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Acts 16:27-40
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.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
Throw a stone into a calm pond. Throw a stone into a raging ocean. You’ll see the ripples on the pond’s surface. You’ll likely not notice even a single ripple 2 seconds after the stone hits the waters of the raging sea. The evidence of the impact is commensurate with the calmness of the waters. “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength’” (Isaiah 20:15).
That’s all well and good – except on this occasion. I cannot imagine a more tumultuous situation than that in which Paul and Silas are imprisoned – together with all the reasons that led to them being thrown into the inner jail. Then comes an earthquake. Then comes jailer who is ready to kill himself, fearing the prisoners had escaped, and Paul’s reassuring “We’re all here!” Tumultuous times indeed.
But this stone the builders rejected is the chief cornerstone. And his message is a bigger bolder than all this tumult. In the midst of all the turmoil swirling around him he asks what he must do to be saved. The answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” overwhelms the bedlam, and the ripples of this simple answer reach into his family.
The jailer believes and is baptized. So also is his family. And to be clear “all who were in his house” most certainly included not just his immediate family. Households in those days included multiple generations, slaves, servants and their families. We don’t know how many there were, but Luke makes it clear it wasn’t must Mr. & Mrs. Jailer. “All his family,” and “His entire household,” is a clear indication of the impact of the gospel message reaching farther and farther into the lives of more and more people.
Maybe you can identify the place and time the Gospel message impacted you and your loved ones. Perhaps it wasn’t a whole family event. It might have been. Be sure of this, however, the stone the builders rejected has made quite an impact in many people’s lives down through the ages. And the ripples continue to spread.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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