Acts Part 4
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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.
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
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.
There were designated times to pray, Peter & John were going up to pray.
Ninth hour = 3:00pm
Why do bad things happen?
Because of sin.
I think one of the cool lessons in this story is how Peter responds to the lame man’s brokenness.
We are born lame in sin.
We are without hope.
We require healing that only Jesus can bring.
We can’t offer the physical healing power of Jesus, but we can offer the spiritual healing power of Jesus.
Not only that, we can be Jesus’ hands and feet in this world...
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
True religion is to live righteously. True religion is not just about going to church, performing spiritual rituals, reciting specific prayers...
True religion is believing in Jesus and then living according to the implications
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.
Look at us: beggars covered their face in shame.
By saying “look at us,” the were giving this man dignity and respect as an image bearer of God.
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.
In the name = by the authority of Jesus
This sign demonstrates Jesus power over brokenness
The apostles were the extension of Jesus’ ministry, so they were given power to perform the same signs
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.
Can you imagine?
This would be a life-changing reality.
What’s the bigger miracle:
Making the lame walk? OR;
Taking away the penalty of sin?
Physically healing the body?
Spiritually healing the soul?
I am convicted by this. I too often take for granted the work of Jesus in my life.
I often take for granted the trajectory my eternal life is on because of Jesus.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
An Explanation (12-16) An Exhortation (17-26)
While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
What is surprising about this???? Are they being sarcastic? I think they are saying you saw Jesus work before, why are you surprised to see Jesus work now?
One might be temped to give credit to yourself, rather than God.
It is not Christian to look at your life and believe that you have somehow earned or merited God’s favor
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
God ascribed value to Jesus...
These Jews turned Jesus over and DENIED him as the messiah...
Even Pilate didn’t find fault with Jesus life...
These Jews denied Jesus’ faultless life...
Killed… The Author of Life...
And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Israel came to Marah (bitter)
Exodus 15:25–26 (ESV)
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
This is not to say that everyone who has faith in the name of Jesus will instantly be healed.
But we can find comfort knowing that everyone who has faith in the name of Jesus will eventually be healed.
This is a small picture previewing a future reality.
This is also validating Peter and John’s authority as an extension of Jesus’ authority.
(Peter is about to preach and call these religious people to repent… on what authority??)
An Explanation (12-16) An Exhortation (17-26)
“Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things.
Friends is really a word that means “brothers”
Peter is addressing them as fellow Jews
Ignorance is not an excuse.
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
We need God to give us new hearts, that we would not be ignorant about Jesus and the righteousness of God
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
passions of your former ignorance....
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 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.
Peter is calling Israel to repent and turn to God, just like Moses at Marah.
Peter is saying that all the promises of the Kingdom and messiah will be fulfilled if they only make Jesus their king.
Of course, they don’t (many individuals do though)
But this is the interesting thing. When we repent of our sins and turn to God, we make him our king. We join the citizenship of heaven.
Even though Jesus has not come back yet, there will be a day that he does come back to establish his kingdom on earth and rule his people, among his people.
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.’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
This was a zinger, because Jesus was talking to Jews and he accused them of not believing Moses’ words.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Jesus is the better Moses.
He’s the better profit, the better leader, and the better priest.
Moses led people out of bondage in Egypt
Jesus leads people out of the bondage of sin.
“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 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.’ 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.”
Everything in the OT is about Jesus!
The OT can’t be rightly understood without putting Jesus in the center of it.
What covenant???
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
This blessing came first to the Jews and through the Jews...
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
So how did the Jews respond to Peter? That is for Sam to cover next week...
I want to close by asking the question, “how do you respond to Peter?”
Which is really asking a more fundamental question, “how do you respond to Jesus?”
Jesus calls us to repent and believe in him, to turn to him.
Jesus promises eternal life, joy, and rest.
Yet we find ourselves constantly wondering from this truth and nibble at sin and the world.