Amazing, isn’t it? Peter was sleeping. He was sleeping soundly. “On the night before Herod was to bring him out for execution, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.” [Acts 12:6 HCSB]
I know he was sleeping soundly because the next verse says that when the angel appeared, the cell lit up, but Peter slept on. The angel had to whack him on the side to wake him to rescue him.
What makes this even more amazing is that this was the night before Herod was to put Peter on trial. Herod had already tried and martyred James, the brother of John. I doubt Peter would have had any different a fate at Herod’s hands. Still Peter, chained to two soldiers the night before his possible execution was sound asleep.
What allowed Peter to sleep so soundly that night? I think it was because he had been on the mountain. Years later, as he writes his second letter, he tells his readers Jesus has revealed to him that he is soon to be martyred. Then he tells them this: “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.” [1:16-18 HCSB]
Peter, along with the brothers James and John had been on the mountain with Jesus. They had heard the voice of the Father. They had seen Jesus transformed before their very eyes. Peter saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears and knew that it was all true … Jesus was the very Son of God.
We see also, but with spiritual eyes and we hear with spiritual ears. The indwelling Spirit of the Living God reveals to us that it is all true … Jesus is the very Son of God. And He loves us.
