No Small Commotion

Acts 12:1-12:19a

Today you are going to have to bear with me. My introduction to our passage, Acts 12:1-19, will be as long as or even longer than my discussion of the passage itself! But I know of no better way to have you appreciate the shock of this remarkable turn of events in the history of the early church. Two of the main characters in Acts 12 are James and Peter. I want to give you a bit of history of these men, along with John, James’ brother, so that you can be prepared, or perhaps, a better way to say it is so that you can be unprepared for what happens in this chapter. Let’s dig right in.

After John [the Baptist] was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him. – Mark 1:14-20


From the very first, these four fishermen, Simon (later to be called Peter), James and John, and Andrew, followed Jesus. Did they know what Jesus meant by “Come, and I will make you fishers of men”? I highly doubt it. But they were attracted to Him. I don’t think it was Jesus’ appearance – Isaiah 53 says there was nothing in His appearance that should attract us to Him. I think it was the call of the Spirit. Seeing Him, they knew there was something special, something unlike anything they had ever experienced before.

I still vividly remember the experience of, after having read the Old Testament for months, overcoming my Jewish since of taboo and diving into the New Testament, in the Book of John. I felt nervous but as I began to read I thought, “Wow!” It was as if Jesus was saying right to me, “Come, follow Me and read!” I am sure it was the same Spirit calling me that was calling them to leave their boats and their work unfinished. I think many people, when they are called to the point of repentance and salvation, have a similar experience of sensing God’s presence, His Spirit. They know God is real, and they know that, right then and there, God is expectantly waiting for a reply to the question, “Will you follow Me? Now?”

As soon as they [Peter and Andrew and Jesus] left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever and they told Jesus about her. So He went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. – Mark 1:29-31

Peter and Andrew and James and John saw Jesus miraculously heal Peter’s own mother. Lessons become much more important when they become personal. How did this affect Peter? How did it affect his friends? It had to draw them more closely to Jesus. They didn’t understand Him hardly at all yet, but they were becoming more and more convinced He was a man of God, and that following Him was something they shouldn’t stop doing.

I hope that you all have seen real answer to prayer. It’s not always instantaneous healings; it may not be physical healings at all, but it is every bit as real. Hopefully if you have been a Christian for a while, and if you have really devoted yourself to Him, you can see real genuine healing taking place in you. It can’t get any more personal than that. Hopefully you see, as I have, that God is not just interested in your statement of faith in Him. He intends to come right into your house, so to speak, and get to work fixing what needs healing in your life (if you’ll let Him).

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. – Mark 3:13-19

Here we see that Peter, James, John, and Andrew become four of the original twelve disciples. Notice how only three are given new names: Simon (who was called Peter, the Rock), and John and James (who were called the Sons of Thunder). These names sound more like the names of World Wrestling Federation stars than men of God to me, but that is what He, God of the Universe, named these three fishermen. (Why not also Andrew? I have no idea. Perhaps it is none of our business!)

Another situation is in Mark 5, the incident with Jairus, the synagogue ruler who told Jesus his daughter was dying and who begged for help. Recall that messengers told them Jairus’ daughter had already died and to not bother Jesus any more. And ignoring what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at Him. After He put them all out, He took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around. – Mark 5:37-42

We have talked about this passage before – the comparison between Talitha Koum and Tabitha Koum. But today my focus is on the invitation list: only John, Peter, and James. And then consider the transfiguration:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" – Mark 9:2-7

One thing I noticed for the first time while reading this passage this week was how Peter, scared out of his wits, talks about putting up three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But then, God’s voice actually seems to reply to this statement! God says, This is My Son, not those other two. This is My Son, whom I love. Don’t listen to the other two. They are just men. Prophets, but just men. Listen only to this one. He is My Son. Listen to Him. But you probably already know my main point: Who was there? The Three. John. Peter. James. The Rock and the Sons of Thunder.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," He said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," He said, "everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," He said to Peter, "Are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Once more He went away and prayed the same thing. When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to Him. Returning the third time, He said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. – Mark 14:32-41

I am struck by how after their second failure, there was nothing they could say. We tend to pick on Peter, but it is all three of them who have failed Jesus three times. Yet Jesus, who knew it would happen, had chosen the Three to be with Him in His last hours.

So now we come to our passage.

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. – Acts 12:1-2

Wow. Just like that. One of the Sons of Thunder is no longer on this earth. What a shock! It reminds me of the shock effect after the sudden death of John the Baptist. And most likely, James was also beheaded. That was what “death with the sword” meant.

Perhaps Jesus gave a hint of warning about this when he wrote:

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." – Mark 10:35-40

James did in effect just drink the cup He drank, and was baptized with the baptism He was baptized with. James is gone! One of the Three! Paul acknowledges James this way:

James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. – Gal. 2:9

A pillar is gone.

When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. – Acts 12:3-4

Who is this Herod? This can get confusing. First of all, the Herod who was around at the birth of Jesus was Herod the Great. The Herod here is Herod Agrippa I, one of his grandsons. His father was killed by Herod the Great. His mother was a descendant of the Maccabeans. As someone with a Jewish mother, Herod Agrippa I was seen as a Jew, but because of his father, perhaps not much of one. If you are not confused yet, his son, Herod Agrippa II, was the one who Paul faced charges before in Caesaria.

Herod (Agrippa I) was eager to become more accepted by the Jews. This explains why, after killing James, he decided to arrest more people, including another pillar, another one of the Three, Peter. Herod fully intended that Peter come to the same end as James.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. – Acts 12:5

Did the church fall apart? No. Did it bemoan its loss of a “pillar”? I am sure it did. But it focused instead on Peter. They prayed earnestly, fervently. For days. Meanwhile, Peter stayed in prison. Did it look as if prayer had no effect? Yes.

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

This was apparently a pretty standard method for important or dangerous criminals. The left hand of one soldier was chained to the prisoner’s right hand, and the right hand of the other solider was chained to the prisoner’s left hand. Finally, this is the night before the trial. The next day, they will have the trial and probably carry out the sentence (death) the same day.

But suddenly, everything changes. An angel appears. His chains fall off. Apparently, the guards are being artificially held in a deep sleep, it appears. Talking, chains falling off, and so on, does make noise.

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. – Acts 12:8-10

What a miracle! Peter was free! Even Peter didn’t believe it at first. He thought it was all a dream.

Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." – Acts 12:11

But then Peter realizes what has happened. Notice how he properly accredits the Lord for this miracle. Angels don’t just do things on their own. They only do what they are told by God to do.

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" – Acts 12:12-14

I love this. These guys are praying through the night. It’s a pretty large group, probably filling the small house. I don’t know how old Rhoda is, but our children have done this before. We have heard the doorbell ring and then running and telling us “Grandma and Grandpa are here!” “Did you let them in?” “Oh!”

"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." – Acts 12:15

I am glad Luke is so honest. Led by the Holy Spirit, he leaves nothing out here. “Don’t bother us – we are busy praying. It can’t be Peter.” I don’t really know what to make of the “It must be his angel” comment. Is this supposed to be like a guardian angel? By the way, Scripture is silent about guardian angels – the idea that a particular angel is sent to always guard one person. This is the only verse that even hints at such a possibility, and you have to look at the context. It’s right next to someone else saying “You’re out of your mind.” It is hardly a strong testimony of reliability. And even if so, why would a guardian angel look like the person they are guarding? My guess is that Luke included this comment because it was so ridiculous.

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place. – Acts 12:16-17

Now this is becoming really funny. Peter keeps on knocking. Finally they open it. It is Peter! Even though they were praying for something exactly like this to happen, they are astonished. Jesus is not here in body, but if He were, I could imagine Him saying, “Why are you surprised? Isn’t this what you prayed for? Oh, you of little faith!” And how often are we like this?

In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. – Acts 12:18-19a
No small commotion. There was a rule that if soldiers lost their prisoner, they would receive the prisoner’s punishment. There were some panicky soldiers that day. I feel sorry for them, because they were simply following orders. Herod (indeed all the Herod’s) was an evil man. We will talk a bit more about him next week, which is also a sharing time.

But as I have thought about this passage, some sober thoughts and questions have come to my mind. Yes, it is wonderful how Peter was delivered into freedom by God. One of the “pillars” has been saved. But what about the other? What about the Son of Thunder?

I think to question God about this, to excessively mourn James, is to forget our position in Christ. What did Paul say? Paul, himself in chains, awaiting trial, and likely execution, wrote the following:

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” – Phil. 1:12-14

Some observations/applications:

1. Know that the suffering and even the death of Christians always has a purpose.

We don’t always get to see the purpose, but it is no less real. God had a purpose for removing James from the earth at that time and in that way. Probably at had an effect like in Phil. 1:14 and made others more serious about following God, sharing the gospel. Persecution of Christians tends to have the opposite effect of what is intended. Even today, look at the church in China.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. – Phil. 1:18-21

2. Know that for Christians, death is a release to a much better place.

From James’ perspective, he had no regrets, and he has no regrets. He is with the Lord! That sure beats being stuck in this world! Of course, we are not to take this into our own hands. It is the Lord and His timing we should trust. But to die really is gain. We need to continually remind ourselves of this, because it is not a natural way of thinking. But it is true! We can celebrate God’s goodness in the miraculous release of Peter. And we can celebrate God’s goodness in calling the Son of Thunder home when He did. And we can celebrate God’s tender care for the early church, even if we don’t understand fully how what looks like a major setback can be caring. It is. And we can celebrate God’s tender care for us as a church, even when we don’t understand all that He is doing. And we can celebrate God’s tender care for us as individuals, even when we are sick or in pain, or with whatever troubles we face.

3. Live prayerfully but not fearfully.

God hears. God cares. He still causes “no small commotion” when the time is right. Trust Him and live for Him boldly.