Acts 3:1-8, 12-16 - The Living Christ
What Peter and John did was remarkable and out-of-the-ordinary. Their actions tell us at least THREE realities:
(1) They believe that Christ has risen and is with them.
No one would invoke the name of a dead man and expect something to happen.
(2) They believe the works of Christ can continue because He is alive.
They have seen the miracles of Christ while they were with Him.
(3) They have faith in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus Christ can change lives. Jesus has changed their lives.
We will consider these three aspects and learn from Peter and John today.
1. HAVE FAITH IN HIS PRESENCE
Jesus Christ is alive and not dead. Peter and John would not invoke the name of a dead man. It does not make sense.
• Both of them have been among the FIRST and CLOSEST disciples of Jesus.
• They knew that Jesus lived because they had seen the resurrected Christ.
• They have heard and seen Him before His death, and they have heard and seen Him after His resurrection.
• Jesus is truly the Son of God and their Saviour, who died for their sin on the cross, buried but rose again on the third day.
Looking at their unusual actions, we can safely say that Peter and John were led by the Spirit of God to bring about a miraculous healing to this man.
• It was not Peter’s power or his righteousness that this miracle happened. No man could do this except Jesus Christ.
• Peter and John did not go around looking for and healing all the sick and lame.
• They were on their way to the Temple to pray as was the Jewish custom, at three o’clock in the afternoon.
But this time, they passed the Beautiful Gate and saw a crippled beggar asking for money.
• Peter had nothing for him (in terms of alms). But yet he did have something that he could give him - Jesus Christ!
• Prompted by the Spirit of God, Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” (3:4). Both believed this to be the will of God.
Peter declared: “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!” (3:6)
• And took the man’s hand and raised him up. Immediately he was made whole.
The man stood up and walked. He entered the Temple with Peter and John, leaping and praising God!
• Imagine the transformation, for a man who was born crippled, never walked, and never entered the Temple (because the blind and lame are not allowed inside)…
• But NOW leaping and praising God in the house of God, giving glory to God.
• All the people were “filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (3:10).
All EXCEPT Peter and John! They saw it coming!
• By faith in the living Christ, Peter and John believed this could happen.
• They had seen enough of the miracles of Jesus to know that this was possible.
• They were led by His Spirit to meet the need of this man, not for alms but for his healing, and not just physically but spiritually.
• This man was led to faith in Jesus Christ and now giving praise to his God!
Peter and John knew the living Christ was with them and that explains their confidence and their actions.
• Jesus promised them in Matt 28:18-19 “18All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
• “20…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20)
Mark tells us in Mark 16:19-20 “19So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”
• The Lord is with them and works with them to confirm the message of the Gospel with signs.
• Our life change is a testimony of the presence of the risen Christ!
2. HAVE FAITH IN HIS POWER
Since He is with us, we can expect to see His works in our lives.
• The miraculous healing of this man is an undeniable sign of Christ’s presence with them, because only the living Christ could have done this.
The people ran to Peter and John seeking an explanation - Acts 3:12-16
12And 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?
• Peter was saying: “Why look at us as if it is by our power or piety that we did this? Do you think it is us that caused this healing?”
13The 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.
14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
16And 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.
To put it simply, Jesus Christ healed this man! But who is this Jesus?
• Peter went on at length to identify Him – from history, from what happened in the last few weeks.
• “The Jesus whom you have seen and heard but rejected and killed.”
• “The Jesus who is the Son of God sent by our God - the God of our Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (saying this because he was speaking to the Jewish crowd).”
• “The Jesus whom God sent and whom you have met – the Jesus who is not a myth, a legend or fictitious person but the glorified Servant of God, the Holy and Righteous One and the Author of life.”
Sadly you killed the Author of life who came to you. But God raised Him from the dead.
• He conquered sin and death and came back to life, and we are witnesses of this living Christ!
• “You rejected Him; we believed Him. It is by faith in this Jesus Christ that this man was made whole!”
It was undeniable. The man they knew sitting outside of the Temple all these years, now inside the Temple leaping and praising God!
• Everyone recognises him because he has been lame for over 40 years. (4:22)
What a sight this must be, to see a crippled man you know for years glorifying God for the first time in the house of God.
• Just looking at his transformation is enough to glorify God but this man was praising Him too. That was the result of his healing – the worship of God!
• Isn’t that true? That the ultimate goal of all works of God is the glory of God?
• People see the good works and glorify God. The Name of Jesus was exalted that day.
We glorify God today for the works that He has done through our church. We praise Him for His goodness and His grace throughout these 62 years.
• We thank God for the many lives that have been blessed and saved through this place because of the Gospel.
• We exalt the Name of Jesus Christ today and always because He is faithful and true.
• The end goal of our works for God is the glory of God. To God be the glory!
When Jesus was about to raise Lazarus back to life, He said to Martha: “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)
• Let the works for God done in this place be the works of God that bring glory to His Name, always!
• Let the works of God IN OUR LIVES bring glory to God and point people to Christ!
Paul concluded with this challenge to the crowd:
• 3:19-20 19Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…
• Peter tells them: “You might have done wrong in the past but God has not judged you. You can repent and turn back, and believe in Jesus Christ today.”
3. HAVE FAITH IN HIS NAME
16And 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.
We thank God many believed (4:4) but the religious leaders were unhappy.
• They were “2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (4:2)
• They wanted to stop Peter and John from preaching about Jesus.
Peter and John were arrested and brought before the religious council the next day.
• 4:8-12 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The healing of this man is good and precious, but it is temporal and will still pass.
• God gave him something more significant and eternal. We praise God, not just for the healing of his limbs, but more importantly, for the salvation of his soul.
Do you know Jesus Christ today?
• He is the Son of God whom God sent to save us. He died for our sins and God raised Him from the dead.
• He is our Saviour and He is with us today.
What we can learn from this text today:
1. HAVE FAITH IN HIS PRESENCE
• His presence is our confidence. He will never leave us or forsake us.
• Our faith in His presence is tested when we go through difficult times. It is easy to say He is with us in good times.
• But the truth is He is with us even when we are sick and weak, in pain or suffering.
• Remember the words of King David in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”
2. HAVE FAITH IN HIS POWER
• We have faith in the power of the living Christ who is with us.
• Nothing is too difficult for Him. If He decides so, even a man born lame can walk and leap. God is all-powerful and all-wise to fulfil His purposes.
• We can trust Him, even if He has chosen NOT to do some things we want.
3. HAVE FAITH IN HIS NAME
• We pray and trust Him because we pray IN JESUS’ NAME. His will be done.
• This lame man was not healed by man’s power or good deeds but by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can change us and make us whole.
Dear friends,
• Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
• Rom 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for your works in our lives. May we grow to trust You more and praise You more for all the wonderful things You have done, in our lives and through this church. Thank You, Lord, for 62 years of Your faithfulness and blessings.
We praise You, Lord, for Whom all blessings flow. May Your Name be greatly exalted.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray, AMEN.
