Persecution, Prayer, and Power

The tension between grief for loss and joy over miracles is the stuff that makes for many discussions within the church. That too can be a source of great struggle for those who try to understand the question “why”? Being dogmatic and immovable is often unhelpful for those desperate for answers, even to the point where it can cause them to retreat from fellowship, something the Bible encourages us not to do. In our text today we have both ends of this spectrum reported. There are 3 aspects of this report that are obvious issues that the early Messiah-ists were facing: Persecution: James the brother of John is beheaded, something reserved for those who are either murderers or who have left the Jewish faith and started to worship idols. The thought is that they cannot enter the resurrection in this manner. The 3rd Herod has him executed just before the Passover, the relation to Jesus is obvious. The period of peace after the uprising against Stephen is over. This leads to the arrest of Peter. Ernest Prayer for Peter is critical amid this new wave of persecution by a tyrant. Prayer is the only weapon the church has! Is it powerful enough to hinder this force of evil? The answer is yes. The deliverance of Peter and the death of Herod are both amazing responses to prayer. Notice that this time, Peter doesn’t go back to the temple, but into hiding and traveling. The leadership of the church in Jerusalem is now centered on James, the brother of Jesus. Luke 1:52: He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.