What Was Become Of Peter? (Acts 12:18) - Charles Spurgeon Sermon

Devotional

Day 1: Chains Falling in the Darkest Hour

When Peter slept chained between soldiers, liberation came through divine interruption. Prison walls held no power against the angel’s touch. Chains dropped not by human effort but by heaven’s command. This moment mirrors how God breaks sin’s grip when all seems sealed—not through our striving, but through His unstoppable grace. The darkest cells cannot contain His light. [01:05]

And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
(Acts 12:7-8, KJV)

Reflection: What “chains” have you resigned yourself to carrying? How might God be inviting you to trust His timing in your darkest confinement?

Day 2: Awakening the Sleepers with a Smitten Side

The angel’s strike roused Peter from passive acceptance of captivity. So the Spirit jolts souls numb to sin’s prison. Indifference—whether through prosperity, routine, or despair—keeps many sleeping through God’s rescue. That blow, though startling, proved kinder than lingering bondage. Divine love often wounds to heal. [11:10]

And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
(Acts 12:7, KJV)

Reflection: Where has complacency dulled your awareness of God’s nearness? What gentle (or not-so-gentle) promptings have you been ignoring?

Day 3: Stirring the Guards of Our Old Life

Herod’s soldiers panicked when the impossible happened. So sin’s sentinels—habit, temptation, toxic relationships—rage when grace snatches their prisoner. The world cannot comprehend liberation it didn’t engineer. Yet the freed need not explain their flight; the Rescuer’s work speaks for itself. [03:47]

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death.
(Acts 12:18-19, KJV)

Reflection: Which “guards” from your past still try to report you missing? How does your freedom unsettle systems that profited from your captivity?

Day 4: From Prison Gates to Prayer Meetings

Peter didn’t linger at crime scenes. He ran to where saints gathered—not to boast, but to testify. Conversion isn’t complete until we join the praying community. The same prayers that stormed heaven for his release now welcomed him home. Chains gone, he sought family, not fanfare. [28:51]

And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
(Acts 12:12, KJV)

Reflection: Who first celebrated your spiritual freedom? How does your presence in God’s family confuse or convict those who knew your “old chains”?

Day 5: Bearing Witness at the Enemy’s Gate

Peter didn’t hide after escaping. He stood where he’d been bound and declared, “The Lord did this.” Our testimony isn’t for polished pulpits but for the prisons we’ve left. Every scarred wrist, every broken chain, preaches louder than Herod’s threats. [31:15]

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.
(Acts 12:17, KJV)

Reflection: Where does your liberation story most threaten the enemy’s narrative? How can you “knock at the gate” of someone still trapped?

Sermon Summary

Acts 12 sets Peter in Herod’s innermost prison, chained, watched, darkened, and marked for death. The text makes his escape the most unlikely thing in the world, and then makes it a glass through which the salvation of sinners may be seen. Peter’s prison becomes the sinner’s bondage, for sin is not merely around a man, but in him, stronger than granite walls and bars of iron. Original depravity shuts the soul up so closely that no man can set another free, and no man can burst down his own prison doors.

The angel’s light in the prison shows the work of the Spirit upon a darkened mind. The unconverted sinner does not know Christ, does not apprehend his own condition, and does not comprehend eternal realities. Yet the Spirit can come into the prison of man’s sin and bring heavenly illumination with him, so that the truth as it is in Jesus is seen in a moment. The sleeping apostle shows the sinner’s indifference, especially the prosperity and health that make eternity seem far off. The angel’s hard blow was a kind one, and awakening trouble may afterward be blessed as the stroke that helped bring a soul to the Savior.

Peter’s chains show the force of old companions and unholy alliances. Christ can save a sinner though bound hand and foot by intimate association with other sinners. The guards show Satan’s watchfulness over those whom God means to bless, yet the Lord makes short work of guards, prison, darkness, chains, the devil, and all his allies. Peter’s last night before execution shows that God is never before his time, but never behind it. The Lord can save at the eleventh hour, when destruction seems ready to swallow up the soul.

The cry, “What has become of Peter?” becomes the stir made when unlikely sinners are converted. Old companions wonder, mock, tempt, and threaten, but if God has set a man free, he is free indeed. Herod’s rage pictures the devil’s fury when Christ takes another lamb from between the jaws of the lion. Outsiders and lukewarm religious people cannot understand living, earnest conversion, while even the church may be astonished when long-prayed-for sinners stand at the gate.

Peter’s quiet conduct shows the marks of true deliverance. The freed man goes to the prayer meeting, joins the Christians, tells how the Lord brought him out, and soon bears witness to Christ. The blood-red standard is lifted for guilty sinners, not for the self-righteous dripping with their own goodness. Christ came to wash the filthy and heal the sick, and the man forgiven much will love much, speak boldly, and sound out the power of the gospel.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Grace breaks impossible prisons The sinner’s prison is not built merely of outward habits, but of inward depravity that has entered the soul. No Samson is strong enough to tear down those doors, and no moral resolve can open the iron gate. Christ alone proclaims liberty with power, and his grace makes the most unlikely escape a living wonder. [05:41]
2. Awakening blows may be mercies The angel’s stroke upon Peter was sharp, but it was kinder than leaving him asleep. Trouble, bereavement, sickness, or a piercing word may become the blow that breaks deadly indifference. A soul saved by such awakening will not afterward quarrel with the pain that drove it to the Savior. [12:46]
3. Prayer reaches guarded captives Peter was chained, watched, and hidden, yet the church’s prayer brought heaven into the prison. Satan may guard an awakened sinner with distractions, temptations, and old companions, but God’s will overcomes every sentry. Prayer does not merely wish freedom for captives, it lays their case before the One who opens gates of their own accord. [13:00]
4. Freedom confounds old masters When Christ sets a sinner free, old companions ask, “What has become of Peter?” because the former ways no longer fit the new man. The devil himself is shamed when a blaspheming mouth begins to pray and a hard heart begins to melt. True conversion does not merely remove a man from old pleasures, it makes the old prison hateful. [23:31]
5. Forgiven sinners become bold witnesses Peter did not hide his deliverance, but told how the Lord had brought him out of prison. A sinner rescued from black sins and iron sins carries a testimony that can melt other hearts. Much forgiveness does not produce sleepy service, but grateful courage beneath the blood-red standard of the cross.

## [31:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:27] - What Had Become of Peter?
[05:23] - The Improbable Escape
[08:33] - Prison Darkness and Gospel Light
[10:36] - Sleeping Sinners Awakened
[13:16] - Chains of Old Companions
[15:01] - Guards, Satan, and Sovereign Grace
[17:21] - The Last Night Before Death
[20:41] - No Small Stir Begins
[22:57] - Herod and Hell Confounded
[24:41] - Lukewarm Religion Cannot Understand
[26:15] - Astonished Believers at Prayer
[28:34] - Peter Goes to Prayer
[30:56] - Telling What God Has Done
[33:42] - Enlisting Guilty Sinners

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 12:1-19 (ESV)
(Read the full passage together in your group.)

Observation Questions

In Acts 12:5-7, what specific obstacles did Peter face in prison, and how did the angel intervene?
How did the church respond when Rhoda announced Peter was at the door (Acts 12:13-15)? What does their reaction reveal about their expectations?
According to the sermon, what does Peter’s quiet return to the prayer meeting illustrate about true spiritual freedom? [28:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Peter’s chains fell off before he started walking out of the prison (Acts 12:7)? What might this symbolize about God’s role in freeing us from sin?
The iron gate “opened of its own accord” (Acts 12:10). How does this detail emphasize God’s sovereignty in salvation, even when human effort seems impossible?
The soldiers were baffled by Peter’s escape (Acts 12:18-19). Why might unexpected conversions of “unlikely” sinners still cause confusion or resistance today?

Application Questions

Grace breaks impossible prisons: Are there areas in your life where you’ve felt “chained” (e.g., habits, relationships, doubts) and unable to change? How might trusting Christ’s power—not your own—shift your perspective? [05:41]
Awakening blows may be mercies: Reflect on a time when hardship (sickness, loss, etc.) shook you out of spiritual indifference. How did that experience ultimately draw you closer to God? [12:46]
Prayer reaches guarded captives: Who in your life feels “impossible” to reach with the gospel? How can you persistently bring their situation to God in prayer this week? [13:00]
Freedom confounds old masters: If old habits or relationships still tempt you to return to sin, what practical step can you take this week to reinforce your new identity in Christ? [23:31]
Forgiven sinners become bold witnesses: When was the last time you shared your story of deliverance with someone? What holds you back from speaking openly about God’s grace? [31:15]
How do you react when someone you’ve prayed for does experience a radical change (e.g., skepticism, joy, disbelief)? What might their conversion reveal about your own trust in God’s power?

Sermon Clips

If the Lord means to save you, man, whoever you are, he will overcome your old master and his guards, the Lord's eternal will shall assuredly overcome your will and the will of Satan and the lusts of the flesh and your own resolves. And although you may have made a league with death and a covenant with hell, yet if the eternal Jehovah wills it, he can break your covenant and set you free and lead you a captive at the wheels of his chariot of fire. For with God, nothing is impossible. [00:16:41]

Yes, we bless God that as the angel came into Peter's prison and brought a light with him, so the spirit can come into the prison of man's sin and bring heavenly illumination with him. And then he will see in a moment the truth as it is in Jesus, which he never knew before. Glory be to God. He can lead the blinded mind into daylight and give it eyes to see and a heart to love the truth divine. [00:09:54]

No man can set another man free from iniquity, nor can any man burst down his own prison doors. No Samson is strong enough for that. But there is one mighty to save, who has come to proclaim liberty to the captives of sin and the opening of the prison to them that are bound by iniquity. And he has so proclaimed it that many of us are now free through his grace. [00:07:58]

He has come to wash the filthy and heal the sick. And oh ye filthy ones, before you I hold up the gospel banner and say again, who will enlist beneath it? If you will, the great captain of salvation will take your guilt away and cast your sins into the depths of the sea and make you new creatures through the power of his spirit. [00:34:56]

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. To believe on Jesus Christ is simply to trust him. Then do thou trust him. For if thou distrust thy guilty soul entirely on Jesus, he has met with thee, thou art saved. Now go and sin no more. Your sins which are many are forgiven you. That is salvation in a nutshell. Whosoever reposes his trust in Jesus is saved. [00:20:00]

Peter was in prison. It was a most unlikely thing that he should come forth from Herod's jail. But it is a far more unlikely thing that sinners should be set free from the dungeons of sin. For the iron gate which opened into the city to turn upon its hinges of its own accord was wonderful. But for a sinful heart to loathe its sin is stranger far. [00:05:30]

It is not around us merely, but in us, compassing our path, whether we lie down or rise up, stronger than granite walls and bars of iron are the forces of evil. Evil has penetrated our souls. It has become part of ourselves. Whether shall we fly from its presence, or how shall we escape from its power? [00:06:06]

Blessed be God, he never leaves his elect to perish in sin. He never is before his time, but he never is behind it. He cometh in at the last moment, and when it seems as though eternal destruction would swallow up his chosen one, he stretches out his hand and achieves his purpose. [00:18:31]

Ah, but if God has set him free from sin, he is free indeed, and you will never lead him back to prison again. When you meet him, you will find him a new man, and you will be glad to get away from him, for he will prove too strong for you. [00:22:00]

Yet Peter did come out of prison, though he was chained to his guards. And Christ can save a sinner, though he is bound hand and foot by his intimate association with other sinners as bad as himself. It seems impossible that he should be set at liberty, but nothing is impossible with God. [00:14:31]

The sinner fast bound in his sin is by the mercy of God set free brought out from his spiritual prison into the streets of the new Jerusalem. And then there is no small stir among his old companions. What has become of him? Many questions are asked and many strange answers are given. They cannot understand it. The vain world esteems it strange. [00:04:31]

We have thus remarked upon a whole series of improbabilities, but I've noticed that it is often the most unlikely people who are saved. There are many of whom I thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before me, and I've been disappointed in them." And there are many others who came to hear out of curiosity, and were the least likely to be impressed, who nevertheless have been met with by sovereign grace. [00:19:16]

You do not love Christ if you do not love his people. If you love the Lord who has saved you, you will love the people whom the Lord has saved. And you will, like Peter, find out your brethren and join with them. [00:30:24]

But he slept as sweetly as though he should be married that morning instead of meeting a cruel death. God can give his people the greatest peace in the most disturbing times. [00:17:52]

Such as the estate spiritually of every unconverted sinner. He is in the dark. He does not know Christ, nor apprehend his own condition, nor comprehend eternal realities. What a shade of darkness is he in who has never heard the gospel. [00:08:44]

Ask a question about this sermon

Spurgeon Sermon Series This sermon · AI assistant

How can God free the deeply enslaved

What role does prayer play in deliverance

How should converts live among former companions