Scripture: Acts 12:1-24
(Selected) (Lesson #10)
Today we celebrate Independence Day – the day when a
bunch of forward-thinking men signed a declaration of separation that would be
sent to the King of England. They had all
been loyal British subjects, but the restrictive policies, the oppressive taxes,
and the insult of British occupational forces had become unbearable, and the
time had come to try something different.
Through many days of discussions, they finally agreed that the only course left to them was to “shake
the dust from their feet”, to set out on a course to create a new nation,
founded in new ways, and dedicated to freedom and rights for all. We continue to grow into those freedoms and
rights, and while we still have a way to go, we are much further along than nearly any
other nation on the face of the earth.
Persecution is also the cross that the Christian
Church has had to bear for two thousand years.
And we, too, have been promised that a New Day is coming, but until it
arrives, we need to stand strong and faithful as we wait for the LORD to
bring His ultimate freedom to fill our lives.
And today, the United Methodist Church is also standing
at a very similar crossroads. Contentiousness,
conflict in understanding of faith, disagreements over the directions that the Church
should be moving in, as well as other and sundry struggles, are all leading us
toward a separation that will, hopefully, be much more amenable than the one
that began in 1776!
Freedom is one of those things that everyone needs
but very few truly understand and appreciate.
There is an old saying that “Freedom is not the right to do whatever you
want, but rather it’s the opportunity to do what is right!” But the burning question remains - “what are
we to do with the freedom that has been hard won and freely given to each and
every one of us?”
Read Acts 12:1-5
This Herod (there were others) ruled primarily over
the Galilee, and brutally opposed followers of Jesus’ Way. And when we read that “the Jews” were pleased
at his vendetta against Christians, we need to remember that this term
generally refers to the political and religious hierarchy of Israel. Many at the lower end of Jewish society liked
Jesus, and the message of love and compassion and freedom in faith that the
apostles were bringing to the masses, was encouraging, and it brought a sense
of hope to their lives.
The persecution that was being directed at these
messengers of the LORD was intended to bring a halt to the perceived
campaign against the authority that the establishment had enjoyed for so many
years. And ridding the land of this
upstart Church was beginning at the top, and would, over time, work its way
down to anyone who claimed Jesus as Savior.
But as we know, after so many years of attempts
to silence the word of God, the truth that Jesus brought to earth has thrived
and spread throughout the world. And
even though true believers continue to be badgered and berated and even attacked
in body and spirit, the numbers of faithful continue to grow. And they are learning what the Church is
supposed to do and be – to pray, and to stay strong in Jesus.
But as each of the early Christian leadership were
arrested and put to death, encouragement from the elitist minority would
continue in the hopes that their prestige and authority would hold firm. The truth of God, unfortunately, would hold no
importance for any of them!
Read Acts 12:6-7; 9-10
John’s brother James had been beheaded, and now Peter
was also in prison, awaiting a quick trial and an even swifter sentence of
death. Security was high for these
leaders of the Christian movement, so he was actually being chained to a couple
solders, with others being stationed at the prison doors. This was a sign that they were guarding a
very special and very valuable prisoner, and their assignment would have been
very specific – “tomorrow is his trial, so don’t let him get away, or else!”
But there is no possible means or extent of security
that can prohibit God from having His way!
An angel enters the prison block, awakens Peter without waking
the two guards, tells him to get up and immediately his chains fall away, again
without ever disturbing the two guards.
This reminds me of a Chris Tomlin song “Amazing
Grace, My Chains are Gone.” It’s about our imprisonment in sin, and the
chains of bondage that hold us there.
But the song reminds us that no matter how strong the pull that sin has
on our life, its chains can never stand against the love and grace of God that
abounds over and beyond all of the power that earth can ever muster. And this is exactly what happened the day
that Peter was freed from Herod’s chains – it was God’s grace in action.
But grace didn’t stop there! The angel led Peter past the other two guards,
without them ever seeing or even sensing their presence, and even the iron gate
that secured the prison entrance surrendered to the LORD’s
desire. Peter had been freed from Herod’s
grasp, but freedom always brings an obligation to ensure that it never fails to
inspire others.
Peter had been freed through one door, so that he
could enter another – one that would give him the chance to share this miracle
with those who had been praying for him.
And what would those who lived within these walls do? They, too, would spread the word that no matter
what the authorities tried to do, they would always fail to stop the word from
spreading within and beyond their influence.
In the long run, the world always fails, and God
always wins!
Read Acts 12:18-19; 21-24
The next morning, the escape was discovered, and the
solders tried as hard as they might to figure out what had happened while they
were asleep, but nothing that they could remember, or even imagine, explained
the mystery. And Herod’s only answer to
the same question was “it was the solder’s fault”, and they would pay the price
for the King’s sin.
But later, Herod would again, or maybe still, continue
in his arrogance and disdain for his God.
When the crowd proclaims, for some unknown reason, that the King is far
greater than any human personage, and must therefore, be a divine being, Herod
never corrects the error.
God will never allow words that contradict heavenly truths
to continue for very long! And the king is completely and horrifyingly struck
down. And the word of God? What happens to it? We read that it “continued to spread and flourish”!
Peter’s freedom was present even while he was in
prison, and Herod’s death was already upon him every time he had denied the
word and work of his Jehovah God. Freedom
doesn’t mean that we have been released to live any way that we desire. It means that the chains of sin have been
broken, and we have been released from Satan’s grasp. But why?
What should this freedom mean for us?
To begin with, the one thing that it doesn’t
mean is that we are now obligated to God to always do just what He tells
us to do, without question. It does
mean, however, that we are now free to choose to do what He calls us to
do! Free to choose the truth, not free
to be controlled by some new authoritative entity! Our God calls, not demands; our God frees,
not enslaves; our God creates opportunities and truths for us, not restrictions;
our God presents and teaches His truth to us, and will never deceive us, never
change His way, never leave us searching in the darkness for His light; our God
will never allow our sacrifice, our obedience, our choice of His way to go unnoticed
or unused or unappreciated.
Freedom in our Almighty God will always be our
chance to discover just how able and ready He is to show us His mercy and grace
and majesty, and it allows us to show the world just who it is that has
freed us to be who God has always prepared us to be.
May we always be worthy of the eternal plan that the
LORD
has set in motion for our lives, may we rejoice over the chains that have
dropped away from our hearts, and may we spread the word of Freedom that comes by
faith in Jesus Christ, that others might listen and accept His freedom for
themselves.
