Acts 16:19-30 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Paul and Silas had been thrown in Philippi’s jail because they had cast out a demon from a woman who was making money for her owners. This demon possessed woman was the meal ticket for these men. Because Paul had destroyed the way for them to make money, they lied about the disciples' activity in Philippi. They stirred up trouble for the two disciples, causing the Philippian magistrates of the city to arrest the disciples, stripping them and beating them severely with rods. After their flogging, they were placed in the inner cell of the jail, with their feet fastened in stocks. The jailer on the threat of his own life was commanded to guard these two Jewish men carefully. To be a jailer was a great responsibility within any community in those days, but the position also carried with it a death sentence if any of the prisoners escaped. When Peter was delivered from jail by an angel, the sixteen guards who were responsible for guarding Peter were all killed by Herod because Peter had escaped from his confinement. The Philippi jailer knew his life would probably be taken if these two disciples escaped from the deepest part of his jail. However, God intervened in the circumstance of the disciple’s confinement by causing an earthquake to happen in Philippi. This earthquake freed the prisoners from their chains and flung open the doors of the prison. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. This earthquake in the middle of the night crumbled the prison walls, opened the doors of the dungeon. Because of this disaster, the jailer believed his prisoners had escaped. He drew his own sword to take his life, not waiting to be executed by the magistrates the next day, but Paul yelled out in this clouded darkness of dust and debris, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” They were probably there because all the prisoners had heard Paul and Silas in their broken and bruised bodies praying and singing hymns to God. These other prisoners understood that something supernatural had just happened and that these two disciples of prayer and praise had caused their God to intervene on their behalf. The prisoners did not flee; they were in awe of this God of Paul and Silas. The jailer also knew that Paul and Silas’ God had intervened that night on the behalf of two ordinary men. The jailer's response to this unusual event was to call out to the disciples, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" How can I know the God that you know? How can I know the God who keeps men with broken and bruised bodies singing and praising him in the depths of a dark and dank dungeon? What must I do to know such a powerful God in my life? Paul and Silas led this frightened man and his family to Christ Jesus, baptizing them in the name of Jesus that night.
Paul and Silas were in the center of God’s will that night. They were in the center of God’s will that day when the were experiencing a severe beating with rods. They were in the center of God’s will when these Greek thugs were enjoying the flaying of the disciples’ skin with rods. They were in God’s will when their bruised and limp bodies were dragged to the dungeon. They were in God’s will when the chains were cruelly and hurtfully fastened on them. They knew this was God’s will for them, so they were singing and praising God in the suffocating air of the inner dungeon. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Paul goes on in his letter to the Romans, Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword separate us from the love of God, his concern for us? No! Never! But it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Romans 8:35-36) Even though this is true, we know in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 3:37) Paul and Silas knew this cup of suffering they were experiencing was for the cause of Christ. But only Jesus had THE CUP that must be drunk for the deliverance of mankind from the prison of sin. When Peter tried to prevent Jesus from drinking the cup of suffering for mankind, Jesus commands Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) Now in the Philippi dungeon, we see Paul and Silas drinking the cup of suffering because of ministering to the Philippians the deliverance message that comes through believing in the works of Jesus Christ. Paul, not Silas, knew he would drink this cup of suffering many times in his life. He was told after his conversion on the road to Damascus that suffering for the Lord would be part of his life experiences. But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:15-16) As Paul moved from one community to the next, preaching the gospel, he met resistance to the Good News he was preaching. He met threats on his life, in and out of these cities. He was never secure, knowing his life could be taken from him any day. He understood the Good News he preached also brought a sword to each community. The Good News requires men and women to make a decision about Jesus as Lord. Nothing else but acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord by faith would establish eternal life in them. Rejection of Jesus as Lord would bring eternal damnation to their lives. This news was not good news to the rebellious and sinful. The path of life for these recalcitrants would not lead to being a child of God, but would lead to eternal damnation. Jesus promised Paul hatred from the Jew and Greek alike, not love, acceptance, and praise from them. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:21-23) We see in the Philippi jail, Jesus’ promise to Paul, You will be hated by everyone because of me.
But in truth, Jesus brought the love of God to all mankind. He alone paid the horrendous price of freeing men from the consequences of sin: DEATH. The cross paved the way for all men and women to escape eternal death. The cross alone reveals clearly God’s everlasting love for his creation that He made in his image. This plan of God to bring into his presence children made holy by the cross was the essence of his plan for Adam and Eve from the very beginning. Through the cross, God’s love and grace would be unveiled. Even the law of Moses was draped in grace and mercy. Obedience to the laws and regulations would satisfy God’s demands on mankind. The chosen had received knowledge of God. The rest of the world was in darkness and deception, trying to find the reason for life through other means, even through idol worship of many gods. But Jesus came to reveal a Father God of love, unadulterated love. This love is revealed clearly in the scene at Jesus' empty tomb. In this scene, we hear two angels from heaven asking Mary about what she is doing there and why is she crying. DEAR WOMAN, why are you crying? These two angels are stating what heaven (God) feels about this human, Mary. Their sensitivity with this woman and her broken heart shows heaven’s love for her. Later, she meets someone she thinks is the gardener. The “gardener” also expresses a love for Mary, DEAR WOMAN, why are you crying? Jesus, still a resident of this world is expressing the love of the Father to her by addressing her as dear woman. She is considered as precious as the disciples or men, as highly praised in the Old Testament as King David. On the cross Jesus addresses his mother in the same way, When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “DEAR WOMAN, here is your son.” (John 19:26) One of the most beautiful stories in the New Testament is the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Her accusers were right about what should be done to this woman who betrayed her husband. She should be stoned to death. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:3-5). Her case of adultery had not yet been adjudicated by the Sanhedrin, but still she was definitely guilty. The verdict from Jesus’ mouth should had been: stone her to death. Instead He writes in the dust and then says the one without sin should throw the first stone. The law says the people who caught her in adultery are obligated to throw the first stone. The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 17:7) The law goes on and says, if the high priest finds her truly guilty, that it is a proven fact, the stoning should be carried out exactly as the sentence dictates. No grace and mercy should be allowed in this situation. The punishment must be carried out exactly as stated by the leaders. Anyone who does not follow through with this sentence of the high priest is to be killed. As we know by this story all who walked away from stoning of the woman were breaking the law, and they should be killed. After they have interpreted the law and declared their verdict, the sentence they impose must be fully executed; do not modify it in any way. Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid to act so arrogantly. (Deuteronomy 17:11-13) Now in the above focus, we see Paul and Silas walking free from the bondage of the law of the Philippians. They do not have to fulfill the requirements of the law on their lives. God gave them grace and mercy by having an earthquake show up that night. They did suffer, but their suffering brought a jailer and his family to God’s kingdom. Jesus gave grace to the adulterous woman, not stoning her, but leading her to the kingdom of God. Dear friends around this breakfast table, you do not have to fulfill the requirements of the law on your souls. You can walk out of the dungeon of your life, the darkness and deception of life. The first stone need not to be cast toward you, for Jesus is near, the kingdom of God is near, and the label of being a child of God is on your soul. Paul and Silas spoke of this freedom in every community. Jesus has not come to condemn you, but to free you today from sin, to walk in the freedom of the bright and morning star, Jesus Christ. Rejoice in that freedom.
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