Imagine, if you can, the magnitude of love that compelled Jesus to die on Calvary’s cruel cross for murders and rapists, for terrorists and tyrants, for a Roman jailer, and … me.
It is quite possible that the jailer was the man who wielded the cat-of-nine-tails when Paul and Silas were “severely flogged” (Acts 16:23). The executioner, an expert on inflicting pain and death, had stripped his prisoners, tied them to the whipping post, and unmercifully shredded the skin on their backs. Sharp pieces of stone or bone were imbedded into the nine leather straps, and with every strike of the whip, great hunks of hide were ripped and torn from his victim. He likely laughed as they winced in pain. That they lived through the ordeal was remarkable.
Then to secure his weakened victims, he “threw them in jail … and put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:23-24). The “inner prison,” the darkest dungeon, housed only the most heinous and wicked criminals… and two preachers.
In the darkness, at “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:25-26).
When the earth shook violently, the jailer was awakened and immediately saw that the doors stood ajar. Sure that his prisoners had escaped, and knowing that he would be executed for allowing his prisoners to flee, he chose suicide. But before he could fall on his own sword, “Paul called out in a loud voice, ‘Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!’ ”(Acts 16:28).
Had the jailer ever whipped someone who hadn’t cursed him? Had he ever clamped on the shackles without his prisoner attempting to hit him and kick him? Had he ever heard a prisoner sing? Had he ever felt the earth shake so violently? All of this led the jailer to humbly ask, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).
The answer… “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). The hate-filled Roman executioner was saved just like the ten-year-old boy or girl who trusts Jesus… by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone!
“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus sacrificed His own sinless life for the sin-filled Philippian executioner … and for us.
“… think on these things”(Philippians 4:8, KJV).
Comments