INTRODUCTION
Imagine the mystery and delight of not just hearing but seeing the story of Jesus for the first time, almost as an eyewitness. That's what happened to a tribe in the jungles of East Asia when missionaries showed them the Jesus film. Not only had these people never heard of Jesus, but they had also never seen a motion picture. Then, on one unforgettable evening, they saw the gospel in their own language, visible and real.
Imagine again how it felt to see this good man, Jesus, who healed the sick and was adored by children, held without trial and beaten by ruthless soldiers. As they watched this, the people came unglued. They stood up and began to shout at the cruel men on the screen, demanding that this outrage stop. When nothing happened, they became angry at the missionary running the projector. Perhaps he was responsible for this injustice! He was forced to stop the film and explain that the story wasn't over yet; there was more. So they settled back onto the ground, holding their emotions in tenuous check.
Then came the crucifixion. Again, the people could not hold back. They began to weep and wail with such loud grief that, once again, the film had to be stopped. The missionary again tried to calm them, explaining that the story still wasn't over; there was more. So they composed themselves and sat down to see what happened next. Then came the resurrection. Pandemonium broke out this time but for a different reason. The gathering had spontaneously erupted into a party. The noise now was of jubilation, and it was deafening. The people were dancing and slapping each other on the back. Christ is risen, indeed! Again, the missionary had to shut off the projector; this time, he didn't tell them to calm down and wait for what was next. That celebration was supposed to happen—in the story and in their lives.
We love celebrations, don’t we? Celebrations are an important part of our lives. For example, we celebrate our birthdays, anniversaries, and other important days. We throw parties, take pictures, and give flowers and gifts. We eat a special cake and make toast for the celebration. These special days remind us of the past and bond us together for the future.
We not only have personal celebrations, we have national celebrations. We celebrate holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year’s Eve. Again, these celebration days are marked by time away from work, leisure, laughter, and play. We picnic, parade, barbecue, and shoot off fireworks. We spend time with family and friends. Such celebrations lift us from the routine of our lives. They cause us to remember our collective past, be thankful for our present prosperity and have hope for a bright tomorrow.
But let’s be honest: there seems to be very little to celebrate. We have seen more than our share of severe illness, political division, death, international war, and nonstop violence in our world. It seems each new day brings more bad economic news, another cancer diagnosis, and a prospect for worse days ahead. Who wants to celebrate when it seems each day is darker and gloomier than the day before? But one man’s reason to celebrate and worship should be our example even in days such as these. Today's story will examine the first miracle described in the Book of Acts. From that, we will explore the reasons why every believer ought to celebrate the worship of God.
Acts 3:1-10
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and 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.
SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS
VERSE 1
The time of the apostles’ visit was the “ninth” hour, three in the afternoon, called the hour of prayer. It was also the time of the evening Ta-mid, one of the two sacrifices held daily in the temple. These had become prescribed times of prayer, and people would come to the temple at the sacrifice times to observe the ceremony and pray. The largest crowds would thus have been found at the times of sacrifice, as Peter and John must have been well aware, for they went to the temple for prayer and for witness. At three in the afternoon, the hour of prayer, they were headed to church as we might do on a Sunday morning.
Peter and John continued to participate in Jewish rituals and worship, and early Christians regularly gathered in the temple. This is fitting, for Christianity began as a form of contemporary Judaism that accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The beginning stages of the church’s separation from Judaism are recounted in Acts as Christian leaders such as Peter and Paul continued boldly to proclaim Jesus as Messiah. The full split of Christianity from Judaism came by the time of the first Jewish revolt against Rome (AD 66–70).
VERSES 2-3
When Peter and John arrived at one of the temple gates, a certain man was in the process of being carried and placed there to beg for alms from those entering the temple. It was prime time for receiving alms. The rabbis taught that there were three pillars of the Jewish faith—the Torah, worship, and showing kindness or charity. Almsgiving was one of the main ways to show kindness and was thus considered a major expression of one’s devotion to God. With their minds set on worship, those who entered the temple for the evening sacrifice and prayer would be particularly disposed to practice their piety by generously giving alms to a lame beggar.
The beggar was a man "lame from birth." He had not been crippled in an accident. He had not had a debilitating injury or illness. He simply had never walked. What’s more, Acts 4:22 tells us he was "over 40 years old." Further, there was no cure or hope for him. He had to be carried. He had never been capable of supporting his own weight. Evidently, friends or family members cared enough about him to move him about. With their help, he was "laid daily at the gate of the temple."
The man in this passage lived long before wheelchairs, ramps, or specially equipped vans. His practice was to "ask alms from those who entered the temple." There were neither medical benefits nor social services to care for his needs. His only income came from begging and the charity of strangers.
VERSES 4-7
In verses 4–7, we see the lame man’s healing. Lying there at the gate, the lame man saw Peter and John, and he called out to them and asked for alms. Typically, donors would flip a coin in his direction as they rushed into the temple, scarcely giving him a glance. This time, the would-be benefactors stopped in their tracks. Peter fixed his gaze on him. Peter looked straight at him according to scripture. It means Peter and John looked intently into the man’s face. The same expression described how the disciples "looked steadfastly toward heaven" at Jesus’ ascension in Acts 1:10.
Why call for his attention when he had already addressed them? Because a veteran beggar would look well beyond his immediate clientele to see whoever might be next in line. Beg to everyone, and hope a few will respond. Peter, filled with the Spirit of God, had more in mind. God forced them into a ministry opportunity they had not anticipated, but they were ready. In the seconds that passed during this brief encounter, this man could not have known what his Creator was about to do through these two potential donors.
The man "gave them his attention." He was "expecting to receive something." Then, Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you: In the name"—the authority—" of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter and John were the apostolic representatives of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus says, “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14). To come in the name of someone means that another person has authorized us to come on his authority, not on our own. When Peter commands the lame man, “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6), he is speaking on the authority of Jesus, not on his own authority. Praying in Jesus’ name is, therefore, is prayer made on his authorization. It's not just a formula or a way to receive attention. Peter had received direct authorization from Jesus for the purpose of the Great Commission. I’ve said before biblical miracles serve one of two purposes: to confirm the message and or messenger. This miracle was about Jesus, not Peter or the lame beggar. It confirms the authority and message Jesus gave the disciples.
Verse 7 says he "took him by the right hand and lifted him up." Peter commanded the beggar to walk, but he didn’t wait for him to try to get up. He reached out. God’s power flowed through Peter immediately or instantly. There was no waiting. Instantaneously, his feet and ankle bones received strength.
VERSES 8-10
Verse 8 describes the healed man’s response to this miracle. As strength came into his joints, "leaping up, he stood and walked." What does one suddenly able to walk for the first time in forty years do? Dr. Luke leaves us no doubt as he unleashes a handful of bouncing verbs—walking, jumping, praising. He uses an interesting word for jumping. In the Greek text of Isaiah 35:6, the same word refers to a deer. In the midst of all that walking, jumping, and praising, this former cripple, this outcast, entered the temple courts leaping for joy.
The people who were present at the temple witnessed the transformation. They knew the man for the lame beggar he had been and saw what he had become as he leaped about in the temple praising God. They were filled with awe and amazement at what they saw.
What unmitigated joy! He expected a handout, not a healing! He expected some coins, not a cure! He expected money, not a miracle! He entered the temple with them. All the way, he was walking, leaping, and praising God. He couldn’t just walk. His joy at being healed would not allow that. No, he leaped and danced about, all the while giving the praise to the Lord. Can’t you hear him: I can walk! I can run! I can jump! Praise God! Thank You, Yahweh!
TODAY’S KEY TRUTH
No matter our current circumstances, we should celebrate all that God has, can, and will do.
Acts 3:1–10 recounts the healing of a lame man outside the temple. Along with James, Peter and John were the inner circle of the disciples. They were with Jesus at the Transfiguration. They went deeper into the garden to pray with the Lord. Now, after Pentecost, they were the inner core of the apostles. Acts shows us they often traveled and ministered together.
When my children were younger, they were excited about going to an amusement park or some other fun place. They didn’t walk. They skipped, jumped, ran, and dragged their parents to the gate. This man drug Peter and John into the temple, where they worshipped and praised God!
There is a difference between worship and praise. Worship and Praise are like input and output. Worship is the inner recognition that we have received God’s blessings. In a worship service, we are given input and reminded of the wonderful grace of Jesus. Praise is the output; it is the outward response to what we feel on the inside. It’s like breathing in and breathing out.
What happened when this man began his celebration of praise to God? Verse 9 says, "All the people saw him…." Let’s face it: we are unnecessarily concerned with what people see, hear, and think about us. The healed man didn’t care what anyone thought. His experience with God’s grace was so fresh that he was consumed with worship, not worrying about the opinions of others. Well, what did the people think when they saw him? Verse 10 says they recognized him. They "knew it was he who sat begging alms at the Gate." How did they respond? "They were filled with wonder and amazement." Our worship is directly related to our witnessing. Your worship is a witness.
Think of what life was like for him. He never walked, ran, played a pick-up game of basketball, or rode a bicycle. He was confined to one place and absolutely dependent on others.
But we should realize that we were in a far more desperate condition before we encountered God’s grace. Though we may not have been physically handicapped, we were spiritually handicapped. What’s worse, we were spiritually dead. On our own, we had no hope of healing.
We celebrate because of where we are today. Where we are today is not perfection. We have not made it. God is still working on the sin in our lives. Paul said in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of." But we are so blessed to be where we are. We are part of God’s family, his body, his church. We have His Spirit within us, his Word before us, and his people around us. No matter what happens today, we are richly blessed.
No matter our current circumstances, we should celebrate all that God has, can, and will do.
CONCLUSION
We also celebrate because of where we will be tomorrow. Being a Christian is not just about the here and now. It is about the there and then—eternity.
Have you not noticed that in the New Testament, whether Jesus’ miracles or the apostles’ miracles, the miracles are never naked displays of power? Why did neither Jesus nor the apostles ever do things like skywriting? “Hey, watch. I can write my name in the clouds with my finger.” All the crowd would have gasped. “Watch this. Watch me fly.” That would have impressed people, wouldn’t it? It would have been so easy.
Why didn’t he do that? I mentioned earlier that every biblical miracle's purpose is to confirm God's message and or messenger. The result of miracles was confirmation of the message and or messenger. There is a secondary result of these miracles, which is an interesting thought to reflect on. Why is it that all of the miracles of Jesus and the disciples resulted in alleviating suffering or trouble of some kind? Why do they always deal with human trouble or suffering? Because it’s pointing ahead to the end of all things, to the end of history, when God is going to restore all things.
Reflecting on this thought, we learn that God did not invent blindness, lameness, suffering, or a world filled with death. Go back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s sin is when poverty, injustice, sickness, disease, and death explode into existence. In every miracle, we are told that Jesus is no happier with the world as it is than you and me. He did not invent a world with suffering, sickness, and death, but someday, he will deal with all those things in a powerful way. Jesus hates the suffering and pain of this world as much as you do. How amazing is that thought?
No matter our current circumstances, we should celebrate all that God has, can, and will do.
This first miracle in Acts shows that Jesus is an enemy of suffering and that someday he’ll deal with it. This miracle does the same thing: it points us to Jesus and His promises of the future. It's just another reason to trust and believe in Christ. One day, he will set every wrong right and heal every hurt.
No matter our current circumstances, we should celebrate all that God has, can, and will do.
A popular saying is based on King Solomon's statement in Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose.” The popular saying is, “This too shall pass.” No matter what suffering, trial, issue, heartache, pain, or anxiety you’re facing, this too shall pass. I know that because, time and time again, Jesus has demonstrated he is an enemy of suffering. Jesus also promised that one day, this world of suffering would pass. No matter what you’re facing, this too shall pass. The first miracle is a declaration that no matter the circumstances, God is with you, and eventually, He will set everything right. It could be in this life, but He will definitely set it right in the next. And because of that…
No matter our current circumstances, we should celebrate all that God has, can, and will do.