Introduction
When Kashvi was visiting her Hindu sister-in-law in the hospital, sharing the gospel and praying with her, another person in the hospital heard her and called the police.
Kashvi was arrested under state anti-conversion laws and spent three days in jail.
While in jail, she said, she had no fear or worry.
She was able to minister to a girl who had been in prison for two years.
Many of the Hindu prisoners and some of the police officials also asked her to pray for them. She could share the gospel with the police superintendent, who had asked her to pray for him after noticing her character and honesty.
Since being released, Kashvi has continued her outreach to women in the jail and their children.
Kashvi faces harassment and imprisonment for her faith in Jesus Christ (see https://www.persecution.com/stories/jail-time-provides-fruitful-ministry/).
I wish this situation were an isolated incident.
It is not.
On their website, Open Doors USA reports that 365 million Christians around the world suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
This past year, 295,120 Christians were forced to leave their homes, go into hiding in-country, or leave the country.
Furthermore, 4,998 Christians were murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ this past year (see https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/).
This persecution of Christians is not a modern phenomenon.
Christians have been persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ ever since the first persecution against the church in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts 8:1.
If anything, persecution against Christians may have gotten worse.
Persecution against Christians has undoubtedly become more widespread, as there are 50 countries in the world where Christians are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ.
What does the word of God teach us about what happens to those who oppose the Lord and his people?
The Bible teaches us that God does not always punish in this life those who oppose him.
However, we can be sure that justice will be served to those who oppose the Lord and his people in the next life.
Today, I want to examine a story about God's treatment of a man who opposed him and his Son, Jesus Christ.
This story is intended to be a picture of what happens to those who oppose the Lord and his people.
Although opposition to the Lord will certainly be dealt with after death, today’s lesson teaches us how God sometimes deals with those who oppose him in this life.
Scripture
Let us read Acts 12:1-25:
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them 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.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
Lesson
Acts 12 is a chapter about God and Herod.
It tells us what happens to those who oppose God.
The Herod mentioned in Acts 12 is Herod Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great, who was king when Jesus was born. Herod the Great ordered the infants killed in Bethlehem because he wanted to get rid of Jesus.
Herod Agrippa I was born in Rome and was made king of Judea and the surrounding territories by Emperor Gaius.
Acts 12 begins with Herod killing James, John's brother and an apostle of Jesus (12:2).
Acts 12 ends with an angel of the Lord killing Herod (12:23).
The main point of Acts 12:1-25 is plain: If you oppose Jesus, you lose.
Luke wrote this section in his Book of Acts to encourage Christians living in the first century and all ages. It is as if he were saying to them:
“You may feel small and insignificant living in a government that is opposed to Jesus.
“You may think you are suffering significant losses when your best leaders are killed on a political whim.
“But the truth is this: If you stay with Jesus, you win. And if you oppose Jesus, you lose.
“So be encouraged.
“Be bold and courageous, spread the good news about Jesus, and leave the outcome to God.”
Acts 12:1-25 teaches us that if you oppose Jesus, you lose.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. Herod’s Opposition to God
2. God’s Opposition to Herod
I. Herod’s Opposition to God
First, let’s look at Herod’s opposition to God.
Herod’s opposition to God is seen in his self-exaltation.
We see this first in verses 2–3a, where Luke tells us that Herod “killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.”
In other words, Herod's desire to be popular as a powerful ruler drove him.
“… when he saw that it pleased the Jews.” Herod loved the praise of the people, especially the praise for power.
This desire for self-exaltation led him to oppose Christianity. So, “he proceeded to arrest Peter also.”
We are not told why Herod had James arrested and killed in the first place.
Most likely, it was the fearless preaching of the “Sons of Thunder,” as Jesus nicknamed the brothers (see Mark 3:17).
You may recall that another Herod, Herod Antipas, took offense at the message of John the Baptist and had him killed to please the people (see Luke 3:1, 19).
The message of Jesus will always stick in the craw of people seeking praise.
Jesus said to the self-exalting Pharisees in John 5:44, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
In other words, a person cannot believe in Jesus and also seek glory from people.
Faith is God-exalting.
Glory-seeking is self-exalting.
The two cannot go together.
You are on a collision course with God if you seek people's praise.
That is precisely what Herod did.
This is illustrated in verses 20-23.
After an angel of the Lord released Peter from prison, Herod went to Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast.
For some unstated reason, Herod was angry with the cities of Tyre and Sidon, also coastal cities further north on the Mediterranean coast.
Herod threatened Tyre and Sidon's food supply. So, the two cities sent a delegation to Herod.
The delegation from Tyre and Sidon came to Herod seeking to make peace with him.
This is precisely what Herod liked—people exalting him.
Verse 21 states, "On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.”
Herod wanted the people of Tyre and Sidon to see that he was somebody.
They were not merely coming to a big brother and asking for help.
They were coming to someone who held sway over their food supply more like God than a big brother.
So, the delegation pandered to Herod’s self-exaltation and shouted in verse 22, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
Can you picture Herod seated in front of the delegation?
They are shouting that he is a god.
He smiles, sticks out his chest, and thinks, “Yes, you got it right!”
God let Herod’s self-exaltation go to the extreme, where people said that he was a god.
Herod’s self-exaltation shows that he thinks he is a god.
What utter opposition to God.
This is precisely the opposite of what Jesus taught in Luke 22:25-26, where he said:
“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”
Herod was in direct violation of Jesus’ call to humility.
Herod was in opposition to God.
II. God’s Opposition to Herod
Let us now examine God’s opposition to Herod.
Jesus once said in Luke 14:11, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Herod was about to be humbled by God for his self-exaltation.
God’s opposition to Herod is seen in three ways.
A. By Freeing Peter
First, God’s opposition to Herod is seen by freeing Peter.
God opposes Herod by freeing his prize prisoner.
After Herod had James killed and he saw that it pleased the Jews, he had Peter seized and thrown into prison.
Herod thought that he would get a big political boost by killing Peter.
According to verse 4, Herod was “intending after the Passover to bring [Peter] out to the people,” presumably for a trial and an execution.
Herod had “four squads of soldiers to guard him” (12:4).
Verse 5 says, “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
In answer to the prayer by God’s people, God sent his angel to show Herod that four squads of soldiers were not enough to keep Peter in prison since God had determined to set him free.
The angel wakes Peter in the middle of the night.
The chains fell off Peter’s hands.
The angel led Peter past the guards and out of the city gates, which opened automatically (12:10).
Verse 11 sums up what was happening. Peter said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
God rescued Peter from Herod.
God showed Herod who was more powerful.
God showed that when James was martyred for his faith just days before, it was not because God could not save James.
It was not because God was weak or incompetent.
It was because, among other reasons, Jesus had once said to James in Mark 10:39, “The cup that I drink you will drink.”
Some bear witness to the truth through death, while others bear witness to the truth through life.
God can release, and God can sustain—even in martyrdom.
That is the point of God releasing Peter and not James.
In both cases, God is in control over Herod.
There is an extraordinary power in martyrdom.
Paul said in Philippians 1:14, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
In other words, the suffering of Christian martyrs has a powerful spiritual effect on those who live.
It puts us face to face with eternity.
It shows the reality of faith.
It strips away the petty pursuits and the trivial anxieties in our lives.
And it fires us with the same zeal.
Tertullian, the Christian defender of the faith who died in 225 A.D., said to his enemies, “We multiply whenever we are mown down by you; the blood of Christians is the seed of the church” (Apologeticus, 50).
And Jerome said about 100 years later, “The church of Christ has been founded by shedding its own blood, not that of others; by enduring outrage, not by inflicting it. Persecutions have made it grow; martyrdoms have crowned it” (Letter, 82).
So it isn’t as though God fumbled the ball with James and scored a touchdown with Peter.
God never fumbles the ball.
So the first thing God does to put Herod in his place and bring him down from his self-exaltation is to take his prize prisoner right out from under his nose.
B. By Killing Herod
Second, God’s opposition to Herod is seen by killing Herod.
This is recorded in verses 20-23.
The angel of the Lord turns up twice in this chapter.
The angel shows up the first time to free Peter and the second time to kill Herod.
Right in the middle of one of Herod’s lavish demonstrations of self-exaltation, Herod crosses the line of God’s patience.
Verse 23 describes what happens to Herod: “Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”
The point is that God and not Herod must be glorified.
If any person lifts himself against God, he becomes weaker than a worm.
A worm may very well eat him.
It is insane to commit treason against the Creator of the universe.
You cannot win.
Daniel gave the same message about kings.
In Daniel 2:21a, Daniel said about God, “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.”
When Nebuchadnezzar boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” a voice came from God and said, “You shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, … until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:30, 32).
So, God’s opposition to Herod is seen by freeing Peter and then by taking Herod’s life.
C. By Spreading the Gospel
And third, God’s opposition to Herod is seen by spreading the gospel.
God turned the table on all that Herod was trying to do by killing James and arresting Peter.
God made his word grow and multiply.
Luke tells us in verse 24, “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”
God exalted himself and not Herod.
God spread the good news about Jesus, not Herod.
This is what God does.
He magnifies his wisdom, power, and goodness to spread the good news about his Son, who saves sinners and glorifies his Father.
Conclusion
The lesson is plain: if you oppose Jesus, you lose.
You may feel small and insignificant.
You may think that we are overpowered when some of our best leaders are killed on a political whim.
But the truth is that if you stay with Jesus, you win, and if you oppose him, you lose.
So be encouraged.
Don’t be impressed by temporary worldly triumphs over the gospel.
Be bold and courageous and spread the word of God.
And leave the outcome to God. Amen.
