Sometimes, as we saw yesterday in the case of Lydia, God speaks to people through gentle persuasion, convincing them of the truth of the claims of Christ. Sometimes, He has to do something miraculous, as we see today.

That’s especially true for hard cases like this Philippian jailer, who was accustomed to treating other people cruelly for a living. Earlier this evening, even though Paul and Silas were stiff and sore from their beatings, he had put their feet in stocks which prevented them from stretching their aching legs.

So what was it that shook up this jailer and brought him to his knees? It wasn’t the earthquake, for as impressive as they are, they are not at all uncommon in that part of the world. It wasn’t even the fact that the earthquake had thrown open the doors, freeing all the prisoners. No, those things just made him want to kill himself, as he knew he would receive the death penalty for allowing any of his prisoners to escape.

No, what really seems to have amazed him was the fact that Paul and Silas, whom he had treated so cruelly, would voluntarily remain in custody just so that he would not be punished. These men who had been praying and singing songs of praise to God from their prison cell weren’t crazy after all – they were somehow full of love even for vicious, hardened sinners like him. He just couldn’t understand how anyone would choose to suffer so that a sinful stranger might be saved.

But of course that’s exactly what Jesus did. He gave up all the glory and pleasure of Heaven to take on human flesh and enter into our sinful world. He allowed Himself to be beaten and crucified and killed and placed in a tomb. And He did all that so that what Paul and Silas said in verse 31 could be true – so that sinners like us could trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice and be saved from our sins.

And that’s still the best way to convince skeptical, cynical, hardened people of the truth and love of Christ – to show that kind of self-sacrificial, unconditional love to them. That’s what seems to have made a difference for this Philippian jailer. Will we show that kind of love to others today?

Acts 16:25-34 (ESV)

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.