· James Martyred (Acts 12:1–2)
o Herod Agrippa I
- Made ruler over all the area that his grandfather, Herod the Great, had ruled over (A.D. 41–44).
- Josephus gives a detailed account of Herod Agrippa I in Antiquities of the Jews 19.7.3 (328–31).
o James’ death by sword is consistent with Jewish Law.
- Deuteronomy 13:12–15
o Why don’t we hear much about James in Acts?
- Until Acts 12:2, James the brother of John is only mentioned in Acts 1:13.
- Because of James’ early death, Luke didn’t have the opportunity to interview James and get an account of his story.
o Did Jesus foretell of James’ martyrdom?
- Mark 10:35–40
o James’ martyrdom is the only recorded death of an apostle in the New Testament.

· Peter’s Arrest (Acts 12:3–5)
o Herod Agrippa I arrested and imprisoned Peter, intending to execute him.
o A squad of soldiers consisted of four men. Four squads equal sixteen soldiers who were guarding Peter in shifts.
o The church of God prayed fervently.

· Peter’s Escape (Acts 12:6–11)
o Peter was sleeping?
- The night before Jesus’ execution, Peter had no trouble sleeping (Matt. 26:36–46).
- Jesus had told Peter something very specific about how and when he would die in John 21:18–19.
o While Peter is sound asleep, an angel appears in his cell.
o Vs. 9 tells us that Peter didn’t know that this was really happening. He thought it was a vision.
- How would Luke know this detail?
· Most likely, Luke had interviewed Peter and gotten this story firsthand.
o Peter finally realized what had happened and that it wasn’t a vision.

· Peter Informs the Church (Acts 12:12–17)
o At Mary’s house, there were many believers praying for Peter.
o Peter knocks; Rhoda forgets to open the door.
o Rhoda’s news is too good to be true, and the praying believers think she is crazy.
o Some of them thought it was more plausible to believe an angel was at the door than Peter.
- God had answered prayer beyond their expectations.
· Ephesians 3:20–21
o They opened the door and saw Peter standing there, and they were amazed!
o Peter tells them how he had escaped with the help of the angel.
o Peter tells them to report what had happened to James and the brethren, then he left for another place.
- James? Didn’t he get killed in Acts 12:2?
· Peter is speaking of James the brother of Jesus.

Application:
Why does God allow James to be killed, but miraculously intervenes to save Peter?
· John 21:20–22
· Run your race, not somebody else’s.
What do you pray fervently for?