Acts 12:11-19 – Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. 18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
“But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” Rhoda kept insisting that she had seen and heard what she had seen and heard. The adults kept insisting she was crazy and those telling her to hush up could not dissuade her. She knew what she had seen and would not be told otherwise.
Peter kept knocking at the door without being let in. Who knows how long he was there knocking? Remember that he was now a God rescued escaped prisoner. There were saints inside the house praying and none of them heard him knocking, only the little girl had heard and she had run away and not opened the door. He was even at the door of the house, he was at a large outer gate that was large enough for carts to come through with deliveries. He was knocking. He was knocking loudly to be heard. He could have been seen and heard by anyone. Perhaps his guards had detected that he was missing and they were looking for him and the commotion he was making would lead them right to him? Peter didn’t know about all the “what ifs,” he only knew that Jesus had sent an angel to free him from death and he had to tell people what God had done for him.
Rhoda, a little girl knew what she had seen and heard and no-one was going to tell her different. Peter had a story of being rescued by Jesus and he was going to keep knocking, whatever the risk, until the door was opened and he could share of the faithfulness of God expressed through Jesus to him. Again. Peter and Rhoda had experienced something very real. Peter had been supernaturally saved and Rhoda has seen the answered prayers of all the saints that were gathered to pray for God to save Peter. Rhoda, this sweet little girl, would not stop insisting that God’s answer to their prayer was waiting for them at the front door. God had provided and all they had to do was go the front door and receive the answered prayer, if only they would believe. Peter kept knocking, he persisted until his brothers and sisters inside would come to him and let him tell what Jesus had done for him. From the outside he likely could hear them inside loudly praying, calling out to God to save him, and he wanted them to know that God had heard their prayer. With risk to him he kept making noise until they came and opened the door and received their answer to prayer.
Calling out to God the brothers and sisters inside, with broken and desperate hearts, were pleading with God and brokenheartedly crying out for Him to save Peter. They were likely not pleased that Rhoda was interrupting their group prayer to say what they did not believe. Finally, to placate the insistent little girl they went to the door looking to see what had the little girl excited. Can’t we just hear the shouts of praise and shrieks of joy when they saw Peter. They rushed and unlocked the gate and let Peter in. They let in God’s answer to their prayer. They received from God what they prayed for. Oh to only understand when God answers our prayers in the perfect ways that He does, though mostly not as we expect.
“Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.” Peter told them to tell James (the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Galatians 1:19) and the rest of the brothers and sisters what great thing God had done. God set Peter free and guided him to remind his brothers and sisters that Jesus was still alive and still watching over His flock. Rhoda had a job, it was to alert the group about the answer to their prayer that was at the gate knocking to get in. Then the gathered believers had a job to spread the good news that Jesus not only spiritually sets captives free, but that Jesus is still physically setting people free from the chains that bind them.
Family, when Peter finally understood what Jesus had done for him, he had to tell somebody. When Rhoda saw and heard the answer to prayer, she had to tell somebody. When the gathered brothers and sister saw Peter and knew that God had answered their prayers, they had to tell somebody. How about us? Do we truly know that Jesus died on the cross to set us free from the lie that we were beyond being saved? Do we truly know that Jesus put hope and faith within us when we thought we had nothing left? Does God truly live within us and is He keeping us with Him while we our earthly bodies pass and we move from earth to heaven? Then we have the reality of what God has done for us. We need to tell somebody. We need to tell everybody that will listen to us that Jesus saved, saves and will continue to save all that believe His Gospel message and follow Him. Sometimes we are surrounded by those who refuse to believe and so what should we do? We should keep knocking, we should keep insisting that we know what we know, and we should not stop until they finally respond and receive what every soul needs, that being the forgiveness of sin through Jesus so that they may be eternally in the love and grace of God Almighty. Family, let’s persist in spreading the good news and when no one will listen, let’s persist until we find who will. The little girl Rhoda did, to the blessing of many, including you and I. Surely, if this little girl did, we can. Let us be like Peter who had to tell somebody what Jesus had done for him. Besides, we’re just telling the truth. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.