103. THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN

"In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk"

Aim

To show how the apostles used the power of God, through healing the lame man to preach the Gospel.

Many people in Jerusalem were beginning to believe that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. This was the first part of the good news which the apostles were teaching. It gave people a hope of being saved from death themselves. The miracles which the apostles did in the name of Jesus Christ made many happy, but some still refused to believe.

Acts 3 and 4:1-22

AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE (3:1-11)

One afternoon, about 3 o'clock, or in Jewish time about the ninth hour, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple. This was the time of the day when prayer was offered there. It was a beautiful temple built by Herod many years before, and the entrance to the courtyard was called the Beautiful Gate. At this gate beggars sat daily, hoping to receive money from those who entered in.

As the two apostles approached this Beautiful Gate of the Temple they saw a lame man there who asked the people for alms, or gifts of money. This man had been lame from birth and he was now forty years old (4:22). Unable to go out and work for a living, he was carried each day by his friends to this place to beg. He had been laid there for so many years that many regular visitors to the Temple knew him. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the Temple, he asked them for a gift.

Peter realised that here was an opportunity to heal the man and show the power of God and preach the Gospel. "Look on us," commanded Peter, fixing his eyes on the man. The lame man looked hopefully at Peter thinking that he would be given some money. He did not know that he was about to receive a far greater blessing. Peter went on to say, "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". Peter then took the man by the hand and helped him to his feet. Immediately the bones in his feet and ankles were strengthened and leaping, he stood up and walked! How excited the man was as he walked and leaped with them into the Temple, praising God as he went!

We can imagine how amazed the people were as they say this man, whom they all knew as a cripple, walking and leaping in the Temple. Everyone ran to see the man and to hear what wonderful thing had happened to him.

PETER EXPLAINS THE MIRACLE (vv. 12-18)

When Peter saw the crowd gathering he called out, "Why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power we had made this man to walk?" Peter went on to tell the people that the lame man had been healed through faith in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He was the one whom the Jews had put to death a few weeks before. Many who now listened to Peter had not long before, at the trial of Jesus, cried, "Crucify him!" But God had raised him from the dead and now they had seen a great miracle done in his name.

REPENT AND BE CONVERTED (vv. 19-21)

Remember how Peter had told the people on the Day of Pentecost to "repent and be baptised"? Here again Peter taught the Jews that God would forgive them if they repented and turned back to Him (which is what be "converted" means). Peter wanted them to be ashamed of putting Jesus Christ to death and to have a change of heart and mind. The people had seen this wonderful miracle with their own eyes; it was now up to them to do something about the message Peter had spoken.

THE RULERS ARE ANGRY (4:1-4)

While Peter was talking, the priests and leaders of the Jews came. They were furious that the apostles were teaching in the name of Jesus. So they had Peter and John arrested and locked them up overnight. But many of the people who had seen the miracle and had been listening, believed.

THE APOSTLES ARE SET FREE (vv. 5-10,15-22)

The next day, the high priest and the rulers of the Jews sent for Peter and John and asked them, "By what power, or by what name have ye done this?"

The apostles were only too happy to say again that the lame man had been healed "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (v 10). The Jewish leaders who listened had a problem. They knew the lame man had been healed. They could not deny it. But they would not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So they told Peter and John "not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus" (v18). But Peter and John would rather obey God than men so they replied, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (vv. 19-20). This only made the Jews angrier, but they could do nothing but let them go. And all the people praised God for the amazing miracle of healing the lame man.

LESSON FOR US

Like Peter and John, we should use every opportunity to tell people about the Word of God.

Sometimes other people do not want to hear the message of God and get angry as the rulers of the Temple did. When this happens, we must remember that God will bless those who stand up for His Word.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The leaders of the Jews who came with the priests to arrest Peter and John were Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. So they certainly did not want these men telling the people that Jesus whom they had crucified, had been raised. The apostles were able to show clearly from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Through Jesus Christ men could be saved. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). But these Jewish leaders were stubborn. They wanted the people to listen to them as they had always done.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. Who could always be found on the steps outside the Beautiful Gate?

2. What did the lame man hope Peter and John would give him?

3. What wonderful words did Peter say to the lame man?

4. How did Peter say the lame man had been healed?

5. What did Peter tell the Jews to do if they were really ashamed of killing Jesus Christ?

6. What did the priests and rulers do to Peter and John?

Detailed Answers

7. Tell how the lame man at the Beautiful Gate was healed.

8. (a) Why were the priests and rulers of the Jews angry with Peter and John?

(b) What did the rulers of the Jews tell Peter and John to stop doing?

(c) What answer did Peter and John give the rulers?

Additional Answers

9. Peter told the Jews who had seen the lame man healed, to "repent and be converted". What did he mean?

10. The miracle of healing the lame man presented the Jewish leaders with a problem. What was the problem?

11. When Peter and John were threatened by the rulers of the Jews.

1. What was their reply; and

2. What lesson do we learn from this?