Passage of the Day - December 9, 2010

Acts 12:1-11

¹Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

 ²And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.

 ³When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

 ⁴When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.

 ⁵So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

 ⁶On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

 ⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly " And his chains fell off his hands.

 ⁸And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."

 ⁹And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

 ¹⁰When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

 ¹¹When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

Although not the purpose of this passage, this is a great illustration of salvation and eternal destinations.  All people were in spiritual prison awaiting their eventual death sentences to be carried out.  Jesus died on the cross and rose again in order to release all people from their shackles and open their cell doors.  Those that follow Jesus out the door and out of prison escape eternal damnation and those that stay don’t escape.