Acts 3 – The Healing Of The Lame Man

Verse 1 – Peter and John were serving God faithfully.  They did not expect to heal the lame man when they headed toward the temple, neither did the lame man expect to be healed that day.

Some people discount faithfulness at the services of the Lord’s local church, but it is at this faithfulness that some of God’s greatest blessings are found.

Some people say they do not have time to be faithful in services; therefore they miss the fellowship with other believers and communion with God Almighty.

Some people believe it is only necessary to attend Sunday morning services, but these people understand the least what God really expects of them.

Many people today place such little importance on setting aside one day to worship God that many churches have canceled Sunday evening services, which is a real shame.

It is said:

Ø      Sunday morning attendance shows the popularity of the pastor.

Ø      Sunday evening attendance shows the popularity of the church.

Ø      Wednesday evening attendance shows the popularity of Christ, and holy, separated living.

Verse 2 – The lame man did not expect to be healed on this day.

There were people who daily laid the lame man at the temple gate called “Beautiful” where he begged for alms (money or food).

Somebody took responsibility for getting this man to the temple, but they did not take responsibility for getting the man to Christ during the ministry of Christ.  This man was not healed during the ministry of Christ, even though he was laid daily at the gate of the temple.  How could Christ have missed this man?  Do you think that Christ walked by this man many times?  I do not know, but I know every sick person in Israel was not healed during the ministry of Jesus, but Jesus did heal all that was brought to him, or came to him.

Verse 3 – The lame man saw Peter and John and asked alms of them. 

Peter and John did not look any different from anybody else going into the temple.

The lame man asked everybody, not just those he thought were rich, or those he thought would help him.

Verse 4-5 – Peter and John got the man’s attention, and then Peter said in verse 6: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have, give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Verse 6 – Peter gave the man a command he could not obey: “…rise up and walk”.

Peter preceded the command with the words “…in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…”

The words “…in the name of…” refer to the power, authority and right belonging only to Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 28:18 – Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth…” Therefore we know that Jesus has the power to heal this man.  Jesus has all the power there is – not only on the earth, but also in heaven.

Peter also said, “…Jesus Christ of Nazareth…” That phrase might mean little to us, but it meant much to the Jews of that day.  Nazareth is located in Galilee, which, according to the Jews did not produce a prophet.  In John 7, the Jewish religious leaders sent their officers to force Christ to come to them.  These officers found Jesus, but could not bring him because of his powerful words.  When questioned by the chief priests and Pharisees concerning why did had not brought Christ, they replied, “No man speaks like this man.”  Then the chief priests and Pharisees declared that those that are shaken by Jesus or that follows him or deceived.  Nicodemus then asks the question, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?”  To this question, the angry chief priests and Pharisees states, “Art thou also of Galilee?  Search and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.”  What the Jews missed is that there was a prophet out of Galilee, a prophet they had rejected, but Christ had not rejected.  That prophet is Jonah.  II Kings 14:25 states, “…Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.”  Gathhepher is a small town located about 5 miles from Nazareth.  Both Nazareth and Gathhepher are located in lower Galilee.  So the Jews have rejected both Jonah and Jesus, but God has accepted them both.  We need to be very careful of whom we reject, because we might be guilty of rejected one whom God has accepted.  Peter is not afraid to mention that Jesus is from Nazareth because it is prophesied that the Messiah would come from Nazareth, as is stated in Matthew 2:23, “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Verse 7 – The man rose up and walked, leaping and walking and praising God, went into the temple.  How did the man do that which he could not do?  By the power of God.  Jesus also tells lost people to do that which they cannot do.  He tells them over and over again to repent and believe in Jesus Christ that they might be saved.

Notice what Jesus says in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…” What Jesus said is exactly the truth, and we should believe it today.

John 1:11-13 states, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”