A Shocking Start (12:1-5)

It must have been shock when it happened. I would expect that no one expected an outcome like this. Yes, the people of God had been persecuted. The people of God had been scattered from Jerusalem as the persecution intensified. Even Saul had been traveling around trying to arrest Christians until he saw the risen Jesus himself and became a follower of Jesus. Herod, who had been granted authority by the Roman Empire, ruled over Judea and Samaria from 41-44 BC and had joined in on this persecution. Acts 12:1 says that he was having followers of Jesus arrested but we are not told why. Perhaps he is trying to get his area of rule under control as this Jewish persecution perhaps threatened the stability of the area. But here is the shocking moment. It is not that Christians were being arrested. No, the shocking part is that the apostle James was arrested and executed by Herod. An apostle that had been personally chosen by Jesus was executed by a wicked ruler…

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