The Healing Power of the Gospel – Acts 3:1-11
Main Idea: Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can heal man’s sinful condition before God.
The Sight | Acts 3:1-5
The events recorded in Acts 3:1-11 occurred shortly after the Day of Pentecost. In chapter 2, Luke describes the first gatherings of the body of Christ; in chapter 3, we begin to see the scattering of the believers as they continued proclaiming their faith in Christ to the world. Amidst the fervor and momentum of the outburst of the early church, Luke begins to set the stage for a series of miraculous demonstrations of God’s power as the Apostles continued preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem and beyond. At the end of Acts 2, Luke tells us, “Awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the Apostles” (Acts 2:43). The following event exemplifies the wonders and signs that were being done through the Apostles with the healing of a lame beggar. The narrative describes that the man was lame from birth and carried out to the temple daily, where he would beg whoever would pass by him for alms. As was customary of the Jews, Peter and John were on their way to the last prayer time of the day. The ninth hour would be three in the afternoon as the Jews counted time from sunrise to sunset. The first prayer time was at the third hour (9 am), the second at the sixth hour (noon), and the third at the ninth hour (3 pm - Ps.55:17). The ninth hour was the most popular prayer time since it was also during the time of the evening sacrifice which usually drew large crowds to the temple. Peter and John were not doing anything outside their ordinary routine in the early days of the church.
The separation of the Christian community from the Jewish community took many years. In fact, it wasn’t finalized until the year 70 A.D, with the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem by the Romans. During Paul’s ministry, it was customary to go first into the synagogue and engage in conversations with the Jews (Acts 13:14; 14:1; 17:1-2; 18:4, 19; 19:8: 20:17). The first years of the early church were marked by Christians attending the temple, especially during prayer meetings. As a detailed historian, Luke begins by giving us a description of the sight and situation of the person involved in the narrative. First, he describes the beggar himself. There are many ways in which a person can become lame (disease, accidents, etc.). But this man’s lameness was congenital. He was born lame. Never in his life had he stood on his feet without the help of others. Every day he was carried by others in his helpless condition to the gate that separated the court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Jews next to a symbol of religious power and prosperity: the temple in Jerusalem.
The temple in Jerusalem was the perfect site to beg. Beggars in Palestine favored three locations: (1) the houses of rich people (Luke 14:1-2; 16:19-21), (2) main roads (Mark 10:46), and the temple. Of the three, the temple was usually the most profitable one. For Jews, one way to impress God was to give alms to the poor. The Beautiful was a large and beautifully ornated 75 ft high structure made of fine Corinthian brass, gold, and silver. This gate was a monument designed to impress and inspire people. The lame beggar was strategically placed at the gate for maximum effect, and spotting Peter and John, he began to ask for alms. The beggar expected mercy in the form of money, but little did he realize he was about to receive the greater mercy of healing and salvation. Most people would see a beggar and look the other way (including those who gave them money). Unlike most people, however, Peter and John make eye contact with the man, telling him, “Look at us!” (v.4), showing not only compassion but a legitimate concern for the man’s condition. That is the church in action as it faces the world in its desperate need for God. A church that wants to be relevant in the world must face the brokenness of the people who are in the world (Luke 5:31-32; 19:10). When facing a man in desperate need, Peter and John gave the man the very thing that could change his life, God. The worst type of paralysis the lame beggar struggled with was his inability to walk under the guidance of the Spirit of God. The greatest tragedy of the man’s life was not the fact that he couldn’t walk but the reality that he was far from His creator. Before God, we all come as invalids (Rom. 3:10-11; 7:15-20). The beggar of Acts 3 is also a picture of the state of the whole of humanity.
To Ponder:
How does the Gospel influence your commitment to compassion and care for those in need?
In what ways can you take the initiative, as Peter and John did, to pursue open doors for Gospel proclamation?
II. The Sign | Acts 3:6-7
Expecting only some money to help momentarily ease his physical needs, the beggar received far more than he would have ever dreamed possible. To do something “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” is to act consistent with His will, to do what He would do if He were present, to act in His authority and delegated power (Matt.10:1). To the Apostles Jesus gave the authority to establish His body (the church) after His ascension (Matt. 16:18; Eph.2:20; Rev.21:14; 1 Cor. 3:10-11). The primary tool given to establish the church was the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ, testified and confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders through the Apostles. The genuine gift of healing, in contrast to many alleged healings of today, resulted in immediate cure (Acts 3:6-8; Matt. 8:13; Mark 5:29; Luke 5:13; 17:14; John 5:9). There was no gradual process involved in the healing of the beggar, he did not have to be taught how to walk. He was no staged plant for a healing service. His symptoms were gone entirely, and He instantaneously received his coordination and balance, “and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong” (v.7). While all the world could give the man were alms to help him with his physical needs, Christ has shown him His creative power to make joints and muscles anew so that the man could see that the Jesus who was crucified in Jerusalem was indeed the Messiah. The deposit of grace shown on that day was not merely for the sake of the lame man but for the public proclamation of the Gospel. The miracle performed by God through Peter pointed to the triumph of Christ over sin and death.
To Ponder:
How should we pray for miracles today?
III. The Witness | Acts 3:8-11
According to Leviticus 21:18, a person with disabilities was prohibited from entering the temple. Having been healed, the first action taken by the man was to joyfully praise God and join the Apostles on their way to the temple. For the first time after forty years, a man lame from birth was able to walk (Acts 4:22). By entering the temple, the man indicated that he recognized God as the source of His healing, not Peter or John. The miracle was a testimony to the people. The beggar’s outburst of praise caused shock and amazement on the part of the crowd, “and all recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (v.10). Even the religious leaders who killed Jesus could not deny that a miracle had taken place, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem” (Acts 4:16). As we will see in the verses that follow Acts 3:1-11, the healing of the lame beggar served to call people’s attention for Peter’s second sermon recorded in Acts (v.12-26). From the beginning with Moses, God has designed miracles to act as signs to testify to the proclamation of His divine truth. Following the pattern revealed in Scripture, the healing of the lame man did both. It certainly drew the crowd’s attention, “While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s” (v.11). As He had for Peter’s first sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41), God provided the introduction. The stage was set for the proclamation of the Gospel. The power of the Gospel is seeing through the witness of Spirit-filled believers. Unless Christ is given, all people can receive are alms that will only fulfill temporary needs. Only the Gospel can heal man’s sinful condition before God.
To Ponder:
What is the main “business” of the church?
What does Christ offer to people that the world can’t offer?