Acts 12 – Nothing is Hopeless to the Lord

It is interesting how we can read a passage of scripture throughout our lives, but when reading it, it feels new and fresh and sometimes feels like something we are reading for the first time.  This happened to me as I was reading Acts 12 and prepping my message for this past Sunday.  

Peter is the leader of the disciples, the chief spokesman for them in a very exciting but scary time of life.  The gospel is spreading, and people are coming to know Jesus as their savior and are being filled with God’s Spirit, and the Jewish people are doing all they can to stop it.  

King Herod had beheaded James, one of the disciples that were close with Jesus.  The Jewish people were thrilled, so Herod went after the leader this time – wanting to keep his approval level.  

Peter was in prison and guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Sixteen guys are watching one guy.  Why would Herod do that?  Why would he feel the need to have Peter guarded by sixteen guys?  He probably knew about what had happened to the disciples earlier, in Acts 5, who was busted out of jail by an angel.  Herod would make sure that Peter was killed at the right moment – for all the Jews to see and gain more approval.  

The followers of Jesus didn’t know how to get Peter out of this situation.  They couldn’t come up with a plan to fix things – they weren’t sure how to get past the big iron gate or all the guards to bust Peter out of prison – they didn’t know what to do!  They only knew the One that did – so they sought Him in prayer!! 

When Peter Was Struck by an Angel

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. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

Acts 12:6-7

Peter is lying down with one guard chained to his right hand and one guard chained to his left hand – another two guards at the door to the cell – more guards at the prison doors and more guards at the iron gate around the prison.  All to make sure Peter doesn’t go anywhere.  

And Peter sleeps!  and….He was so sound asleep that the angel had to strike him on the side to wake him up!!  He was sleeping the night before he was to be killed, and it looks like there is no way out! Talk about having faith in Jesus at that moment!!  No anxiety!  No fear!  No thoughts running through his head, keeping him up at night – he sleeps! 

Anxiety and fear, we know, DO NOT come from God.  So no matter what it is that is going on if it keeps you up at night and causes you to fear and have anxiety – the Lord wants to meet you in that place!!  

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. 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. 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.

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.”

Acts 12:8-11

Peter was so asleep that the angel had to tell him what he needed to do step by step.  Get up!  Put your clothes on!  Put your sandals on!  Wrap your cloak around you!  Peter didn’t know what was going on, but he was following the angel’s instruction at that moment – thinking this was just a vision.  

Then….as he is obedient, and following the angel, he passes by guards, and the iron gate opens for him.

An iron gate doesn’t just open for someone – not like it was doing for Peter.  It took people/guards to open this gate – but right before his eyes, he sees this gate automatically open, and he is walking out of prison into freedom by the leading of the Lord!! 

Right before Peter’s eyes, a miracle is taking place.  The prayers of those who love Peter are being heard, and God is not allowing anything, not even a massive iron gate, to stop setting Peter free and walking in the fullness of what He has for him.  

God is Always Leading Us to Freedom

God always wants to lead us to freedom!  He always wants to remove the chains that bind us and barriers that keep us locked up and set us free.  Suppose you, or someone you know, is chained to addiction, anxiety, depression, old ways of thinking or old ways of living, a lifestyle or belief – or even chained to RELIGION. In that case, it can seem hopeless and discouraging, and it can seem impossible to get set free.

As you keep praying and trusting the Lord – the chains and that iron gate is nothing!  It will not stop God from moving in you or that person you are thinking of into the freedom He has for them!  Peter took steps of obedience – he followed the leading of this angel, and he saw the chains be removed – he walked past the guards, and all the massive iron gate automatically opened.  

Walking into the freedom that Christ has for us takes us taking steps of obedience and following the lead of the Lord. HE WILL ALWAYS LEAD YOU INTO THIS FREEDOM THAT HE HAS FOR YOU!!  Follow Him!!! 

We can take a lot from this passage of scripture.  The one thing I want us all to know and remember is that nothing is hopeless to the Lord!  He always has a plan to set us free, draw us to himself, and walk us into the fullness of all that he has for us – we just get to follow His lead!