So there were a lot of people praying. This was one of the times when the persecution of which Jesus had warned His disciples was flaring up. At Mary's house (she was the mother of John Mark) they were locked away, the courtyard gate secure against their enemies, and praying fervently, anxiously, for Peter. Years before, Peter and John had been triumphantly released from the authorities (Acts 4.23) and they had all rejoiced. But that was before Stephen had been stoned to death, and now James had been beheaded. What could they expect next?

There was a knocking at the outer gate. They sent Rhoda to see what new danger this might herald.

Who was Rhoda? She appears just this once in the story of the church. She was young, a 'damsel' (AV). The Greek word for her is 'paidiske', which can mean a young girl or a female slave. There had been a girl like her who had been in charge of the gate at the High Priest's house the night Jesus was arrested - that was the one who chaffed Peter about who he was, and made him deny his Lord (John 18.17). Later in the Christian story, there was another young female, a paidiske, definitely a slave girl, who brought profits to her owners in Philippi (Acts 16.16). But here was Rhoda, a contemporary perhaps of John Mark (who afterwards wrote a gospel and travelled for a time with Paul and Barnabas), sent out, not to open the gate, but to find out who was knocking.

Peter, as we know but they did not, had been miraculously set free from prison. Out in the darkness and the cold night air, he puzzled what best to do. He made for Mary's house, where he knew he could find friends - it is always good when in trouble to seek out your Christian friends. They needed to know of his release, but he must not put them in danger. At the gate he knocked.

"Who is it?"
"Me, Peter."
"Oh, praise God! You're free!"

A long silence. The gate did not open, there were quick light footsteps going away. Peter knocked again, not too loud, but repeatedly.

Inside the room where they had all met to pray, there was confusion.

"Who is it? Who is it?"
"It's Peter. I know his voice. He's free."
"It can't be. We know Herod has him in prison. You're daft, girl."
"I tell you it is Peter. I know his voice as well as you do."
"Then he must be dead. It is his angel, not him."

Outside the knocking continued. At last they all went and opened the gate ‑ whoever was there, it was not soldiers. But Peter it truly was. He quietened their babble of astonishment. No great sermon on this occasion, he simply told them what had happened. "Tell this to James (the other James, step-brother to Jesus) and the brethren." And Peter went away as quietly as he had come.

Three comments:

1. Here was an occasion when a teenager was right and all the adult world were proved wrong. Rhoda was not a giant of faith, she simply told what she saw. But she did not have that superstructure of doubt and realism which prevents older persons from believing that God can do what in fact He has already done.

2. A comment has been made, that in a future day and age we may have an opportunity to talk to Rhoda about all this! Just as she may have told it to Luke the doctor and historian nearly two thousand years ago. Interesting.

3. It is very easy to be amused that all the believers earnestly praying for Peter's release could not believe it when it actually happened. Where was their faith? We, of course, are not experiencing the tension and fear of that dark night. Afterwards, perhaps they too could see the funny side of it. The serious point is that in our prayers we should be ready for surprising answers. Open the gate of our minds to what God is doing.