Delusions of Grandeur (Acts 20:20–24)
The book of Acts recounts the acts of the apostles and the foundation of the New Testament church after Christ’s ascension. While we will focus primarily on 12:20–24, understanding the full context requires examining the entire chapter.
About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. he killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was being made to God by the church.
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” When he realised this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. On recognising Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
This passage has always intrigued me. What role does Herod’s death play within the broader narrative of Acts? What lessons can we draw from this account? How does this text convict, instruct, and mature us in our walk with Christ?
Acts 12 essentially concludes the first half of the book of Acts. After this chapter, the narrative shifts focus to Paul and Barnabas and their missionary journeys. The first twelve chapters deal particularly with the ministry of the apostles in Jerusalem, Judea, and the surrounding areas. This chapter stands at the hinge of Acts, with Herod’s death serving as a concluding chapter before the book continues.
Throughout Acts, we see a collection of narratives demonstrating the opposition the church faces, yet how the risen Lord Jesus, through his Spirit, presently reigns even amid persecution and struggle. Chapter 12 exemplifies this perfectly by revealing three realities displayed for our consideration:
- God’s Purpose on Stage (vv. 1–19)
- Herod’s Pride on Stage (vv. 20–22)
- God’s Power on Stage (vv. 23–25)
Before examining our main text, we must understand the historical context. The Herod mentioned here is Herod Agrippa I—distinct from Herod the Great (who ordered the slaughter of infants in Bethlehem) and Herod the Tetrarch (who beheaded John the Baptist and tried Jesus). This Herod had an insignificant three-year reign that ended with his death at God’s hand.
God’s Purpose on Stage
Verses 1–19 highlight God’s purpose on stage. Though Herod appears prominently in this chapter, he is not the main actor. The rescue of Peter from prison is placed at the centre of the narrative to demonstrate that, despite Herod’s apparent power, God’s purposes for his church take precedence over the plans of this earthly ruler.
Several highlights demonstrate God’s sovereignty.
First, we see the church’s response to crisis. After James’s execution and Peter’s imprisonment, the church made “earnest prayer for him … to God” (v. 5). They did not plead with Herod but appealed to the one truly in charge. Even when gathered at Mary’s house, “many were gathered together and were praying” (v. 12). Though they may have been fearful and in hiding, they did not cease praying.
Second, we find divine intervention. The Lord sent an angel—not “the angel of the LORD” as in Old Testament theophanies, but “an angel of the Lord.” While Peter was in maximum security (guarded by four squads of soldiers, chained between two guards), the Lord delivered him. The account contains echoes of the Exodus: It occurs during Passover, at night, with Peter needing to dress hurriedly and put on sandals, being delivered from bondage by an angel from a ruler acting like Pharaoh.
Third, we read of God’s continued work. Despite all opposition, “the word of God increased and multiplied” (v. 24). This recurring theme throughout Acts emphasises that, regardless of persecution, God remains sovereign and his purposes will prevail.
We learn lessons from this about living under divine sovereignty. God’s sovereignty teaches us two vital truths.
First, accepting God’s sovereignty means living with the mystery of evil while entrusting ourselves to the God who judges justly. We are not told why James was executed while Peter was spared. This remains a mystery. As one commentator notes, “without explanation, one apostle is executed, but another is rescued, teaching the church to live with the mystery of God’s providence, and to rely afresh in each situation on the mercy and continuing care of God.”
Affirming God’s sovereignty is not a trite truth but a necessary reality. If God is not sovereign, who is in charge? If we cannot see his purposes in hardship and suffering, that does not annul his promises in his word. Throughout Acts, we see the repeated proclamation that “this Jesus, whom you killed, God raised from the dead,” and he has appointed a day when he will judge the living and the dead.
Second, accepting God’s sovereignty means trusting that God’s plans will prevail even when the world opposes them. What can mere mortals do to thwart God’s plans? If Jesus has defeated death, what weapon can the enemy forge against the church? No weapon exists greater than death itself, and our Saviour has conquered death. If the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, then the gates of Herod’s prison cannot prevail against God’s purposes.
Herod’s Pride on Stage
Second, we see Herod’s pride on stage (vv. 20–22). Within this context of God’s sovereignty, we encounter Herod’s pride—his delusion of grandeur. A delusion of grandeur is characterised by the extraordinary belief that one is famous, omnipotent, wealthy, or otherwise very powerful or of high status. Herod suffered from this malady, believing along with his flatterers that he was a god.
Herod’s delusion had a double cause: his inability to see the sovereign Lord as sovereign, and his tendency to overestimate his own importance. He could not see God clearly, yet he easily saw himself as a god.
The text reveals Herod’s pride in several ways.
First, Herod’s pride is displayed in economic and political power. Herod knew that Tyre and Sidon depended on his country for food. This power relationship inflated his ego as he saw these people coming to him for help.
Second, Herod’s pride is displayed in orchestrated self-promotion. “On an appointed day” Herod created an opportunity to be seen. He knew important people were present—magistrates, politicians, and wealthy merchants gathered for games in honour of Caesar. The venue was a hippodrome with a prominent throne where he could be seen in all his glory.
Third, Herod’s price is seen in ostentatious display. He “put on his royal robes”—according to Josephus, a silver garment that glittered with many contours and textures. He timed his appearance at first light, facing the rising sun so the light would catch his garment and shine on the people. The crowd recoiled in awe at his appearance.
Fourth, Herod’s pride is manifested in his acceptance of blasphemous flattery. After delivering his oration, the people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” As a supposed devout Jew, Herod should have redirected this praise to Yahweh alone, as Paul and Barnabas did in Acts 14 when mistaken for gods. Instead, Herod soaked up the flattery.
Josephus records the crowd saying, “Be gracious to us. Hitherto we have reverenced you as a human being, but henceforth we confess you to be of more than mortal nature.” This stands in stark contrast to Paul’s response in Acts 14: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news.”
There are lessons here for us. We might protest, “How can we be compared to Herod? He’s the villain of the story!” However, Herod serves not merely as an enemy of the church but as an example of what happens when pride interferes with God’s purposes. The same temptation that Herod faced confronts us as Christians, even if we don’t take it to his extreme.
We act like Herod when we seize opportunities for self-promotion. When the CEO visits our team, or a celebrity pastor comes to our church, we want to ensure they know our name and recognise our worth.
We act like Herod when we assume superior positions. We look down on those who have less and need our help financially, socially, or professionally, allowing pride to colour our assistance.
We act like Herod when we craft our public image. Social media often becomes our stage for pride. Unless we’re careful, it can quickly stoke delusions of grandeur. We must ask ourselves: Why am I posting this? Is it to genuinely share information and encourage others, or do I hope someone will think I’m smart or impressive?
Many of us can relate to posting something we considered clever or profound, only to be disappointed by the response, while someone else’s vapid comment receives numerous likes. This reveals how we can tie our identity and status to public approval—a form of delusion of grandeur.
When we put ourselves on display, a pride engine kicks into overdrive. In our minds, we imagine a crowd applauding: “Look at you! You’re amazing! No one is like you! No one could have thought the thoughts you think or said the words you said so eloquently!”
Psychologists have identified this as the Dunning-Kruger effect—a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge or skill overestimate their abilities. Even from a secular perspective, we recognise our tendency to overestimate ourselves and delude ourselves through pride. This should lead us to ask convicting questions: Where am I kicking against God’s word? Where is my pride getting in the way of God’s purposes? How am I hindering the word from increasing and multiplying? Where is my ego interfering with ministry? Where am I failing to accept God’s providence and sovereignty? Where am I failing to give God the glory?
Giving God glory doesn’t mean merely reciting catechism answers. It means living a life given over to him, seeing him as the most weighty reality in our lives, redirecting everything toward him. When we fail to do this, our pride interferes.
Where are we failing to see ourselves as sinners saved by grace? Where are we failing to let God be God? As Martin Luther defined it, sin is essentially not allowing God to be God.
God’s Power on Stage
Third, we see God’s power on stage (vv. 23–25). The stage Herod used to display his pride became the platform where God displayed his power. Immediately after Herod accepted blasphemous flattery, “an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”
This may have been the same angel who gently struck Peter to wake him for deliverance—now intervening to bring God’s judgement. While we don’t know the exact medical cause of Herod’s death, both Luke and Josephus record that it was sudden and dramatic.
Why did God strike Herod down? The text states clearly: “because he did not give God the glory.” This demonstrates how weighty it is to give God glory. This is not merely a religious exercise but refers to how we are oriented toward him in life.
The irony is striking: If Herod were truly a god, he would not have died. His death proved both his delusion about his own identity and his blindness to God’s true power. He was blind to real power until it was too late.
God has no peers. He will not share his glory with another. Those who attempt to rise to his level will fall, whether immediately, in this life, or at the final judgement.
God deals with pride by seeking to wake us up. He wants us to see clearly—to see him rather than ourselves. He wants us to take our eyes off the mirror, off our social media feeds, off everything that stokes delusions about our identity, and look at him who is most glorious to behold.
He seeks our good in humbling us, though it is painful. He desires our good because seeing and desiring his glory is humanity’s greatest good. The greater our pride and delusion, the greater God’s power is revealed.
With Herod, pride had reached a point of no return. But it’s God’s grace that allows many of us to learn lessons more slowly as he deals with our pride.
God’s power was displayed not only in Herod’s death but also in what follows: “But the word of God increased and multiplied.” Despite James’s death, Peter’s imprisonment, and Herod’s pride, God’s purposes prevailed.
As surely as Jesus rose from the dead, nothing can stop the truth of his resurrection from growing and spreading. If Jesus is alive and conquered death, then nothing can stop God’s purposes. Like the commands in Genesis to be fruitful and multiply, like the word in Isaiah 55 that comes down like rain and accomplishes God’s will, the word is always effectively accomplishing God’s purposes in the world.
This drama is consistent with what we see in the Gospels. Jesus was not deluded by any false sense of status—every truth about himself was reality. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, dwelling in perfect harmony with the Father and Spirit for all eternity, commanding the hosts of heaven. Yet he died on the cross in humility and shame, barely opening his mouth to his accusers.
The word about this Jesus is the very word going forth in power. At the cross, God’s power was displayed fully. In Jesus’ death is God’s victory; in Jesus’s resurrection is God’s triumph. In Jesus, God has answered the mystery of evil by dealing it a death blow.
In Jesus, our pride has no reason to exist. In Jesus’s death, all our crowns lie in the dust. All our delusions of grandeur crumble. Jesus did not suffer from delusions of grandeur, and if we see him clearly in his glory, neither will we.
Conclusion
Our Father in heaven knows the weakness of our hearts and the many delusions we suffer from. We pray for his grace and patience, but we also pray for a greater vision of himself in Jesus. May he help us take our eyes off ourselves and cast them upon him, giving him all the glory—not only with our words but also with our hearts and hands.
When we see Jesus clearly, our pride dissolves. When we behold his glory, our delusions of grandeur fade. When we understand his sovereignty, we can trust his purposes even in the midst of opposition and persecution. The word of God will continue to increase and multiply, and nothing—not even our pride—can ultimately hinder his eternal purposes.
AMEN