Villains: Herod Agrippa
Herod Agrippa violently persecuted the church. He executed the apostle James. He also arrested and intended to kill Peter. He did all of this in order to curry favor with Judean leadership. He was a shrewd and cunning politician, motivated by an insatiable appetite for power and control. But the Lord rescued Peter from prison and ended Herod’s arrogant reign of terror. When the church is persecuted by power-hungry political leaders, the answer is not to give allegiance to rival leaders, but to give our allegiance to King Jesus and trust him. (Scripture: Acts 12:20-24)