NOTES for Act 12:1-25

For all the incredible nature of Peter’s miraculous release from prison, this is a very typical story. This is exactly how things happen in life. The circumstances are terrible, there is no hope, the sword has already been raised over one’s head—and God works a miracle that the person themselves would not have dared to hope for. The heart contracts at the experience of God’s real nearness, and it is difficult to believe that something so incredible has happened. Luke dwells on this story not for the sake of the miracle itself, because there are more than enough miracles in the life of the Church. Here, however, we see what it means to belong to God. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that not one hair would fall from their heads merely through some bloody accident of circumstances—and this is confirmed in practice.

There is one more aspect of this account that is important from a practical point of view. Peter’s miraculous rescue from Herod’s hands is not determined by what kind of person Herod is. Moreover, it is not even connected with who Peter is. Everything depends on who the God to whom Peter belongs is. This applies equally to everyone who dedicates their life to this God.