In a sermon on Acts 12, “Execution, Escape and Eaten by Worms,” John Piper states:
This chapter is about God and Herod. This Herod is Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great who was king when Jesus was born and ordered the infants killed in Bethlehem. He was brought up in Rome and made king in Judea and surrounding territories by Gaius the emperor.
If You Oppose Jesus, You Lose
The chapter begins with Herod killing James the apostle of the Lord Jesus (v. 2), and ends with the angel of the Lord killing Herod (v. 23). The main point of the chapter is plain: if you oppose Jesus, you lose. Luke put this chapter together to make this plain for the early church: you may feel small and insignificant in the Roman empire; you may think that you are overpowered when some of your best leaders are killed on a political whim. But the truth is: if you stay with Jesus, you win, and if you oppose him, you lose. So be encouraged. Be bold and courageous to spread the Word of truth and leave the outcome to God.
See the next post for Part 2. I recommend reading or listening to the entire sermon! Click here:
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 