Herod and Peter
Stars shine brightest in the darkest night. In the same way,
the power of the gospel shines brightest in life’s darkest times.
At the beginning of Acts 12, King Herod seems invincible. He had James, John’s brother, killed with a sword. His approval ratings with the Jews sored, so he also arrested Peter. He was planning to execute him publicly after Passover.
At the beginning of the chapter, Peter seems hopeless. His close friend, James, was murdered. Now he himself is in prison, facing certain death. From a human perspective, this looks like a dead end – no possibility of escape. Yet even in this “no-hope” situation, God is still at work. God is still in charge.
Everything Is against Me!
When trials come, we often face two narratives: our
perspective and God’s perspective. When things go wrong, our default perspective
is, “Everything is against me!” Actually, this is an exact quote from Jacob’s
lament in Genesis 42. His words come after the loss of his son Joseph, Simeon’s
hostage, and the threat of losing Benjamin. Jacob is overwhelmed by layer upon
layer of loss, exclaiming, “Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you
want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” (v. 36)
Everything Is for Good!
From Jacob’s perspective, the world was collapsing. No hope. No
way out. But from God’s perspective, a greater story was unfolding. Jospeh,
long thought dead, was still alive and preparing to save his family and even
nations. Even when circumstances feel stacked against us, God is still tirelessly
at work behind the scenes. Jacob saw only loss, but God was preparing
great family reunion. Jacob feared famine and uncertainty, but God was
preparing salvation.
So when we cry out like Jacob, “Everything is against me!” we are invited to trust God’s character: “God causes everything to work together for good.” (Romans 8:28) And if God is for us, who can be against us?” (v. 31)
Sole Foundation
But how do we know God is for us, not against us? On
what foundation can we make this bold claim? Paul gives the answer: “God didn’t
spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Will he not also freely give us
all things with him?” (v. 32)
So when you feel like everything is against you, or when the enemy whispers, “You’re not worthy,” lift up your eyes and look to the cross. Christ Jesus died for us. It is finished. More than that, he was raised to life for us. Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that he was innocent and the assurance that he will also raise his people. In this broken world, death feels like a natural part of life. But when God created the world, it was never meant to be this way. By his resurrection, Christ conquered the power of death. George Herbert put it beautifully, “Death used to be an executioner, but the resurrection of Christ makes him just a gardener.” Death no longer has the final word. Jesus does. His church will prevail, and his people will reign with him forever. In him, we already have the final victory.
Suffering and Grace
Peter himself was once fearful and anxious. He loved Jesus
and promised to die with him. He did mean it with all his heart. But when he
was challenged by the crowd, “You are one of them,” he didn’t have power to
stand. Peter denied Jesus three times when tested. But now, look at him in Acts
12! Surrounded by guards, chained in prison, facing execution, he is calmy
asleep (v. 6).
This echoes David’s words in Psalm 3:5, “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” (Psalm 3:5). David said this while fleeing from his son Absalom. How could he rest in such danger? As a prophet as well as a king, he saw and trusted in the Messiah to come – the Suffering Servant and the Risen Christ. How could Peter rest in such uncertainty? Because he had met the risen Christ, Conqueror of Death, and received the Holy Spirit. Now he too could say, “I will not fear though thousands surround me!”
The story of John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, illustrates the same truth. One night hostile tribes surrounded his home, ready to kill him and his wife. They prayed through all night, and at dawn the attackers suddenly left. Later, a tribal chief who had come to Christ asked Paton, “Who were the hundreds of men with shining garments and drawn swords guarding your house that night?” Paton realized God had sent his angels to protect them. Yet Paton also knew deep suffering and sorrow. Early in his ministry, his wife and newborn child both died. He buried them with his own hands. But still, he testified, “I was never altogether forsaken. The ever-merciful God sustained me… But for Jesus, and the fellowship he gave me there, I would have gone mad and died beside that lonely grave!”[1]
Suffering and grace often walk hand in hand. Whether it is wayward children, persecution, disease, loneliness, depression, grief, or even death – whatever the trial – God’s grace is always greater. The risen Jesus was with Peter in prison, with David in exile, with Paton in grief—and He is with us today. Christ alone is our sure foundation.
One Great Finale
During the plagues of the Roman Empire, streets were filled
with the dying. Many abandoned their loved ones. Bodies were left unburied.
Most people fled for their safety. But Christians did something radically
different: they stayed. Instead of fleeing, they nursed the sick, fed
the hungry, buried the dead, and even died alongside them. This sacrificial,
fearless love became a powerful witness. While everyone else saw only despair,
the Christians revealed a resurrection hope stronger than death, drawing many
to Christ.
Acts 12 ends with a great reversal. Herod begins with in power but dies in disgrace. Peter begins in chains but walks free. And the final word is this: “The word of God continued to spread and flourish.” (v. 24)
Today, we too may walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But it’s only a shadow. Christ Jesus faced death itself and conquered it once and for all: “Death has been swallowed up by a victory.” Now we know how the story ends. We already have the final victory. With full confidence, we can declare, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor 15:57) Because Christ is risen, because Christ will raise us, because Christ holds the finale, we can hold fast. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us stand firm, unshakable, always excelling in the work of the Lord.” Amen.
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[1]
Ajith Fernando, Acts (The NIV Application Commentary Book 5) (p. 323).
Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition.
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