May 19, 2008
The God Who Keeps His Promises – Acts 13:13-41
The following is a sermon preached at Maranatha Baptist Church in the morning service on May 18, 2008:
What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Liberal theologians will tell us that the gospel is doing good works. It is giving a cup of cold water to a little one in need.
Is this the gospel? No. This is an outworking of the gospel in the life of the believer, but it is not in and of itself the gospel.
Liberation theology… which is popular in certain developing countries and among certain minority groups in our culture… teaches that the gospel is a message of liberation from oppression. Jesus came to liberate the downcast and oppressed. In many ways, Jesus is seen as a political Savior for those who are mistreated and abused.
Again, this is an outworking of the gospel. God is no respecter of persons. All men and women are equal in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:28), but this is not the gospel.
I often hear people today say that the gospel is the change which Jesus has brought about in their life. They “surrendered all” to Him and He fixed their life. He healed their family… removed their addictions… gave them happiness and success.
Again, this is a result of the gospel in the life of the Christian, but it is not the gospel itself.
What is the gospel?
The gospel is the objective action of God within human history to bring salvation to sinful men and women through the work of Jesus Christ… who lived that we might be righteous before God… who died to forgive our sins… and who rose again that we might have victory over sin and death.
The gospel is literally “good news.” It is an announcement that God has done something to save sinful people like us. The gospel is the good news of what God has done… outside of us… for us.
The apostle Paul makes this point very clearly in his sermon at Pisidian Antioch, found in Acts 13:13-41, where he preaches the gospel… which he calls “this message of salvation”… to a group of unbelievers. (I would recommend reading this passage of Scripture before continuing. I will be referring specifically to the text as translated by the English Standard Version.)
This sermon takes place during Paul and Barnabas’ 1st missionary journey. They have finished a successful preaching tour across Cyprus, which resulted in the conversion of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus (see Acts 13:1-13.) Now they have sailed the city of Perga on the mainland of Asia Minor, before traveling north to the city of Pisidian Antioch, in the region of Phrygia / Galatia.
It was at this time that John Mark left Barnabas and Saul and returned to Jerusalem. Luke (the author of Acts) does not provide us with many details, but it is clear that Paul considered Mark leaving as an act of desertion (Acts 15:38.) We will deal with this in greater detail when we come to Acts 15:36-41.
In the city of Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas followed their typical model of ministry and began by going to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue. A typical 1st century synagogue service would include a reciting of the Shema and the Sh’moneh esrei (“The Eighteen Benedictions”… formal Jewish prayers which recounted the history of Israel and petitioned God to fulfill His promise to send the Messiah), a reading from the Law (i.e. the Pentateuch) and a reading from the Prophets, followed by a word of exhortation (much like a modern sermon) from any qualified male in attendance (New Bible Dictionary, “Synagogue.”)
After the reading of the Law and Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue asked if Paul or Barnabas had a word of exhortation for the people.
Paul’s sermon can be divided into three basic points:
1) Recounting the history of Israel and the promises of God – Acts 13:16-25
2) Explained how these promises have been fulfilled in Jesus – Acts 13:26-37
3) Call to respond to this message of salvation – Acts 13:38-41
Paul begins by walking through the history of Israel, but he is doing more than giving them a history lesson. H is using the history of Israel as a means of showing them the work of God in human history on behalf of His people…
1) God chose the fathers (meaning Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.)
God, in His sovereign grace, had chosen the patriarchs and called them to Himself and made explicit promises to them.
A good summary of these promises is found in Genesis 22:17-18…
Genesis 22:17-18 (ESV) – 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
In this passage, God is promising Abraham that He will give him many descendants and they will be victorious over their enemies. Also, through Abraham’s offspring would come a blessing to all the nations of the earth.
The history of Israel is a description of how God has fulfilled these promises…
2) God made Israel a great nation while they were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
He caused them to multiply greatly and blessed them immensely, even though they were strangers and aliens in the land of Egypt. The Egyptians, however, grew jealous and oppressed the Israelites.
3) God led them out of bondage with an uplifted arm.
This is a reference to the Exodus, when God demonstrated His power and absolute superiority over the false gods of the Egyptians through bring plague after plague upon the Egyptians, even striking down their firstborn and destroying their army at the Red Sea.
God delivered Israel with a mighty display of His power, yet the people rebelled against Him.
4) Paul says that God had to “put up” with them in the wilderness.
They complained about their circumstances. They failed to trust in the God who had delivered them. They fell into immorality and idolatry. Yet God was longsuffering with them. Finally, He disciplined this first generation. They all died in the wilderness, but He fulfilled His promises to the patriarchs by bringing the next generation into the land of promise.
5) God destroyed seven nations and gave the Israelites the land of Canaan as an inheritance.
Scripture tells us that God destroyed the nations in Canaan because of their wickedness (Deut 9:4-5.)
God destroyed the Canaanites and gave their land to the Israelites as an inheritance. This is a display of God’s grace. They did not earn the land… no one earns their inheritance… it was given to them freely by the God in order to fulfill His promises.
6) After God delivered them into the land of promise, He gave them leaders to guide them and deliver them.
God gave them judges and kings, culminating in David, a man after God’s own heart, a man who would do the will of God.
This doesn’t mean that David was perfect, but He was a man who knew God and sought to honor Him.
God made additional promises to David, just as He had the patriarchs before Him. These promises are recorded for us in II Samuel 7…
2 Samuel 7:8-14a (ESV) – 8 Now, therefore, thus you (i.e. the prophet Nathan) shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son…”
Notice the repetition of the word “I” in this passage. Who is doing the work? God is. God made promises that He would act on behalf of David and His people. He promised a place of safety and peace for His people and He promised that David’s descendant would build a house for God’s name.
In part this was fulfilled through Solomon when he built the temple in Jerusalem. But that temple did not endure forever. The implication of this promise is that the kingdom established by this descendant and the house He built for God would remain forever. Therefore, it cannot be ultimately fulfilled in Solomon. This is a reference to Jesus Christ, the descendant of David, who would build an eternal house for God… an eternal temple made up of living stones… of Christians… founded upon the proclamation of the apostles and prophets… with Jesus Christ Himself as the Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:19-22, I Pet 2:4-5.)
God promised David, just like He had promised the patriarchs, that He would take action on His behalf, and Paul announces to all those present that these promises have been fulfilled in Jesus.
7) “Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised” (Acts 13:23.)
Paul is pointing to Jesus as the fulfillment of all these promises and he is not alone in seeing things this way. John the Baptist, whom, for the most part, the Israelites believed was indeed a prophet of God (Lk 20:1-8) agreed with Paul’s assessment. He called the people of Israel to repent and turn to God because the Messiah was coming… a Messiah so great and exalted, that John… even though he was God’s anointed prophet… would not be worthy to even untie his shoe laces.
Notice the emphasis on God in this text. This is critical. God is the subject of at least 11 verbs in this paragraph. God is the One who is doing things. God is the One who making promises and fulfilling promises.
In this brief summary of the history of Israel, Paul has quite systematically described for us the character and work of God:
1) God is sovereign in whom He chooses as His people…
2) God is gracious and merciful in blessing those who have nothing to give Him in return…
3) God is patient in putting up with us in our sin…
4) He is just in wiping out those who reject Him (i.e. the Canaanites, the 1st generation of Israelites in the wilderness and Saul)…
5) He is present and active in leading and guiding His people…
6) God is a God who is powerful in providing salvation for His people…
Paul describes God as a God who makes promises and fulfills them.
Notice that all of these works of God and all these promises converge in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is the good news that God has taken action in human history and all this action finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. All of human history points to Him… either forward to Him in terms of promise… or back to Him in terms of what He has done.
In the first part of his sermon, Paul has pointed out the promises which God made in the past, but now he begins pointing back to the completed work of Jesus Christ.
“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation” (Acts 13:26.)
What is “the message of this salvation”? It is the gospel and Paul says that the gospel is “to us.”
Notice that this message of salvation is not just to Jews. It is to “sons of the family of Abraham” (i.e. ethnic Jews) and to “those among you who fear God” (i.e. Gentile God-fearers.) This message of salvation is for Jew and Gentile alike. God is no Respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35.)
What is this message of salvation? Paul explains it in 4 parts…
1) Jesus died…
The people of Jerusalem and the Jewish religious leaders didn’t recognize their Messiah when He came to them. Despite the fact that they heard the Old Testament read every week in the synagogue, they didn’t recognize God’s chosen Savior when He came. They rejected Him and even though they could find nothing wrong in Him, they hated Him and persuaded Pilate to put to Him death.
Paul is very specific. They hung Him on a tree. This is very significant, because every devout Jew knew what that meant. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 says that any man hung on a tree is a criminal who is cursed by God.
Jesus had done no wrong. He had never sinned. He always did what was right in the sight of the Father. Yet in His death… He was cursed by God.
Paul is explicitly clear here that this was not an accident. This was not a failure on Jesus’ part. This was all part of God’s plan. It was all according to God’s definite plan and foreknowledge that Jesus be put to death upon the cross (Acts 2:22-23, 4:27-28.) Paul emphasizes this by stating that the people of Jerusalem and the religious leaders “fulfilled them”… meaning that they fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures.
The death of Jesus was part of God’s plan. It was pre-figured in the Old Testament sacrificial system… for example, in the Passover, where a spotless lamb would die in the place of sinful men and women.
It was explicitly foretold 700 years in advance in passages like Isaiah 53…
Isaiah 53:4-11 (ESV) – 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
They killed Him, then in Paul’s second point…
2) He was buried in a tomb.
Those who deny the resurrection will sometimes claim that Jesus did not die on the cross, but that He merely passed out, was taken down from the cross and healed naturally from His wounds (i.e. the “Swoon Theory.”)
But Paul makes it clear that this was not the case. He didn’t just pass out on the cross. He died and was buried in a tomb, just as had been prophesied by Isaiah (Is 53:9.) He was dead and no one expected Him to come back.
3) But God raised Him from the dead…
In verse 33… Paul says that this is proof that Jesus is the Son of God. He quotes from Psalm 2 and applies this to Jesus, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”
This is not a reference to the birth of Jesus or the incarnation. This speaks of the unique relationship which Jesus has with the Father. He alone is the only begotten Son of God and the resurrection proves this.
This is elaborated further in verses 35-37 when Paul says that because Jesus is God’s Holy One… the only begotten Son of God… and God would not let Him see corruption. He contrasts Jesus with David. David was anointed by God, but he was not God’s “Holy One.” He died and decomposed in the grave. But not Jesus. He never saw decay, because God raised Him from the dead.
Paul makes it clear that this is not a cleverly devised myth or fairy tale, because…
4) Jesus was seen by His followers after the resurrection…
In I Corinthians 15… Paul gives a long list of those who were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Lord Jesus…
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (ESV) – 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
There were hundreds of witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. This was a confirmed fact. God raised Jesus from the dead.
This is the gospel. This is the good news of Jesus Christ. This is “the message of this salvation.”
God has fulfilled His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David in Jesus… whom He raised from the dead. As a result of this, verse 34 tells us that God “will give you (plural) the holy and sure blessings of David.”
Paul is quoting from Isaiah 55:3, where God promises to apply the everlasting covenant which He made with David “to you” (plural), meaning to all His people.
What is the eternal covenant or blessings which He promised to David?
We saw this earlier in the promise made to David in II Samuel 7. God will give His people a place of peace and security in His kingdom under the rule of His King… the Messiah.
This promise is said to be “holy”, meaning it is for God’s purposes and for God’s glory. It is also said to be “sure.” It is steadfast… absolutely trustworthy… because God has raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection is proof that God will indeed fulfill His promises of salvation to His people forevermore.
This is good news… but Paul insists that is not enough to simply know this information. One must respond to this message of salvation.
Acts 13:38-41 (ESV) – 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “ ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’ ”
Paul promises two things here to those who respond to this good news…
First… in Jesus there is forgiveness of sins…
Scripture is abundantly clear that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23.) This is true of all human beings. No matter who we are, we are all sinners. None of us love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Matt 22:37.) None of us consistently love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves (Matt 22:39.) We have all slandered others. We have told lies. We have had lustful thoughts. We are all sinners.
God is a holy and just God, therefore He must punish sin. And the consequence for sin is death (Rom 6:23.) This refers not only to physical death, but also to spiritual death, which is being separated from God for all eternity and suffering forever in torment for our sin.
This is what we all deserve. But God has provided a means of forgiveness for us in Jesus Christ.
Jesus died for a purpose. He died for our sins. He bore the punishment we deserve when He was cursed by God on the cross. Through faith in Him, the slate is wiped clean and our sins are pardoned in full. They are gone forever.
But this is just the beginning of the blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus. Through Him we are “freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
I really don’t like this translation and the NASB isn’t any better. But the NKJV translates this verse more literally… “…by Him everyone who believes is justified (δικαιόω, pronounced dikaioo) from all things from which you could not be justified (δικαιόω, pronounced dikaioo) by the law of Moses.” (ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν οὐκ ἠδυνήθητε ἐν νόμῳ Μωϋσέως δικαιωθῆναι, ἐν τούτῳ πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων δικαιοῦται).
In Jesus, God offers us more than just the forgiveness of sins, He offers us justification. To be justified means to be declared righteous by God. You see, to enter into God’s presence, it is not enough that we are forgiven for sin. Being forgiven means we don’t deserve judgment, but it does not mean that we deserve the blessing of entering into God’s presence. The only way to enter into His presence is to be right and just in every way.
This requires perfection. Not just the lack of sin, but the perfect accomplishment of all that is right in God’s sight. No one has this in and of ourselves. Only Jesus is perfectly righteous. Jesus died to save us from our sin, but He also lived a sinless and perfect life so that He could freely give His righteousness to us.
Paul emphasizes here that the Law of Moses can’t save anyone. No one can keep the Law… no one can be “good enough”… the Law was given to show us our need of a Savior (Rom 3:20.)
But God has done what we could never do. That is Paul’s whole point in this entire sermon. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ has done all that is necessary to save us from our sin.
All that is demanded of us is faith. Forgiveness and justification and all the other gifts and blessings that are ours in Christ are received through believing in Jesus (verse 39.)
Believing in Jesus means that, first of all, we must know the gospel message. We must know who Jesus is and what He has done.
But knowing the facts is not enough to save us. We must actively trust in Him. We must accept the fact that we are sinners and that nothing we do can get us to God. We must admit that we are sinners and turn from our sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save us.
Notice that Paul is again very explicit that God is no respecter of persons. “Everyone who believes” in Jesus is forgiven and justified. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done, there is forgiveness and justification to be found in Jesus.
No one can be good enough to get to God on their own.
Paul’s hearers couldn’t. They could go to the synagogue on the Sabbath and do their best to keep the Mosaic Law and they would still fall short.
We are no different. No one can forgive themselves. No one can make themselves righteous in the sight of God. We must trust in God who has fulfilled His promise in Jesus Christ to provide a Savior… or we will perish in judgment forever.
This is nothing to take lightly. This is of the utmost importance. In verse 41, Paul warns them not to scoff at this. He warns them not to be amazed and think this is too good to be true. Those who scoff at the gospel will perish. They will face the judgment of God forever and ever for their sin. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ will be saved.
Not everyone took him seriously this day. There were many who scoffed at the message. But some believed and were saved. Their sins were forgiven, they were declared righteous in the sight of God and they received the holy and sure blessings of David.
How about you?
What is your response to the gospel?
Do you scoff at the gospel message?
You should realize that, when you scoff at the gospel, you are really scoffing at God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And there is no salvation for those who scoff at the God of salvation.
Do you know what the gospel is?
The gospel is the objective action of God within human history to bring salvation to sinful men and women through the work of Jesus Christ… who lived that we might be righteous before God… who died to forgive our sins… and who rose again that we might have victory over sin and death.
The gospel is more than a philosophy of religion.
The gospel is more than a way of life.
The gospel is more than the change which God has produced in us.
No… the gospel is the good news that God in Christ Jesus has done something to save us from our sin.
Suggestions for Application:
1) Know the gospel. Recognize that all events in human history either point forward in promise to Jesus or look back to the work which He has done to save sinners.
2) Believe the gospel. The gospel is more than just facts. It is a message which demands a response. Don’t take it lightly. Don’t scoff at it. Repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you from the judgment to come.
3) Preach the gospel. Follow Paul’s example and proclaim the good news of what Jesus has done wherever God might send you. Announce this good news to the world and may many be saved!
April 21, 2008
The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail Against Christ’s Church – Acts 12:1-24
The following is a summary of the sermon preached at Maranatha Baptist Church on the morning of April 20, 2008…
From the very beginning of human history there has been opposition to God and His people from the devil. Although we aren’t told exactly how this battle began, Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:11-17 may give us some insight into the fall of Satan. It seems as if he became puffed up with pride and wanted to be what God is. He wanted God’s glory for himself and for this God cast him out of heaven.
So began the war between God and the devil… a war which makes all the other wars of this earth look like a playground scuffle.
It was the devil that brought mankind into this conflict. I’m not trying to shift blame away from Adam and Eve… they are responsible for their sin, just as we are… but it was the devil that brought this fight to our doorstep. The first man and woman were without sin, living a life of perfect fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden, until Satan, in the form of the serpent, came along and tempted them to rebel against the God who had given them everything.
What did he tempt them with? The same temptation which had led to his fall… the desire to be like God… the desire to be glorified as God is glorified.
Why would he do this?
Because of his hatred for God and his hatred for God’s people, a hatred which God promises will continue until the creation of the new heavens and the new earth…
Genesis 3:15 (ESV) – 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
God promises here that there will be a constant hostility and warfare between the devil and the woman… and between the devil’s seed (sinful men and women apart from Christ – cf. Jn 8:44) and the Seed of the Woman (which is a reference to Jesus Christ.) By extension, there will be an ongoing hostility between the devil and his seed and those who are in Christ Jesus (i.e. His Church – see Rev 12.)
We see the first fruits of this enmity in Genesis 4, when Cain (who was of the devil – I Jn 3:12) murders his brother Abel (who was a man of faith whose worship was pleasing to God – Heb 11:4.) Furthermore, we see this ongoing hostility played out all throughout Scripture, for example:
1) Joseph (Gen 37-50) – hated by his brothers because he was blessed by God.
2) The Israelites in Egypt (Ex 1-14) – hated and oppressed by the Egyptians because they were blessed by God.
3) David (I Sam 18-31) – hated by Saul because he was God’s anointed.
4) The Old Testament Prophets – as a general rule, they were persecuted because they were God’s messengers.
This battle continues all throughout Scripture and reaches its culmination at the cross, when the “Seed of the Woman”… Jesus Christ… the only begotten Son of God willingly sacrificed Himself upon the cross in order to deliver His people from the power and consequences of sin.
John tells us that Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil” (I Jn 3:8)… and that is exactly what He did when He died upon the cross. The heel of Christ was crushed at His death, but in the process, He delivered the death blow to Satan and his forces. He crushed the head of the serpent.
Yet the battle still rages on. Though Satan is defeated and cast down… he still has that last bit of life in him and he has turned his fury against God’s people (Revelation 12.)
We are in the midst of this conflict right now. The devil and the world, which marches according to his will (Eph 2:2), is seeking to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ. And sometimes it looks as if he is doing a pretty good job.
1) Morality is at an all-time low among professing American Christians. Studies have shown over and over again that, as a general rule, those who identify themselves as Christians in this country live lives that are virtually the same as the world around us.
2) Christian families are falling apart. Marriages are crumbling inside the Church. Children raised in Christian homes are being lost to the world every day.
3) Heresy abounds in the Western evangelical church. More and more so-called Christian pastors are rejecting the orthodox teachings of Christianity for that which tickles the ears of their hearers.
4) There have been more Christians martyred for their faith in the last 100 years than at any other time in the history of the New Testament church.
5) Even in the United States, we seem to be losing more and more religious freedom all the time.
There is a battle raging and if we look on the outside, it might appear that we are losing.
But we must remember that the battle has already been decided. The war has already been lost and no matter how many casualties may come, Jesus Christ is building His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt 16:18.)
This is seen very clearly in Acts 12:1-24…
In this passage of Scripture, we see the persecution of the church reach a new high in Jerusalem. Up to this point, the Roman political machine had pretty much left the New Testament Church alone. Pilate had consented to the death of Jesus, but it certainly was not his intent to persecute the church.
But King Herod had different plans.
Who is Herod?
There are 3 men in the New Testament called “Herod.”
1) Herod the Great –
He was an Edomite appointed by Rome to rule over the Jews. Because he was a foreigner, he was never really accepted by the Jews. He attempted to placate the Jews in part by building the temple in Jerusalem. He was always suspicious and was quite violent, murdering several of his own family members because he believed they were seeking to usurp his throne. He was the king who ordered the death of all the male children in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus.
2) Herod Antipas –
He was the son of Herod the Great. He was a wicked and immoral man and not a very astute ruler. He was the king responsible for murdering John the Baptist… and he was the one involved in the trial of the Lord Jesus.
3) The Herod spoken of here is Herod Agrippa I –
He was the grandson of Herod the Great and the nephew of Herod Antipas. He grew up in Rome and was well-acquainted with the current emperor of the day… Tiberius Caesar.
History tells us that, at least while he was in Israel, he was something of a pious Jew. The Mishnah (a collection of Jewish rabbinic writings) describes a time when Herod Agrippa stood up before the people at a Jewish feast and publically read the law of kingship from Deuteronomy 17 and wept because of his own Edomite heritage. The people were moved by this and it is said that they cried out repeatedly, “Be not dismayed; you are indeed our brother!” (citied by F.F. Bruce, NICNT, 233.)
His desire to live in Jewish fashion may have provided motivation for him to lash out against the early church, especially as they began to branch out and incorporate the Gentiles into the church.
But the text is clear that his motives were not entirely theological. After he sees that the people were pleased with the execution of James, then he determines to continue to the persecution by arresting Peter.
Why is it so significant that James was murdered?
James was one of Jesus’ three closest apostles. He saw things and experienced things that only Peter and John saw and experienced, including (1) the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Lk 8:51), (2) Jesus glorified on the Mount of Transfiguration (Lk 9:28) and (3) Jesus’ prayer of agony within the Garden of Gethsemane before His betrayal (Matt 26:39.) It is not a stretch to say that he knew Jesus better than virtually anyone else on earth.
Yet God allowed him to be put to death here by one of the devil’s seed. Why?
We don’t know the answer to this question. With our limited human wisdom, we can’t understand why God would deliver one of the apostles and not another. But when we see these casualties of war, we can rest securely in that fact that “…God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28 (NASB95).)
In fact, God often brings great things out of terrible tragedies.
Consider Joseph who was sold into slavery and wrongfully accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He was put in prison, cast away and forgotten. But God used this event to bring about the deliverance of His people in a time of famine (Gen 37-50). Those who persecuted him meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Gen 50:20.)
This is even more clearly seen in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Though He is eternally perfect in every way, being very God of very God, Jesus chose to chose to take upon Himself humanity and to humble Himself to walk upon this earth among sinful men and women. He lived a life of perfect righteousness, always doing the will of His Heavenly Father, so that He might merit eternal life for His people. He willingly suffered and died upon the cross, bearing our punishment in His body in His death, so that our sin might be forgiven. There is no greater horror in all of human history… the Righteous One dying for the unrighteous. Although those who killed Jesus meant it for evil, God meant it for good (Acts 2:22-24.)
“…God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28 (NASB95).)
The devil and his seed seemed to strike a crippling blow to the early church in the death of James and Herod was intending to murder another of Jesus’ apostles, Peter, yet nothing could stop the expansion of the church.
Peter was placed under lock and key, guarded by four squads of four soldiers each over the course of four shifts. He was kept in this state by Herod until the Feast of Unleavened Bread was completed because it was unlawful to execute a prisoner during the feast.
During this time, what was the church doing?
They prayed. “…earnest prayer for him (Peter) was made to God by the church.”
There are several things we can see here about the manner of their prayer:
1) They prayed corporately (It was the “church” that was praying. Verse 12 states that “many were gathered…”)
2) They prayed earnestly and continuously (verse 12 tells us that they were still praying when Peter arrived at the house in the middle of the night.)
3) They prayed specifically (“for him”… meaning for Peter.)
4) They offered up their prayers to God. (This seems obvious, but how often are our prayers truly offered for the benefit of others?)
On the very night before Peter was to be executed, God intervenes supernaturally. Peter is rescued by an angel and he immediately goes to the house where these Christians were praying. The series of events which took place at the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, is one of the most amusing in all the New Testament (Read Acts 12:12-17 and put yourself in their shoes… it really is humorous!!!) Peter tells them what has taken place and instructs them to report these things to James (meaning the half-brother of Jesus and a key leader in the Jerusalem church) and the brothers (probably other church leaders?) and then he leaves town.
Where did Peter go? We aren’t told, some speculate that he may have gone to Antioch (Gal 2:14) or to Corinth (I Cor 1:12, 9:5) or even to Rome. We don’t know for sure, but we will see Peter back in Jerusalem in Acts 15.
The gates of hell had crashed against the early church and some had fallen and some had been delivered, but nothing could stop the growth of the church and those who tried will fall in judgment.
After putting to death the soldiers who were responsible for guarding Peter, Herod traveled to Caesarea, where he found himself in the middle of a dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon. After a meeting has been arranged by the king’s chamberlain (something like a modern-day chief of staff), Herod meets with them in the amphitheater at Caesarea Maritima. The events are recorded for us, not only in the book of Acts, but also by the Jewish historian Josephus. Following is Josephus’ description of the events of that day…
“(344) On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent at to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; (345) and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.” (Josephus, Antiquities, 19.344-19.345.)
Luke tells us here in Acts 12 that, after he had delivered a speech to them, they began to cry out, “The voice of God, and not of a man.” They began to praise him as being a divine being.
Given that Herod is described for us in history as being something of a pious Jew, there is no question that he knew better than to allow them to deify him. Yet he makes no effort to stop them from praising him (contrast this with Peter in Acts 10:25-26 and Barnabas and Paul in Acts 14:8-18). He likes the praise. He delights in being glorified as god.
At that moment, God strikes him down. He is eaten by worms (implying that this is a judgment from God) and he breathes his last.
Herod fell prey to the same temptation as Satan… the desire to be glorified as God… and the judgment he received was horrible.
The same fate awaits the devil (Rev 20:10) and, also, every person who rebels against God, seeking their own glory, rather than God’s (Isaiah 66:24.)
There is a battle raging… an incredible cosmic battle… and you are on one side or the other. There is no straddling the fence. You are either trusting in Jesus Christ or you are of the devil. There is no other option. You are one or the other.
One day the battle between the devil and Jesus Christ will be finished forever and, in that day, those who are on the side of the devil will meet the same fate as Herod. They will be judged by God, because they did not give him the glory… and their worm shall not die… their fire shall not be quenched (Isaiah 66:24)… and they will suffer the wrath of God in hell for all eternity (Rev 20:11-15.)
There is only one way to escape this destiny and that is to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ. God is a gracious God and He delights to save sinners, but He will only save those who are trusting in His Son who died for their sins.
Are you trusting in Jesus Christ?
One last verse deserves being commented upon. In this passage, we see the gates of hell crash against the church, but notice how the passage ends in verse 24, “But the Word of God increased and multiplied.” No matter how hard the gates of hell crash against the church, nothing can stop Jesus Christ from building His Church! Nothing can stop the spread of the gospel!
Suggestions for application:
1) Expect opposition from the devil and the world in the spread of the gospel. There will be enmity between the devil and his seed and Christ and His Church until Satan is cast into the lake of fire forever. Read I Peter 5:8 and take it to heart.
2) Pray. Not just for physical needs, but also for the spiritual battles which are raging around us. Pray for the spiritual battles taking place in your own family… in your church… in your community… in this nation… and all across the world. Don’t just pray individually, but pray corporately. Spend time in earnest prayer with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
3) Be confident that the battle is already won! Even when the days are darkest, remember that Jesus Christ is victorious! The devil, despite all his thrashing around, is a defeated foe. Nothing can stop the gospel! Christ Jesus is building His Church… and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!
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