The
Apostle Peter Shows Us How Its Done
[Acts
chapter 3, verses 1-15]
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Last
week when we closed out chapter 2 of the Book of Acts in our ongoing
study of the writings of the apostle Luke, I presented some
discussion points regarding how churches and local economies operated
back in the first century AD. The difference between then and now are
so far removed and the contrast between them so stark that there is
really no comparison at all. This week as we move on to the first
half of chapter 3, we find Peter and John performing a healing on a
man crippled from birth – today we would call this man a
paraplegic, perhaps a victim of polio – which, as before on the Day
of Pentecost, drew a large crowd of curious onlookers. So let's begin
this week's study at verse one of Acts chapter 3.
“One
day Peter and John were going up to the temple at a time of prayer –
about three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being
carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put there
every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw
Peter and John about to enter, he asked him for money. Peter looked
straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, 'Look at us!' So the
man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I
give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk.' Taking him by the
right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles
became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went
with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and Praising
God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they
recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple
gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement
at what had happened to him.”
(Acts 3, verses 1-10)
Notice
in the very first verse that Peter and John, two Jewish men, preached
the good news of Christ while still clinging to their traditional
Hebrew upbringing. They had both been raised that way from birth.
Notice too that Luke is not with Peter and John, and that this story
is being told by Luke in the third person. Why? Because, as I wrote
at least once before, Luke was the only Gentile out of the Twelve –
the other Eleven, and Matthias after that, were all practicing Jews.
Non-Jews were not allowed inside the temple or near the surrounding
area at all. The next thing that happens is the encounter between the
crippled man and Peter and John. The two apostles, when asked for
money by the crippled beggar, gave him a lot more than he requested!
“Then Peter said, 'Look
at us!' So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get
something from them. Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have,
but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk.'
Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the
man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began
to walk.”
Again,
as I pointed out in last
week's study, the early Church was not cash flow driven or
profit-focused anywhere near as much as much of it is today. They
healed that crippled man and never asked him for money. Instead of
giving him a handout, they made him self-sufficient again. Now there,
right there, is an authentic example of what true love looks like.
Not the romantic kind of love, although I certainly think that has
its place, otherwise none of us would be here. But I'm talking about
a love so real and so genuine that all the available resources the
apostles needed was provided by the Holy Spirit that resided within
the hearts of both men. That very same healing Spirit enabled the
now-formerly crippled man not only to walk, but to leap and jump as
he praised God with all his might! If the Spirit of the Living God
can do that for a man crippled all his life, he can surely do that
for us! As you can also see from verse 10, everybody was shocked and
in a state of disbelief when they saw the formerly crippled man
walking, jumping and praising God at about 100 decibels! To find out
what happens next, let's move on to the second half of today's study,
starting at verse 11.
“While
the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished
and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.
When Peter saw this, he said to them: 'Men of Israel, why does this
surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or
godliness we made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed
him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he
had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Author
of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are all witnesses of
this.'”
(Acts 3, verses 11-15)
Let's
pause right here for a moment and consider this event. When Peter and
John healed the crippled man with a simple command – “Walk!” –
Peter then took the man by his right hand and helped him up. Next,
they walked into the Colonnade together as the newly healed man stood
before them, clinging to Peter and John to steady himself, but he was
evidently getting stronger by the minute. Contrast this with the
phony “faith healers” on “Christian” television, who walk up
to people who have come to the “altar”, smacking their foreheads
with the open palms of their hands, which knocks them off
their feet! It's exactly the opposite of Peter and John's example as
recorded by the apostle Luke in Acts chapter three. Are any of these
people in the faith healer's audiences truly healed? Just go and ask
one and see what they tell you. That's all I'm going to say about
that for now.
Then
Peter speaks up and asks them, “Men
of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if
by our own power or godliness we made this man walk? The God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his
servant Jesus.”
Just like before, as well as in last week's study, Peter confronts
the onlookers with the reality of a risen Christ. They tried to kill
him because they could not silence him, because absolute Truth can
never be silenced permanently – it's impossible! If God can and has
raised Jesus Christ from the dead after being in the grave for 3
days, why should they – or any of us – be surprised that a
formerly crippled paraplegic can now walk on his own due to the power
of a single spoken word? Granted, he may have needed a little help
walking from the gate called “Beautiful” to the courts of
Solomon's Colonnade, a distance of at least 100 feet to possibly 100
yards or more. But this poor man had never taken a single step in his
whole life, and with no relief in sight prior to Peter and John's
arrival. Now he could jump, walk and stand, and it blew the minds of
everybody there, which underscores Peter's accusations all the more.
“You
handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,
though he had decided to let him go..... but God raised him from the
dead. We are all witnesses of this.”
Peter again confronts the mostly-Jewish crowd in the Colonnade, which
was near or adjacent to the temple there, with the reality that they
had killed the promised Messiah written of by the prophets of old.
Peter and John, together with the rest of the apostles, plus the
majority of the disciples who were succeeding them, were eyewitnesses
to the entire 3 ½ year ministry of Christ Jesus, to his crucifixion
and death, and to his subsequent resurrection. They had seen it all
from start to finish, and they were on a mission from the Son of God
to tell the entire world about what they had seen and learned. Also,
as you know by now, Peter, John and the rest of the apostles were not
the least bit shy about letting the whole world know what had
happened to Jesus and why. Next week, when we examine part 2 of our
study of Acts chapter 3, we will find out what else Peter said.
Specifically, what parts of the Bible as it was known then predicted
the coming of Messiah, his violent and shameful end and his
triumphant resurrection, and how the salvation of Christ is a win-win
for the entire world.
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