Pastor's Ponderings: Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles Acts 12:1-11 (February 10, 2026)

February 10, 2026:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts 12:1-11

Good morning, dear friends in Christ Jesus. I hope that you will continue to offer your prayers for the requests which I asked for prayers for yesterday, and if you have not already started to pray for the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, please do include her and her family in your prayers every day. I wonder regularly about how people in our modern world think that war, interring large numbers of non-criminal immigrants, kidnapping of a senior citizen, driving without regard for the safety of the people around you, is just a natural part of the world's society and people. And perhaps it is today. Even the Church is laden with the erroneous thinking that the Church should be the power, wealth, and authority in our own nation. Over the centuries of the Church, people have all too often proven themselves to be unable to get beyond their human nature to truly be Godly in the face of all the temptations which we know are already faced by those who have been elected to serve as our leaders. The Church is meant to be the conscience of Government. To continue to live up to what is right and good and just in the eyes of our God. To that end, after our celebration of Easter we will begin a six-week series on the new social statement of the ELCA on faith and civic life during our 9AM Sunday School Hour. The exact dates will be listed in the April Journeys newsletter. This will be a time for both presentation and discussion of the relationship between these two intertwined realities in our lives.

Today in our reading from the 12th chapter of Acts, verses 1-11, we discover what can happen when the multi-generational royal family of kings in Israel continues over many years to attack and persecute those who have come to accept the Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, as their Lord, and the head of the new Church.  So, let’s take some time this morning to understand the impact of this line of kings in the lives of faithful people, both Jews and Christians before, during, and after our Savior.

1. Herod the Great - the first of the family of Herod’s from 41BCE to circa 1BCE. He is the Herod during the time of the birth of Jesus, and responsible for the horrific murder of young children in an attempt to kill the Newborn King! He was married 10 times! Now we will list the family members who had an influential presence in Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem.

   1. Herod Philip the First - He was the husband of Herodias. Both were responsible for the death of John the Baptist. He is mentioned as Philip in Matthew 14:3, Mark 6:17, Luke 3:19.

   2. Herod Antipas - He was the ruler of Galilee and Peraea, and the second husband of Herodias. This Herod consented to the death of John the Baptist. He is also the king to whom Pilate sent Jesus for trial. Luke 23:7ff (ff means and following verses)

   3. Archelaus - ruler of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. He was so bad that he was            deposed and banished. Matthew 2:22

   4. Herod Philip the Second - He was ruler of Ituraea and Trachonitis. He founded the city Caesarea Philippi. He too is mentioned as Philip in Luke 3:1

   5. Aristobulus - Another son of Herod the Great. Murdered by his own father. His mother was Mariamne, a princess of the Maccabean heroes.

   6. Herod Agrippa. He is the Herod mentioned in today's passage from Acts 12:1-11 who was determined to persecute the new Church, and who was responsible for the death of Jesus' brother James, and for the imprisonment of Peter.

In all of this it really seems that the Herod’s held a generational grudge against the Christians for claiming that Jesus was the new king of Israel, born to bring God's justice to His elect people, and beyond to the gentiles. I don't think that this family's married relationship with the Maccabees is insignificant. The Maccabees claimed to be the family of the Messiah and revolted against the Romans as part of this claim to rightful kingship in Israel and more! The beginning of this passage took place during the celebration of Passover. It is Ironic that is this the very same time frame as the crucifixion of Jesus, just several years earlier. This all takes us about halfway through this passage for today. What is even more important was the circumstance of Peter, arrested, imprisoned like a superhero, with guards immediately next to him at all times. It was the failure of Herod to understand that I am, I will be who I will be, is not restricted by the actions of people. The power of God's messenger to undo what Herod had done was miraculous. Peter's chains fell away at the request of this angel, doors unlocked and opened spontaneously, and Peter was guided to flee into the night. It is very likely that Peter would also have been killed, but this was not his time. Peter would go to Rome to be crucified. Yesterday we talked about a kind of God miracles that often include our own action, but in this reading, we see the power of God to undo what people in the wrong have attempted to do in opposition to God. It is God's desire for Peter to be free to do the work that is still before him. Peter has already seen the Resurrection of his Master. Once awake he realized that God had acted on his behalf.

In our lives I believe that God still intervenes to make what seems impossible become reality. We shouldn't be surprised! We know what God has done through His Son, and we are witnesses through Scripture to the mighty actions of our God who loves us so much, and we are frequently the recipients of those Holy miracles, even when we fail to see them up close and personal. I can speak personally about this happening in my own life. Last week I was nearly pushed into a concrete wall under the Alvernon bridge which crosses over the link between Golf Links and Aviation Barraza Highway. At my age I should never have been able to avoid hitting the wall, but somehow my response time was quick and appropriate to avoid the car that hadn't bothered to see me alongside of them. I have said more than one prayer of thanks to God for His presence in this miracle of safety. Though I ended up just inches from the wall, I was safe, and cars behind me slowed down to allow me to get back on the road. We need to remember that no matter how long some injustice seems to last, God has not gone away from us. He will shower us with His Love and Just Help. We need to always remain faithful in every circumstance.

With Love in Jesus Christ. Pastor Kim