Antioch bringing a financial gift for the struggling church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30). This John Mark is also the author of the second book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark.
One last thing… King Herod thought he was all powerful, at least in Palestine. You see what he did when he discovered God had rescued Peter out of his prison (Acts 12:18,19). But God has the final word with King Herod, as you see in the manner in which King Herod died in Acts 12:21-24! Remember that friends… God will always have the final word. Be encouraged with that friends. . .
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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