雅各和他的兄弟约翰，都蒙召做耶稣的门徒，他们的性格相当激烈，所以耶稣为他们起了“雷子”这个绰号（马可福音3:17；参看路加福音9:54）。连同彼得，他们三人成为最接近耶稣的几个门徒（马可福音9:2; 14:33）。耶稣受死和复活之后，教会开始增长，雅各成为第一个因信基督以致被杀的使徒。
“希律王下手苦害教会中几个人。”希律大概因雅各被公认为教会领袖，所以便把雅各杀害了；当他看到掌权的犹太人赞同他这样做时，他也捉拿了彼得。
教会因此切切为彼得祷告。神必定仍然有更多事情等着彼得去做的，所以，在彼得受审的前一晚，神差遣一个天使来救彼得离开监牢。实在是奇妙！
有时，人们对这件事会有一个疑问。神为什么容许雅各被杀、却又差遣使者去救彼得？神是否不公平呢？答案是否定的。
神对我们每个人的一生都有衪的计划，衪呼召我们服事衪，直到衪预备好我们，领到衪面前的那一刻；而当我们继续活在这个苦难的世界时，神也必定会供应我们所需要的。
在神里面，我们有安稳的永恒归宿，没有什么能从神手里把我们夺去（约翰福音10:28-30）。
圣洁的神，你呼召我们，即使面对世上的苦难和逼迫，仍然要去传扬福音和建立教会，惟愿我们能完成你的呼召。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
使徒行传 12:1–11
1那时，希律王下手苦害教会中几个人，
2用刀杀了约翰的哥哥雅各。
3他见犹太人喜欢这事，又去捉拿彼得。那时正是除酵的日子。
4希律拿了彼得，收在监里，交付四班兵丁看守，每班四个人，意思要在逾越节后把他提出来，当着百姓办他。
5于是彼得被囚在监里，教会却为他切切地祷告神。
6希律将要提他出来的前一夜，彼得被两条铁链锁着，睡在两个兵丁当中，看守的人也在门外看守。
7忽然，有主的一个使者站在旁边，屋里有光照耀。天使拍彼得的肋旁，拍醒了他，说：“快快起来！”那铁链就从他手上脱落下来。
8天使对他说：“束上带子，穿上鞋！”他就那样做。天使又说：“披上外衣，跟着我来！”
9彼得就出来跟着他，不知道天使所做是真的，只当见了异象。
10过了第一层、第二层监牢，就来到临街的铁门，那门自己开了。他们出来，走过一条街，天使便离开他去了。
11彼得醒悟过来，说：“我现在真知道主差遣他的使者，救我脱离希律的手和犹太百姓一切所盼望的。”
"King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them." - Acts 12:1
James, along with his brother John, were called by Jesus to become his disciples. They had such fiery personalities that Jesus gave them the nickname "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17; see Luke 9:54). Along with Peter, they became Jesus' three closest disciples (Mark 9:2; 14:33). And when the church began to grow after Jesus' death and resurrection, James became the first apostle to be killed for his faith in Christ.
"King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them." Herod had James killed, probably because James was known as a leader, and when Herod saw that the Jewish authorities approved of this, he arrested Peter also.
This led the church to pray earnestly for Peter. And the Lord surely had more work for Peter to do, because on the night before Peter's trial, God sent an angel to break Peter out of prison. Amazing!
Sometimes people have a question about this. Why did God allow James to be killed, but then God sent an angel to save Peter? Was God showing favoritism? No.
God has a plan for each of us in our lives, and he calls us to serve him until he is ready to take us to be with him. And while we continue to live in this world of suffering, God will provide what we need.
Our eternal destiny is safe with God, and nothing can take us out of his hands (John 10:28-30).
Holy God, let us fulfill the calling you have given us to spread the gospel and build up the church, even in the midst of suffering and persecution in this world. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
