Ac 12
| Facts about Peter | Facts about Jesus | |
|---|---|---|
| Ac 12:1 Herod vexed the church [the body of Christ]. | Herod vexed Christ in the body | Mt 2:13 Lu 23:11 |
| Ac 12:3 he arrested Peter before Passover. | Jesus was arrested before Passover. | |
| Ac 12:4 Peter kept in prison by four sets of soldiers. | Jesus kept in the grave by the prophesies of the four voices of God (Prophet, Priest, King, Judge) | |
| Ac 12:5,6 Peter set free from prison the night before Easter | Jesus set free from death the night before Easter | |
| Ac 12:6 Peter was between to two soldiers | Jesus was between two thieves | |
| Ac 12:7 A light shone in the prison | A light shone in Jesus's tomb | |
| Ac 12:7 The angel poked Peter in the side | Jesus was poked in the side by a spear | |
| Ac 12:8 Peter put his belt [ephod] on, and his shoes [walk/life], and his cloak [works]. | Jesus bound his anger [ephod], took up his life, and continued his works | |
| Ac 12:10 Three obstacles to escape prison (two sets of guards and a gate) | Jesus has three obstacles to escape the grave (two days in the tomb and the stone) | |
| Ac 12:10 The gate opened itself | The stone rolled itself away from Jesus's tomb | |
| Ac 12:12 He went to see Mary first | Jesus saw Mary first | |
| Ac 12:14 And when she heard Peter's voice she ran to tell the disciples | When Mary saw Jesus, she ran to tell the disciples | |
| Ac 12:15 The disciples told her she was mad | The disciples told Mary she was mad | |
| Ac 12:17 When Peter had finished visiting the disciples, he went to another place | When Jesus finished visiting the disciples, he went to another place |
Can you solve the riddle? James is killed. But says "Tell James". Obviously in the literal they must have been different James's. But why did Luke include it in the hidden story of Christ?
- Ac 12:2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
- Ac 12:17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
Do your favorite commentators speak of Christ? Why not? Why do they tell you everything except about Christ?
How would you preach on this passage?
Consider v1 with what we know.
1. Herod was a Hebrew/Roman king. Since Rome ruled 'the world'. This is a picture of all nations coming against Christ/church as the body of Christ. What other hidden pictures tell the same story?
2. Every man represents Christ, So Christ/Herod vexed Christ/church. He did not want to die. He was always tempted by his own flesh to not die. What other pictures tell the same story?
3. Herod הירד is 'the descender'. Christ was made incarnate. He descended from heaven. Another part of his temptation was to use his divinity to his advantage. If he had used one ounce, he would have forfeited being our high priest. He would have had an advantage in resisting temptation.
We have three things that tell us more about Christ when we validate them with other scripture.
