THE HEALING OF THE LAME BEGGAR
(Part 2)
Acts 3:1-10
In our study of Acts, we are currently examining the miraculous healing of a lame beggar. These verses tell of a man who was hoping to receive a small contribution of charity from Peter & John. They were not able to give him what he wanted, but they were able to provide him with something far greater than he could have ever imagined. Verse 1 describes:
A HEARTBREAKING SITUATION
This man had faced many difficulties throughout his life. His physical condition rendered him helpless in many ways. Because of his situation there were many things that he was unable to do, as a result he spent his days begging for help from others. On this specific day he encountered two of the Lord’s Apostles and they introduced him to the One who would completely transform him.
v1“Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
When the Apostles arrived at the Beautiful Gate they saw this crippled man being carried to a specific place near the gate so that he could ask for “alms”. This man was placed in the same location every single day, so much so that he was a fixture at the Temple gate and the worshippers knew exactly who he was.
- Luke describes a heartbreaking situation; then he goes on to describe:
A SIMPLE REQUEST
This man lived in poverty, he did not ask for or expect an extravagant gift, all he wanted was a little money so he could buy something to eat. Verse 3 says that when he saw “Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.” Rather than granting his simple request, the Apostles pointed him to the one who would change his life forever.
- This leads us to the fact that the lame man received:
A MIRACULOUS HEALING
Verse 4 says “fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
Thinking that he was about to receive a financial contribution, this man looked intently at Peter and John. - v5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
I would imagine this man was disappointed when he heard Peter say “silver and gold I do not have”; but his disappointment was replaced with elation when he heard the words “what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." In other words, Peter said “what you want I cannot provide, but I can give you something far greater than you ever imagined”. Peter lifted this man up and he began to walk. - v7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
It cannot be overstated that this man was lame since birth. He was not a paraplegic who lost the use of his legs at some point in his life; he had never had the ability or the strength to take a single step. When Peter helped him to his feet, those previously useless feet and ankle bones received strength. Peter couldn’t heal this man in his own power, but he did possess the ability to lift him up off of the ground. After this, God took over!
It is important to remember that Luke is the one describing the details of this miracle. Luke was a doctor; in Colossians 4:14 Paul refers to him as “the beloved physician”. This medical doctor goes into detail as to how God gave this man the ability to walk. He says that “his feet and ankle bones received strength”.
Instantly strength was given to the portions of the body that needed it. Blood supply was increased to the muscle. The brain sent signals to the nerve endings of the ankles and feet. The hardened fluid between the joints was softened, and the atrophied muscles and ligaments regained flexibility. The feet suddenly could bear the man’s weight. (Source: NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color; Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
What took place next can only be described as a miracle. - v8 “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.” Again, we must remember that this man had never taken a step in his life. This fact puts the significance of this miracle into its proper perspective. This miracle was not gradual, it was immediate. Unlike babies learning to walk, this man did not have to crawl first. He did not stumble or fall; as soon as his feet and ankle bones received strength: he began to walk, then leap and as a result of his excitement he praised God!
When we come to faith in Christ, there is certainly a growth process. We have to crawl before we can walk when it comes to spiritual maturity. At the moment of our conversion, God begins a long process of sanctification in our lives. however, the transformation that Jesus brings into our lives is immediate and eternal.
- This lame man endured a heartbreaking situation, he had a simple request, he received a miraculous healing and finally we will see:
AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION
The people who witnessed this miracle were astonished by what had taken place right before their eyes. (v9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Everyone knew who this man was; he was a perennial fixture at the Beautiful Gate. Every day as the worshippers entered the Temple to worship, sacrifice and pray they saw his face and they heard his voice as he begged the passersby for alms. I’m sure many of them purposely walked near the far side of the gate just so they wouldn’t have to interact with this poor, lame, beggar. After he received his healing, the change in this man’s life was undeniable; it was apparent that a miracle had taken place. God worked a great miracle in this man’s life, and He would use him to teach an important lesson to the people who had been responsible for and consenting to the death of Christ just a few weeks earlier.
Like this lame man, your situation could be described as “heartbreaking”. You may not suffer from a physical infirmity, but you have a spiritual condition that if not addressed will be spiritually and eternally terminal. Each person here was “born in sin and conceived in iniquity”. All of us have “sinned and come short of the glory of God”. Paul says that “the wages of sin is death”. This means that without Christ we would be headed for death, judgement and eternal condemnation. Furthermore, that is exactly what each of us deserves! But God has made a way for us to be delivered from the due penalty of our sins. (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.)
When we repent and believe in Jesus, we are eternally saved. That in itself is far more than we could ever deserve. However, God doesn’t stop with mercy, He has also extended grace to us. In His mercy God doesn’t give us what we deserve. In His grace He provides us with things that we could never deserve. Through Christ we are able to receive forgiveness of our sins. Those who surrender to Him are assured that they have been rescued from Hell; adopted into the family of God and granted eternal life.
In Christ we possess a place in God’s Kingdom, a home in Heaven and a personal relationship with the Lord. Because of this relationship we can enjoy hope, peace, joy, and assurance. We have the privilege of communing with the Savior on a daily basis; and we can live secure in the reality that one day we will be in His presence throughout eternity. Like this lame beggar, God has given us far more than we could have ever asked for.
This lame man had a simple request, he was looking for something more than what he had. In the same way, some of you have a void in your life that you have tried to fill and you have had no success. You have sought peace, joy and fulfillment in the things of this world. To this point your life has been consumed with the search for earthly riches. You have worked hard and climbed the corporate ladder. You have made a lot of money and purchased many material goods but as hard as you try you cannot find peace.
Maybe you have tried to fill this void in your life with relationships, you think that if you find the right woman or the right man then everything will be perfect, but that peace and joy never comes. Maybe you have even gone to the point of turning to drugs and alcohol for comfort, and this decision has only made things worse. It could be that today is the day that you have a personal encounter with the one who can change you eternally.
The lame man was not expecting to meet Jesus that day and you may not have come here expecting Him either. But like the lame man you have a divine appointment with grace. The lame man did nothing to deserve this miracle, he didn’t earn it and he couldn’t have if he tried. This is true concerning the miracle that Jesus wants to work in your life. You are a spiritual beggar with nothing to offer the Lord. But because of His mercy, grace, love and compassion you have the opportunity to receive a new life in Him. If you will turn to Jesus, if you will repent and believe in Him for salvation then you can receive a miraculous healing. He can take you from death unto life. He can save your soul and you can leave here with assurance of salvation, eternal life, a home in Heaven and a personal relationship with God. I encourage you to trust in Jesus today!
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