Action & Freedom (8/15/23)
Acts 12
Freya
8/16/2023
Life Lesson(s)…
Acts 12 has multiple life lessons related to resistance, action, choice and freedom. Regarding resistance, Acts 12 notes the worldly resistance of King Herod and other Jews to the spread of the Good News and the work of the apostles and believers. During Passover, Herod had James beheaded and Peter imprisoned with squads of guards surrounding him.
To counter the work of the world, the ekklesia took their requests to God. Through faith, the ekklesia interceded on the behalf of Peter through prayer and petition for Peter's freedom before Herod would kill Peter. None too sure how Peter would be saved. In a single night, the Lord answered the prayers of the ekklesia as Peter chose to follow the angel sent by God to rescue him–although Peter thought it was only a vision.
Upon realizing that all was not a dream, Peter quickly drops by Mary's house to reveal that he was free. In Acts 12:17, Peter gives his testimony and walks away free from Herod. Greater freedom is had when Herod is struck down by God through His angel for failure to give glory to God. Freedom in Christ spread upon Herod's death as noted in Acts 12:24.
Your Thoughts…
Praise, pray and journal about the following questions:
Consider the concept of resistance and look it up in a dictionary and then a concordance. Was there any other type of resistance shown in Acts 12? Where was this resistance, if any? What was done? What makes this resistance better than the other or not?
What does the word "choice" mean? What were the possible choices made in Acts 12? How did this affect the chooser? What did the choice made reveal about the chooser?
Think about freedom. What does freedom mean to you? How does freedom look? Does your definition of freedom look the same for you as everybody else? Ponder whether your government promotes or inhibits your definition of freedom. Why do you think this? Are there examples you can give?
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But motioning to [those gathered at Mary's house] with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers."[a] Then he departed and went to another place.
ACTS 12:17 (ESV)