One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
The Jewish day began at 6:00 am and ended at 6:00 pm. Even though a Jew could pray at any time, the devout Jews would pray in the temple at the special times of either 9:00 am, 12:00 noon or 3:00 pm when possible. That is what Peter and John were doing in this story. They were going to the temple to pray. They were still following Jewish customs even though they were now more known as followers of Christ. While the world often views Jews and Christians as two different religions the scriptures explain a more connected story.
Sense the early times in the Old Testament there had been prophecies that promised that a Deliverer would come. He would be the Christ, the Messiah and sit on the throne of King David forever. This was both the Jewish belief and the Christian belief. The main difference was that the followers of Christ knew that Jesus of Nazareth was that promised Messiah and many of the Jews did not believe. For them they were still waiting for their Deliverer to come.
Peter and John continued to walk in the ways of Jewish tradition as a testimony to the fact that jesus did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. While Jesus had now come as a fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, the invitation to be adopted into the family of God would now include not just the Jews but the Gentiles as well.
In their day it was custom for the disabled to be brought to sit near the entrance of the temple. This was considered a likely place to receive generosity from others since those who were entering were preparing to worship. It was the belief that those who love God, would love others. It is a biblical idea, even though at times our lives drift from this ideal.
Verse 3 continues,
3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
What is so special about Jesus’ name?
In the Hebrew culture of the Old Testament a name was not just what you were called, it was your identity, your character, and who you were as a person. Many of your cultures do the same thing. This idea continued in the New Testament when we are called to pray in Jesus' name.
Jesus’ name is the power of our prayers. In Philippians 2:7-8 it tells us that
“He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!
Because of this Philippians 2 goes on to say that,
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
There is nothing in all creation, physical or spiritual that is more powerful than the name of Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ name makes our prayers, possible and powerful, but does that mean that can we just pray, saying “in Jesus’ name” whenever we want and then always get what we want? No.
For a clearer understanding we need to turn to John 5 and the words of Jesus.
In John 5:19 we read these words, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
Jesus did many miracles but it was never on His own initiative. He only did what He saw or sensed that the Father was doing. His was a supernatural life that required ongoing intimacy with God the Father.
When thinking of the name of Jesus, the same principle is at work for us, both as individuals and as a church. Our ongoing question should be, “Where is God working and how can we join Him?” If we walk intimately with God we will learn to hear His voice, obey His voice, and be increasingly sensitive to His voice.
That is what we see in this story. Somehow Peter and John sensed the working of God in that moment and “in the name of Jesus” were used by God as a conduit of supernatural healing for this disabled man.
Another question that we must consider is, “Are we willing to take God at His Word, leave space for a miracle in our lives, and with His help, stand?” The man could have smirked at them and not taken their hand. And out of disbelief He would have missed the supernatural healing that was available to Him. It was in that first step of faith that the man found healing.
At times, life seems quite hopeless. Our situations seem so difficult that surely God cannot work, here. So, we stop praying. We stop obeying. We stop seeking God’s best. We quit looking to see where God is working. We determine to either harden our hearts and quit or decide we will just fix the situation ourselves.
What if God wants to do a work in your life that only He can do? If God wants to do a miracle in your situation will you give Him enough room and faith so He can work?
The story then continued with verse 8,
8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 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.
The man had been “lame from birth” and had never learned to walk, but there he was walking and jumping and praising God. The man could have easily made the situation about himself, but instead he made it about God.
Many times, we make Christianity about us. Jesus is seen as one more way to get what we want. We suppose that is for our pleasure and our advancement that we are blessed. Here we see that the healing did not bring an attitude of personal gain, but of glory to God. Gratitude should be a characteristic of faith. Giving God credit is an attitude of faith. Dependence on God is an attitude of faith. When they saw his changed, transformed life it was lived out in such a way that only God could receive credit and glory.
That is the ultimate purpose of His working in our lives as well. As we read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
May our advancement, healing, and provision turn our thoughts to gratitude and the testifying to the glory of God. May we be hidden behind the cross in such a way that all the attention goes to Jesus. That was the glory of the moment as the healed man praised God!
Acts 3 then continued,
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
Peter and John immediately deflected the glory back to God. Many in the temple were thinking that Peter and John were someone great, but Peter and John turned the people’s attention towards Jesus.
As we look to scripture, we see that the ultimate purpose of our lives is to glorify God. If that is ultimate purpose, then it is quite the offense when we seek to steal God’s glory. We brag, we protect our image, we make sure we get the credit, we push ourselves up by putting others down, all the time stealing the glory from our God who sees all and knows the hearts of man. Presented with an opportunity to brag on Him, instead we steal the glory for ourselves trying to make ourselves look good.
May we rest so securely in the unconditional love of God found in the gospel that we freely give God all the glory, because when we are “in Christ” we need none for ourselves.
Peter then continued in the following verses,
13 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. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Peter was connecting Jesus to the great figures from Judaism past. Jesus was not bringing a new religion, He was completing that which had already been promised. Peter was not trusting in well-crafted words and his speaking ability to sway their minds. His confidence was in the Holy Spirit and the clear declaration of God’s truth. His words were very direct, rerouting all glory and credit to God through Christ Jesus, while clearly placing the blame for Jesus’ death on their shoulders.
It was faith in Jesus’ name that made the lame man strong.
First of all, we must realize that faith is not something that we can conjure up ourselves. Faith is from God. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of faith. Romans 12:3 says " ... God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Rom 10:17 says " ... faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that faith is a gift of God for which we cannot boast.”
At the same time we are called to live out our faith. So, is growing in faith God´s responsibility or ours?
We can think of faith like a dance. God leads and we follow. He grants faith and we step out in obedience and experience His faithfulness. Our faith then grows. As we continue to submit to Him He then grants more faith and once again we step out in obedience. As we continue we build a legacy of faith, a greater history of faith, faith becomes our logical response to situations as we grow more and more accustomed to the presence and faithfulness of God. In time our understanding of how the world works becomes more dominated by the ways of God and less and less by the ways of the world.
Faith is only as good as the one in whom we put our trust in. If you put your faith in me to fix your car that would be quite a let down because I know nothing about how to fix a car. If you trust your child to make dinner that would likely be a letdown as well. But when we put our faith in Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords, it changes everything. He is able, faithful and good. When we put our faith in Him we connect with all that is available in Him.
Some would ask, “how do we begin to put our faith in Him?” One way to do it is familiarize yourself with Jesus, His character and His commands and begin to live as if they are true. In the midst of this remedial obedience you will begin to see that Jesus keeps His Word and is true in all that He commands. Your faith will begin to grow as you experience Him more.
This was likely the way of the lame man. He did not know a lot, but he was willing to take Peter’s hand and try to stand for the first time ever in his life. When his small bit of faith encounter the name of Jesus, everything changed.
We then continue with verse 17,
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.
Peter continued with the phrase “fellow Israelites.” It was a way to connect with them. Peter was not a foreign Gentile bringing some strange ideas from another culture. Peter was an Israelite, like them. Peter spoke of the prophets with whom they would have been familiar and claimed to believe. It was these prophecies that were proving that Jesus of Nazareth was truly the Christ sent from God.
Peter spoke graciously, acknowledging their ignorance while still calling them to repent and turn to God. Peter had taken this opportunity to preach the gospel and now offered them the opportunity to be forgiven of sin so that time of refreshing would come.
Those listening had now seen evidence of the power of Jesus through the healing of the lame man. They had heard about their guilt in the crucifixion of the Christ. Now they were given the opportunity to believe and be saved.
This invitation still is offered to each of us. Our prayer is that you would consider Christ today and put your faith in Him.
