Day 40: Jail Break!

Holy Saturday

Scripture: Acts 12:6-7

NRS 6 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his wrists.

Devotional: Considering that trusting in Jesus can lead to suffering, imprisonment and even death, what does it mean to place our full trust in the Him? I think this was the question Peter wrestled with in the courtyard. Does following Jesus Christ and trusting in Him really lead to the same things Jesus suffered? The truthful answer is yes it does. Jesus taught that following Him would lead to the cross, but He still taught to surrender the totality of our will and our lives to the Triune God. It is a call to trust completely, knowing that He is with us in the suffering. In the courtyard Peter had yet to grasp that truth, but today we find a brand new Peter in this final scripture record of his imprisonment. Herod had James the brother of John put to death. The pleasure expressed by the crowds inspired him to do the same with Peter, so he had him arrested. The Rock had become a man with absolute faith in God. Rather than spend the night in jail worrying, he confidently faced his imminent death by getting a good night’s sleep. What a picture of transformation? In the courtyard, when faced with uncertain persecution, he completely denied Christ. Imprisoned, faced with almost certain death, transformed Peter was sleeping like a baby between two guards. When we allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us, we too begin to develop a confident trust in God that will never be misplaced. Peter’s confidence did not go unnoticed and it was rewarded with the waking nudge of an angel as his chains fell off. It was only after they had walked out of the prison and the angel disappeared that Peter realized his rescue was real and not a vision. Many people would have fled, but Peter headed to the house of Mary to continue his ministry. Sometimes we find ourselves backed into a corner by the world and we feel like there is no way out, but those are the very places we get surprised by God. He steps in changing everything. His actions spoke to Peter and they speak to us, “I’m not done with you. You still have work to do in My Name.” Today is Holy Saturday, if there was ever a day that is completely about God not being done yet, it is today! The world placed Jesus on a cross where He proclaimed, “It is finished.” It looked like the end. Twenty-four hours later that end seemed certain, but God was not done! He raised Jesus from the grave. It was only the worldly part that was finished, God’s transformation of the world had just begun. That transformation continues in each of us today. God is not done yet, what does He still have to accomplish in each of us?

Prayer: Father, today we give thanks that You are not finished. Not finished in each of us and not finished in the world we live. We ask that You would redeem whatever situations into which the world has backed us and move us into the work you still have for us to do. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:                 We Fall Down by Chris Tomlin

Spiritual discipline challenge: Tonight we await the glory of the dawn and the empty tomb. Let us confess to God all of our failings to prepare our hearts to receive the Risen Lord.