Acts 12:1-24

The Cost of Discipleship

In Luke 14 26-30 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ Jesus established that there is a cost to following Him. One must calculate the cost to see if they are willing to go through with it. Later, when talking with His disciples, He said, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?” Matthew 16:24-26 Clearly, following Christ is not for the faint of heart. In this next chapter of Acts, we find the apostles paying a high cost for their commitment to Jesus. It is not something we often think about or even preach about, but I believe we need to come to a good understanding of just what it means to follow Christ.

Vs 1-5 About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church, and he killed James, John’s brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread. After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.

Over the years, I have heard many ministers talk about God’s protection. Don’t get me wrong, God does protect and provide for His children. In fact, I have experienced His protection and provision in my own life many times. But, we must not forget we are called to follow Him no matter what. I believe there is a great misunderstanding, especially in the west, as to what protection really means as believers in Jesus Christ. With that in mind, let’s look at the word protection for a moment.

The word protection entails safeguarding and defense. On the other hand, to be spared means to avoid unpleasant situations altogether. This is where I believe we miss the point. We think these two concepts are one and the same because we tend to look at things from a physical or fleshly perspective. God’s protection has nothing to do with anything physical. His protection is spiritual in nature. One cannot carry their cross and follow Jesus and be spared or always “protected” physically. One cannot count the cost and avoid harmful or destructive experiences. Jesus was not spared, and neither were many of his disciples, but they were most certainly protected on a spiritual level. This is what I mean: as believers, we have the assurance of eternal life, the promise of abundant life and the armor of God that protects us from spiritual forces that come against us. Once we understand God’s protection in a spiritual sense, then we understand it has nothing to do with what may happen to us in a physical world. James and Peter are the perfect examples of this.

In this passage we find James, one of the 12 and a part of the inner circle – one of the three disciples that experienced a few things the other disciples did not. He went with Jesus deeper into the garden of Gethsemane. He was there on the mountain during Jesus’ transfiguration. He had a very special relationship with Jesus along with his brother John and Peter. Yet, he died a violent death because of that very relationship. He had counted the cost, and the cost was his life. God did not spare him in the midst of great persecution, but he was protected – spiritually. Then there is Peter. He is arrested and put into jail. He was slated to die as well. He had counted the cost and it cost him his freedom. He was not spared this experience, but he was protected – spiritually.

Of course all of this happened long ago in a time of great persecution. It doesn’t seem possible to many people around me where I live in Texas. Here, we are free to worship God out in the open. We can’t conceive the possibility of being physically harmed for our faith and believe we are being persecuted when we perceive our “rights” are being threatened. We tend to see protection in the physical rather than the spiritual sense. Our understanding needs a readjustment and our perspective needs a realignment. Currently, there are believers around the world being persecuted for their faith. They have not been spared, but they are absolutely being protected.

Recently, I read an amazing book called “The Heavenly Man” about a Chinese Christian named Brother Yen. The torture he experienced because he is a believer in Jesus was profound. His steadfastness is astounding. After a particularly horrible torture, he said this: “Thank God He protected and preserved me through these trials. I knew God was using the wrath of evil men to accomplish His purposes in me, to break down my self centeredness and my stubbornness.” Brother Yen understood that, while he was not spared, he was protected. His faith was made strong. He didn’t deny Christ in the midst of his persecution. He could endure great suffering because he understood the promises of God. When we can see the trials and persecutions we face in this light, then we can begin to understand the difference between being spared and being protected. Instead of complaining about the hardships we face, we see God’s hand and work in our lives. This was Peter’s response as well.

Vs 6-10 On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” Then the chains fell off his wrists. “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did so. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.

Ok – here he is, slated to be executed the next day. He is bound with two chains between two soldiers with guards all around him and he is…. sleeping. That’s right, he’s sleeping. Not fretting or worrying but totally confidant that no matter what, God is with him. He understands that God didn’t spare James, so there was no reason for him to think he would be spared. He’s not complaining to God about how unfair things are or grousing about his current fate. He is totally content with whatever happens because He knows he is protected. In fact, he is so content the angel of the Lord who appears in his cell has to strike him on the side to wake him up. He then proceeds to walk out of prison without being stopped. An amazing and unbelievable miracle! And, in case you think this miracle is quite unbelievable, – I mean how can someone just walk past all those guards without being seen or stopped? – here is a more recent example. In the book I mentioned above, The Heavenly Man, Brother Yen describes a very similar experience. He is once again in prison and has been beaten so badly his legs are smashed and he can’t walk by himself. He has a vision from the Lord telling him he needs to escape the prison. He says, “I have learned that when the Lord tells us to do something there is no time for discussion or rationale, regardless of the situation we face. When we are sure God has told us to act, blind obedience is called for.” So at 8 a.m. on May 5, 1997, Brother Yen walked, yes walked, through 3 iron gates guarded by 6 armed guards to freedom without being seen or stopped. Isaiah 43 reminds us that God still makes a way when there seems to be no way.

Vs 11-17 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gateway. “You’re crazy!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, “It’s his angel!” Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Report these things to James and the brothers,” he said. Then he departed and went to a different place.

Apparently we are not the only ones who may have thought this miracle was quite impossible. The believers who are currently praying for Peter didn’t believe it either! Isn’t that sometimes the case with us as well. We pray and pray for something and then when it happens we are suspect. We don’t know what to make of it. We are unsure of the answer God has given us. The people gathered in the home of Mary couldn’t conceive that their prayers would be answered in this way. But here he was, in the flesh. Peter had walked out of prison and into their midst a testimony of the power of God.

Vs 18-24 At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. Together they presented themselves before him. They won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, and through him they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country. So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them. The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!” At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he became infected with worms and died. Then God’s message flourished and multiplied. 

A great commotion is an understatement. There was downright panic. These guards and soldiers knew what was going to happen to them if they couldn’t find Peter. They were going to die. And that’s exactly what did happen to them. Someone was going to die that day, and, if wasn’t Peter, it was going to be the guards who let him escape. After this, we have a narrative about what finally happens to Herod Agrippa (who, by the way, is the grandson of Herod the Great). Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon and had withheld important provisions from them. They wanted to make peace with him so they could begin to receive the needed supplies again. Herod went to them and we read about Herod’s demise. In case we are wondering about the Biblical account, here is another historical account of this event by the Jewish historian Josephus in Antiquities XIX.8.2. “He (Herod) 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 as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god…A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner… when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life.” It is never a good thing for man to take on the idea that he is a god or that God is nothing to consider. There is always consequences to be paid for this.

In contrast to this, we find the church flourishes and multiplies. Even in the midst of persecution, or maybe because of being in the midst of persecution, the church grows and expands. They truly understand what God’s protection means. They know there will be hardships and persecution and that they may not be spared, but they are steadfast and their faith is protected as they daily put on the armor of God. Their hope is intact as they know eternal life is their reward. They stand on the promises of God knowing He will be with them no matter where His path will take them. They can face the lions and fire and prison with confidence, singing and even sleeping. As we continue to face an uncertain world and a growing sense of religious persecution, we can walk boldly and confidently knowing that while we will not be spared the hardships our Savior and many others before us have faced, we can be confident that He has given us all the necessary tools to protect us from spiritual downfall. He reminds us in Ephesians 6:14-18, “Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”