⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. ⁸And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. ¹¹When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

The struggles most of us face are nothing compared to Peter’s prospect of torture and execution. Yet here he was sleeping soundly while chained between two Roman guards. This was no Hilton hotel with soft beds, clean bathrooms, and air fresheners. The fact that Luke, meticulous historian that he was, draws our attention to Peter sleeping makes this contrast notable. The four squads of soldiers probably rotated in and out because for them it would not have been a pleasant experience.

Amid the dark jail squalor, the brilliance of an angelic presence filled the cell. Peter was so sound asleep that the light did not awaken him, so the angel had to hit him awake. And with precise instructions to get dressed and follow the angel out, Peter walked out of jail into the cold.

The experience at first left him dazed—we must remember he was awakened out of a dead sleep. The movements must have seemed surreal to him; as Luke describes it, Peter thought he was seeing a vision. Groggily, he passed by the succession of guards (were they sleeping?) to the gate opening to him without human aid. Once he was out on the street, the angel left him. One can easily imagine Peter’s state of mind.

What just happened? What was he to make of it? One thing is sure: God was preserving Peter for more service in the cause of Christ, and it must have made a lasting impression on him. When his senses returned to him, he concluded it was not a dream or a vision. It really did happen. God had sent an angel to rescue him from Herod and the people who wanted him dead—the people of Judah, his very own people.

However, Peter had a new sense of belonging, a new people with whom he was identifying: fellow believers in Jesus Christ. His confidence that the Lord was with him grew stronger with each persecution.

Lord, I know and believe You are with me and rescue me from Satan’s snares.