PETER ESCAPES FROM PRISON
MEMORY VERSE
Hebrews 13:3, ESV
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
DAY 1
Acts 9:32-42, NIrV
32 Peter traveled around the country. He went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a disabled man named Aeneas. For eight years the man had spent most of his time in bed. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up! Roll up your mat!” So Aeneas got up right away. 35 Everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him. They turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a believer named Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language is Dorcas. She was always doing good and helping poor people. 37 About that time she became sick and died. Her body was washed and placed in a room upstairs. 38 Lydda was near Joppa. The believers heard that Peter was in Lydda. So they sent two men to him. They begged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them. When he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him crying. They showed him the robes and other clothes Dorcas had made before she died.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned toward the dead woman. He said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and especially the widows. He brought her to them. They saw that she was alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa. Many people believed in the Lord.
BIBLE STUDY
During his life, Jesus did many miracles, like healing the legs of a man who could not walk and raising a little girl from the dead. These wonders were signs that he really was God’s Son. When Jesus rose to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to be with the disciples in his place. Filled with God’s Spirit, Peter also did Jesus-like miracles, such as healing the legs of Aeneas or raising Tabitha (also called Dorcas) to life after she died. But God didn’t give Peter miracle power just to help out poor Aeneas or Tabitha; he did it to bring crowds of amazed people to hear Peter tell the good news of Jesus.
+ What did the people do after both of Peter’s miracles? (vs. 35 and 42)
+ What kind things did Tabitha/Dorcas do? (vs. 36 and 39)
DAY 2
Acts 12:1-5, NIrV
1 About this time, King Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church. He planned to make them suffer greatly. 2 He had James killed with a sword. James was John’s brother. 3 Herod saw that the death of James pleased some Jews. So he arrested Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in prison. Peter was placed under guard. He was watched by four groups of four soldiers each. Herod planned to put Peter on public trial. It would take place after the Passover Feast.
5 So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed hard to God for him.
BIBLE STUDY
After Jesus ascended, it was a dangerous time to be a Christian. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem hated what the disciples were saying: “Jesus has risen from the dead. He was our promised Messiah!” In the past, they’d captured two of them, Peter and John, and tossed them in prison. They let them go with this warning: “Stop this Jesus nonsense or else!” However, Herod, the king in charge of Jerusalem, was not so nice! He captured another disciple, James, and killed him with a sword. When he saw this pleased the Jews, Herod captured Peter, most likely so he could kill him, too!
+ Who was the brother of James? (vs. 2)
+ What did the people of the church do when Peter was arrested? (vs. 5)
DAY 3
Acts 12:6-11, NIrV
6 It was the night before Herod was going to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. Two chains held him there. Lookouts stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. A light shone in the prison cell. The angel struck Peter on his side. Peter woke up. “Quick!” the angel said. “Get up!” The chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” Peter did so. “Put on your coat,” the angel told him. “Follow me.” 9 Peter followed him out of the prison. But he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards. Then they came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself. They went through it. They walked the length of one street. Suddenly the angel left Peter.
11 Then Peter realized what had happened. He said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent his angel. He set me free from Herod’s power. He saved me from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
BIBLE STUDY
If you wanted to rescue Peter from prison, what would your plan be? Would you dig a tunnel under his jail cell to rescue him from below? Or perhaps you could break a hole in the roof, drop down a rope, and rescue him from above? Well, God’s didn’t use shovels or ropes to rescue Peter; he used an angel! He caused Peter’s chains to drop right off and the prison doors to open by themselves. All Peter had to do was get dressed and calmly walk right on out of the prison. His prison break was so incredibly easy, Peter thought, “This can’t possibly be happening to me. It has to be a dream!”
+ What incredible things did the angel do so Peter could escape?
+ Who did Peter say sent the angel to rescue him? (vs. 11)
DAY 4
Acts 12:12-17, NIRV
12 When Peter understood what had happened, he went to Mary’s house. Mary was the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered in her home. They were praying there. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance. A servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice. She was so excited that she ran back without opening the door. “Peter is at the door!” she exclaimed.
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they said to her. But she kept telling them it was true. So they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. He explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said. Then he went to another place.
BIBLE STUDY
Mary's house was filled with people praying, asking God to rescue their friend Peter from prison. As they prayed, they heard a knock at the door. They sent their servant Rhoda to check it out. When she heard Peter's voice, Rhoda ran to tell the others the good news. This servant girl was so excited, she actually forgot to let Peter inside! However, when Rhoda told the praying friends that Peter was the one who knock-knocked, they thought it was a joke! They just couldn’t believe that the answer to their prayers was standing outside in the cold night, waiting for them to let him inside.
+ What things did the people say to Rhoda? (vs. 15)
+ What did Peter describe to the praying people? (vs. 17)
DAY 5
Matthew 10:16-22, NIRV
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as harmless as doves. 17 Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. 18 You will be brought to governors and kings because of me. You will be witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, don’t worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the right words to say. 20 It will not be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
21 “Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me. But anyone who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
BIBLE STUDY
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples long before he died, rose, and ascended to heaven. As they went about their mission of telling the good news all over the world, Jesus said they would face persecution. They’d be hated because they believed in him. And all the things Jesus said would happen... actually happened! In the first twelve chapters of Acts, we've read about Peter and John's arrest, Stephen's death by stoning, James' death by sword, and Peter getting arrested again! But even in the face of death and danger, the Spirit-filled disciples refused to stay silent about the good news!
+ What things did Jesus say would happen to his disciples? (vs. 17-18)
+ Why did Jesus tell them to not worry about what they would say? (vs. 19-20)
DAY 6
Hebrews 13:3, NIRV
3 Keep on remembering those in prison. Do this as if you were together with them in prison. And remember those who are treated badly as if you yourselves were suffering.
BIBLE STUDY
When Herod locked Peter in jail, the church (the people who believed the good news of Jesus) were worried. After all, the wicked king had just killed James, one of Jesus' disciples. They were certain their friend was about to join James in the grave!
They could have made a plan to break him out of jail. But there was a huge problem – Peter was guarded by four groups of battle-trained soldiers. If they tried to break him out, they'd all end up dead themselves! Rescuing Peter from prison was totally out of the question. There was really one one thing they could do. What was it?
They prayed. They gathered together and asked God to save their friend from death. They asked God to do what they themselves could not. And God answered their prayer. He answered it in such an unbelievable way, it caught them completely by surprise. In fact, Rhoda was so surprised to hear Peter’s voice that she actually forgot to open the door to let him inside! I can only imagine the looks on the faces of the believers as Peter told them the incredible tale of an angel leading him out of the prison.
Peter may have been one of the first Christians thrown in jail for believing in Jesus, but he definitely wasn't the last. Many more believers faced prison and death, just like Peter did. In fact, some of the books of the Bible were even written from a prison cell!
The verse we read today from the book of Hebrews says, “Remember those trapped in prison or being treated unkindly for being a disciple of Jesus. Think about them as if you were right there next to them in the prison cell.” But what do these words have to do with you and me? After all, the book of Acts was written almost two thousand years ago!
These words are important because what happened to Peter and the disciples in the book of Acts still happens today! There are Christians all over the world who have been treated unkindly, thrown into prison, and even killed for believing the good news of Jesus! We use a special phrase to describe them: the “persecuted church.” And just like Peter’s friends remembered him and prayed to God, we can remember the people of the persecuted church. We can be encouraged that we’re praying to the same God who sent his angel to rescue poor persecuted Peter from prison!
+ Who are the “persecuted church”?
+ What does Hebrews 13:3 tell us to do?
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