God Speaks
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!
16 “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.
17 “Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ 23 Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’
24 “Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: The author of this blog sees this chapter as an example of how a Christ-centered healing ministry should go. Peter and John were on their way to a prayer service at the Temple. They were aware of the needs of the people around them, especially the poor and needy. They saw beyond the man’s obvious need (crippled) and perceived need (money). But when the beggar looked at them for money, Peter gave him something far better: healing and salvation in Christ. This healing caused the man to be so thankful that he worshiped the LORD. Peter took the need to explain the man’s behavior as an opportunity to expound the Gospel. After Peter and John’s ministry to him, there was such a change in the man’s life (walking and leaping and praising God) that an explanation was necessary. Peter’s focus was not on themselves but on Christ. He is the one who died and rose again to bring healing and salvation. Jesus was the One people should praise. Peter explained that it is only by faith in the name of Jesus that people are healed and saved. Peter was not shy in pointing out the people’s sin in crucifying their Messiah. His explanation was based on the Scriptures, looking both back and forward. His preaching was meant to be a blessing and turn them back from their sinful ways.
Prayer: Dear loving Father God, thank You for healing this crippled man and using Peter’s explanation to draw many to faithful lives in Christ. Please help me to be faithful to participate in corporate prayer. I need to be aware of the needs of those around me. Each individual is beautiful in Your sight. Every individual we see has some kind of need. Give us Your compassion and understanding to meet their deepest need–You. Use me, please, to meet the same deep needs (healing and salvation in Christ) of people in my day. May I have the privilege of seeing someone walking and leaping and praising God because of You working through me. After ministry there should be such a change in people’s lives that explanation is necessary. Let me not focus on myself but on Christ. Jesus is the one who died and rose again to bring healing and salvation. Jesus, You are the One people should praise. I declare that it is only by faith in the name of Jesus that people are truly healed and saved. Help me to explain based on the Scriptures, looking both back and forward. May I and those I minister to continue to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in turning away from our sinful ways. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask the LORD how He wants me to apply Acts chapter 3 in my daily life. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will do it.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to use me to meet the needs of healing and salvation in Christ of people in my day.
- I will develop a list of Scripture verses to use before, during, and after ministry to explain healing and salvation.
- I will cooperate with the Holy Spirit in discipling new believers. (Be specific.)
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.