Peter arrives at the house of Mary after an angel frees him from prison.

Acts 12:12-17

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Peter arrives at the house of Mary.
• Peter testifies of how an angel of the lord freed him from prison.

Peter arrives at the house of Mary.
“So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” Acts 12:12

Peter was coming to grips with the reality of what had just happened to him as described in the previous post on Acts 12:8-11. He had just been freed from prison by an angel of the Lord. When he had considered what had happened to him, he came to the house of Mary. Who were the people mentioned in the verse above? Mary was the mother of John Mark. John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas, as quoted “…Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him)…” Colossians 4:10 John Mark also accompanied Paul and Barnabas at the beginning of the missionary journey, as described in Acts 12:25. John Mark [Mark being his surname] is the one who wrote the Gospel of Mark.

In the house of Mary, many were gathered together and praying. This house is the definition of a Church, where a gathering of two or more Believers come together in the name of Jesus. Each individual is the home of the Holy Spirit with our Lord Jesus Christ being the priest and head over us. We can come together in many different types of group meetings, but if Jesus is not there among us, then the gathering is secular and of the world.

“And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.” Acts 12:13-14

We live in a world today where it’s possible to hear voices that sound identical to someone we know, but we never see the face to put with the person. The beast that has power over physiology is able to mimic voices and to give people what to say to create an image of a familiar voice. This perks up our ears, either positively or negatively but there is never a person, just a voice. Is this supposed to be a way to manipulate us to listen to the invisible god that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel?

Peter stood at the door of the gate and knocked and a girl named Rhoda [means Rose] came to answer, recognized Peter’s voice, but didn’t open the gate. Jesus is knocking at the gate of our heart’s door wanting to come in. Rhoda [Rose] represents all of the “sheep” who recognized the voice of the Good Shepherd [Jesus Christ], “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 Sometimes we can be so enthused to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd that we overlook the part about letting Him come in as the Lord over our life. This is like enjoying reading the Psalms of the Bible for emotional encouragement but forgetting to live our life for Him in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

It’s one thing to share encouragement and to make announcements from the scriptures to let people know that Jesus is standing at the gate to meet our emotional needs, but quite another to let Jesus come through the gate of our heart to announce that we have made Jesus our Lord and Savior to live for Him in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay,
  Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
[Church Song]

“But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” Acts 12:15

The whole house was praying sincerely in the name of Jesus Christ, but they knew Herod had imprisoned Peter to execute him that same day. They assumed Peter was dead. They could not believe that Rhoda [Rose] had heard the voice of Peter, they said to her, “You are beside yourself!”

We are the “sheep” who hear the voice of the Good Shepherd within ourselves, we know He is alive, whatever people want to say. Our born-again experience is testimony of Him being alive and is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

In the days just after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, everyone who had their hope in Him thought that all of their hope for the coming Messiah was lost, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” Luke 24:19-21 When Mary Magdalene brought the Good News that she saw Jesus alive, the resurrected Christ, even the Apostles did not believe her, “And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.” Mark 16:11

Our Lord Jesus is much more than an angel,  “...[Jesus] being the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:3-4

After His resurrection, Jesus said, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Luke 24:39

Peter testifies of how an angel of the lord freed him from prison.
“Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” Acts 12:16

In the previous section, Rhoda [Rose] heard Peter’s voice and the gate and heard him knocking, but instead of letting him in, she ran and informed the others. No one believed Rhoda and said to her, “You are beside yourself!” However, Peter continued knocking and when they opened the door and saw him, they were all astonished. They thought that Herod had already killed Peter and yet there he was at their door.

When our Lord Jesus was crucified and buried, many thought that He would never be seen again, not understanding that it was necessary for Him to be resurrected from the grave. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, was doubtful when he heard that Jesus was alive after God resurrected Him from the grave. Thomas would not believe unless he saw the nail prints in the hands and feet of Jesus and put his hand into where the spear went through His side. Jesus appeared, showed Thomas the nail prints and allowed Thomas to put his hand into His side. Then Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” Our Lord Jesus replied, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” This is described in John 20:24-29.

The Holy Spirit wants us to know that Jesus will will continue to knock on our heart’s door, waiting for us to open our heart to Him, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelations 3:20 He only turns away when the Holy Spirit is blasphemed, meaning a person’s heart has become calloused and hardened against belief in God and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. That is what happens when people live for the beast that gives them what to feel, think, do, and say. “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Matthew 12:31

Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but his heart continued to be a place where the Holy Spirit was alive and working. Likewise, we may have said all types of bad things about Jesus before being born-again, and Paul who persecuted the way of Jesus Christ before he was born-again, and those who told Rhoda she was beside herself, but as long as the Holy Spirit still has a place within us, those sins of unbelief will be forgiven. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew 12:32

“But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.” Acts 12:17

While Peter had been let out of prison by an angel of the Lord, Herod was looking for him to execute him. That is why Peter motioned his hand to all of those in the house to keep silent. The Holy Spirit is letting us know that in these days when Christians are unwanted, and in many countries being imprisoned and killed, we need to keep silent. In other words, don’t blow horns and whistles to attract our persecutors to us, and other Christians around us.

While its true that the beast with power over physiology knows and sees and sets itself up as being all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere at the same time across the globe, we do not agitate the government and culture of the beast. We are not to play into Satan’s hand by doing foolish things, as quoted, “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” Luke 4:9-12

As we live for Jesus Christ, read the word of God, and experience the events of this world, we know God is the Living Creator who is actually all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere at the same time. “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13

Even in these atheistic times, which is globally coordinated, there will be opportunities to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart. We won’t be wearing bells and whistles that attracts our persecutors to us, but the Holy Spirit will make a way to share Jesus with just one person in the secret of His presence.

Peter asked others to let James know that he was alive and well. Sometimes, that is the best news that anyone can hear from us, that we are alive and doing well in Jesus Christ. Obviously, this is not the James who was killed by Herod in Acts 12:2 [that James was the brother of John whom Jesus called the “sons of thunder” and both were part of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, Mark 3:13-19]. The James Peter is talking about was the earthly brother [half brother] of Jesus Christ. Mary was the mother of James by Joseph’s seed, whereas Mary was the mother of Jesus by the Spirit of God.

After Peter let the Christians in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, know that he was alive and well, he departed and went elsewhere. The Holy Spirit is letting us know that we should flee from persecution but never to flee from belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus says, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” Matthew 10:14-15 Jesus lets us know of the day when no one will be able to work to spread His testimony, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5

---

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11