Part 1 – Rhoda’s Story
I cannot tell you how old Rhoda was, but the Bible calls her a “damsel,” so she probably was a young teenager. She may have been a servant-girl or even a daughter in the house of John Mark. I know she was an active girl and not afraid of the dark, even though it was late at night.
It was shortly after midnight, and there were many gathered together in that house, praying. Peter was in prison and his life was in danger. They were not signing a protest to the government to release him. Instead, they were praying to the God of heaven, the Father who loved them, and to the Lord Jesus who has all power in heaven and earth.
Rhoda was there at the prayer meeting. She knew Peter, for she had often listened to his voice and she knew it well. His words were wonderful, because he told her that she was not redeemed with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. He told her that Jesus, His own self, bore her sins in His own body on the tree. And he told her that she was a living stone in God’s great spiritual house. Perhaps she had not yet heard of all these wonderful truths, but all this was part of Peter’s message. And since it was God’s Word, it was precious to the hearts of those in John Mark’s house that night. Maybe there were groans and tears as they prayed for Peter in prison and about to lose his life.
Listen! There’s a knock at the gate! It was Rhoda who ran down the passageway in the dark where she heard not only a knock but a voice calling to be let in. She recognized the voice, and she was so surprised and happy that she ran back to those praying with the news, “It’s Peter at the gate!”
But girls can be wrong! Why listen to Rhoda? It couldn’t be true. Didn’t she know that Peter was in prison? They told her she was out of her mind.
But she insisted that it was Peter’s voice and that he was at the gate!
“It is his angel,” they said.
Maybe there has been a time in your life when you knew that the answer was “Yes,” even when everybody around you said “No.” If you trust what God says, you may be sure that His Word is true. Others will see it later. Yes, God is true and His Word is worth trusting no matter what anybody says.
By this time everybody could hear the knocking on the gate, and when they opened it ... there stood Peter—the very man they had been praying for! They were so delighted that they all talked at once, but Peter raised his hand to quiet them.
After they stopped talking, he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. It was a very interesting story that he told them.
Part 2—Peter’s Story
Herod the king wanted to please the people, and since they did not like God’s message, he locked up Peter—God’s messenger—in prison. Herod made very sure that no power on earth could set Peter free. There were 16 soldiers on guard duty that night. As Peter the prisoner lay down to sleep, each of his hands was chained to one of the soldiers guarding him. Besides that, there were prison keepers on guard outside the prison door.
You’ll never guess what God did to set Peter free. And if you don’t know already, you will never guess what God has done to set one poor sinner, like you or me, free forever from the power of Satan. God sent His only Son Jesus to take the sinner’s place in judgment. Neither you nor I could make such an amazing plan. Only God could. I accepted God’s plan of freedom from my sins and Satan’s power. What about you? Have you accepted His plan of freedom from your sins?
In the night, God sent an angel into the prison, and a light shone around Peter. The angel struck him on the side to waken him and helped him up, and his chains fell off from his hands. Then the angel told him to fasten his belt, put on his sandals, put on his coat and follow him. And during this time, not one soldier woke up!
Peter obeyed the angel, thinking it must be a dream. The angel led him past the first and second prison doors, and then the iron gate leading to the city opened for them all by itself! They passed down the street, and suddenly the angel disappeared, leaving Peter standing alone under the stars. Now he knew for sure that it was not a dream but really true that God had sent His angel to set him free!
We who have trusted the Saviour of sinners are ready to tell you the same thing—”Now I know for sure that the Lord Jesus has made me free!” God promised this in John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36): “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Guess what Peter did next. He went straight to the prayer meeting at John Mark’s house where Rhoda was and told them how God had set him free. Then he left the city and went to another place where he would be safe.
In the morning, there was not a trace of him anywhere in the city. Of course, Herod the king was very angry, and he added to this wickedness by killing the soldiers who had been on guard duty that night when the angel set Peter free.
King Herod had a miserable death soon after that, and he is gone where unforgiven sinners go. But I am sure that we who have been set free from our sins will meet Rhoda in heaven, because she trusted in the God who sent His Son to die for sinners. And, of course, we will also meet Peter there.
You may read this amazing true story for yourself in the Bible, Acts chapter 12.
ML-02/07/2016