Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 12
1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Commentary:
12:1 about that time. See note on 11:24. Herod was Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great (see note on Matt. 2:1). He was reared in Rome, and because of boyhood playmates who later became emperors he was granted rule over various territories in Judea until his kingdom reached the full extent of his grandfather’s territory (a.d. 41–44). See map. His persecution of the Christians may have been an attempt to curry favor with the Jews (cf. Acts 12:3).
12:2 The martyred James was Jesus’ disciple, son of Zebedee and brother of John, not to be confused with James, the brother of Jesus and author of the book of James, who became a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church (see note on v. 17). Jesus had predicted his suffering (Mark 10:39).
12:3 Why this pleased the Jews is not specified. Perhaps the persecution following Stephen’s death (8:1) had escalated. The days of Unleavened Bread, the seven days following the Passover meal, were considered holy and not to be desecrated by an execution.
12:4 The prison was probably the Tower of Antonia, which was at the northwestern corner of the temple complex and was the quarters of the Roman garrison. The use of four squads of soldiers reflects Roman practice: one squad of four soldiers for each of the four three-hour watches of the night. Passover refers to the entire spring festival that unites Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
12:5 The mention of earnest prayer continues Luke’s emphasis that every step in building the church is due to God’s blessing and supernatural intervention.
12:2 The martyred James was Jesus’ disciple, son of Zebedee and brother of John, not to be confused with James, the brother of Jesus and author of the book of James, who became a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church (see note on v. 17). Jesus had predicted his suffering (Mark 10:39).
12:3 Why this pleased the Jews is not specified. Perhaps the persecution following Stephen’s death (8:1) had escalated. The days of Unleavened Bread, the seven days following the Passover meal, were considered holy and not to be desecrated by an execution.
12:4 The prison was probably the Tower of Antonia, which was at the northwestern corner of the temple complex and was the quarters of the Roman garrison. The use of four squads of soldiers reflects Roman practice: one squad of four soldiers for each of the four three-hour watches of the night. Passover refers to the entire spring festival that unites Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
12:5 The mention of earnest prayer continues Luke’s emphasis that every step in building the church is due to God’s blessing and supernatural intervention.
Questions:
- In Acts 12, King Herod Agrippa persecutes many believers and arrests James and Peter, to the delight of all the Jews. In verse 5 it says that the church prayed earnestly for Peter when he was in prison. You see, those believers knew that they were next! So they prayed. They knew they needed a power that was greater than their current circumstances. What about you? Are there circumstances in your life that seem too great for you to handle on your own? When was the last time you cried out to God for help?
- It says they prayed "earnestly" for Peter. The greek word here means fervently, passionately and continuously. What a great example for us today when it comes to our own prayer lives. Can you say that you pray "earnestly?" What different might your life look if you were to begin to pray fervently, passionately and continuously? What might God do??
Prayer Topics:
- That you would cry out to God for help.
- That you would learn to pray earnestly.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
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