Acts 12:19-25
Reflect
The first question that came to mind was, “Why would Luke put this here? What made Herod’s death so incredible that Luke would want to record his death?”
Zooming out of Acts 12, we find that Acts is divided into three parts (without counting Paul’s trials after chapter 20) that track Acts 1:8. We have chapters 1-7 (the church in Jerusalem), 8-12 (Judea and Samaria), and 13-20 (to the ends of the earth).
We started off chapter 12 with Herod. He executed James, arrested Peter, and he’s triumphing as a trail of destruction follow behind him. However, we end chapter 12 with Herod’s death, Peter free from prison, and the word of God triumphing (v24)!
It’s without question that our takeaway from this passage could be that man should not take God’s glory (vs22-23), but I believe that we can also walk away knowing that despite opposition, the good news will always prevail, triumph and prosper! What a great transition into part three as the ground has been laid for the church’s missionary expansion to the ends of the earth!
Apply
In the face of opposition, God’s Word will be victorious. This means that the gospel will never be forgotten or quenched, and will carry forward despite opposition. Nothing will stop God’s Word.
How does this encourage you today?
Pastor Nathanael
Pray
- Pray for our Childcare staff, the children and their families this week. Pray for the Director, Kristy Thomas.
- Pray for our Audio/Visual Director, Grant Mix.
- Pray for our Lead Team Pastor, Terry Okken and his family.