Acts 3 begins with Peter and John going into the temple. This duo was very closely associated together. They were partners in the fishing trade (Luke 5:10). They were entrusted for preparing the Passover celebration which would become what we call “The Last Supper” (Luke 22:8). They were also the first disciples to visit the empty tomb of Jesus (John 20). So it is no wonder that they are often found traveling together in the book of Acts (Acts 4:13, 19; 8:14).
Going to the temple was a daily activity of the Apostles (Acts 2:46). In verse 1 we discover the exact time that Peter and John went up to the temple. It was the ninth hour by Jewish time. Jewish time stared at 6am so the 9th hour would be 3pm by our time. This was the hour of prayer. Psalm 55:17 tells us that there were 3 hours of prayer – morning (9am); noon (12pm); and the ninth hour (3pm). This was the time of the evening sacrifice so it would be the peak time (rush hour) for a crowd to be arriving at the temple.
At the temple we learn that there was a man who was lame and who had been lame from birth. In Acts 4:22 we learn that this man was over 40 years old. Every day he was carried by family or friends and set down at the temple gate called ‘Beautiful’. This was the gate that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Women. It was a large and ornate gate and just through this gate was the temple treasury. So people walking through this gate were in a mindset of giving. This was the perfect location for this man to sit and beg for alms. And you can be sure that he was not the only beggar who would have been there on this particular day.
As he asked for alms, Peter spoke to the lame man. The man quickly gave Peter his attention, expecting that he was going to receive some money. Now notice, that this man had no indication that a possible healing was on tap. He was only expecting one thing – money, not a miracle. What does that tell me? That tells me that, unlike what many advocate in their teaching today, healing is not based simply and solely on our faith. This man ultimately would get healed, but he was only expecting money. So often I talk to people who live in a horrible state of guilt and failure because they have been taught that if they had enough faith, they would be healed of a certain sickness and affliction. So if the healing does not take place, they conclude they must be a faithless believer destined to be a second-class follower of Jesus. Such is not the case.
Peter commands the lame man to walk and he does. His ankles and feet receive strength that they had never possessed prior. Not only could he stand, but he who had never walked before could suddenly leap without so much as a hitch in his “giddy-up”. His healing was instantaneous and complete. He leaped – he didn’t limp. The man realized that his healing was due to God, not the Apostles, which resulted in his praising God, not Peter and John.
Now let me ask you some questions. Was this man the only beggar at the temple that day? Probably not. Is there any indication that any of the other beggars received healing that day? Not that I can see. If this man had sat at this gate daily for the better part of 40 years, would Jesus have ever passed him at the gate? Sure He would have. Did Jesus ever heal him? No. Why? Because healing is based on the sovereignty of God. He heals whom He chooses to heal.
Going to the temple was a daily activity of the Apostles (Acts 2:46). In verse 1 we discover the exact time that Peter and John went up to the temple. It was the ninth hour by Jewish time. Jewish time stared at 6am so the 9th hour would be 3pm by our time. This was the hour of prayer. Psalm 55:17 tells us that there were 3 hours of prayer – morning (9am); noon (12pm); and the ninth hour (3pm). This was the time of the evening sacrifice so it would be the peak time (rush hour) for a crowd to be arriving at the temple.
At the temple we learn that there was a man who was lame and who had been lame from birth. In Acts 4:22 we learn that this man was over 40 years old. Every day he was carried by family or friends and set down at the temple gate called ‘Beautiful’. This was the gate that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Women. It was a large and ornate gate and just through this gate was the temple treasury. So people walking through this gate were in a mindset of giving. This was the perfect location for this man to sit and beg for alms. And you can be sure that he was not the only beggar who would have been there on this particular day.
As he asked for alms, Peter spoke to the lame man. The man quickly gave Peter his attention, expecting that he was going to receive some money. Now notice, that this man had no indication that a possible healing was on tap. He was only expecting one thing – money, not a miracle. What does that tell me? That tells me that, unlike what many advocate in their teaching today, healing is not based simply and solely on our faith. This man ultimately would get healed, but he was only expecting money. So often I talk to people who live in a horrible state of guilt and failure because they have been taught that if they had enough faith, they would be healed of a certain sickness and affliction. So if the healing does not take place, they conclude they must be a faithless believer destined to be a second-class follower of Jesus. Such is not the case.
Peter commands the lame man to walk and he does. His ankles and feet receive strength that they had never possessed prior. Not only could he stand, but he who had never walked before could suddenly leap without so much as a hitch in his “giddy-up”. His healing was instantaneous and complete. He leaped – he didn’t limp. The man realized that his healing was due to God, not the Apostles, which resulted in his praising God, not Peter and John.
Now let me ask you some questions. Was this man the only beggar at the temple that day? Probably not. Is there any indication that any of the other beggars received healing that day? Not that I can see. If this man had sat at this gate daily for the better part of 40 years, would Jesus have ever passed him at the gate? Sure He would have. Did Jesus ever heal him? No. Why? Because healing is based on the sovereignty of God. He heals whom He chooses to heal.
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