Remember how we promised to tell you Peter’s story? We left him raising his hand to hush all the surprised people in John Mark’s house in the middle of the night. He was about to tell them how God had set him free. This is the story of how he got out of prison.
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 sixteen 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 could 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 to 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.
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 has gone where unforgiven sinners go. But I am sure I will meet Rhoda in heaven, because she trusted in the God who sent His Son to die for sinners.
You may read this story for yourself in the Bible, Acts chapter 12.
ML-03/09/2003