The Wonder and the Word

Acts 3:1-26

Main Idea: Luke describes how the apostles continued Jesus’s ministry in word and deed as the healing of a lame man attracted a crowd to hear Peter’s Christ-centered sermon.

1. The Wonder (3:1-10)
2. The Word (3:11-26)
   1. The explanation of the miracle
      1. Two denials
      2. Six affirmations
   2. The evangelistic appeal
      1. Jesus is the Servant of the Lord (3:13,26).
      2. Jesus was glorified by God (3:13).
      3. Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One (3:14).
      4. Jesus is the source of life (3:15).
      5. Jesus rose from the dead (3:15,26).
      6. Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and promises (3:17-26).
      7. Repent (3:19-21)!

Every time I read this text, I think about a pastor friend who leads a church that has many college students. He says that when school is in session the attendance triples but giving only increases by about seventeen dollars a week. On one occasion a broke college student actually put a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit into the offering bucket with a little note: “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give unto you!”

That’s a funny story, but this next section of Scripture is no joke. The full passage occupies a lot of space, reaching from 3:1 to 4:31, with the events described covering a few days. It ends with threats and a powerful prayer meeting.

Here we see the apostles continuing Jesus’s ministry in word and deed. The healing of a lame man is a deed that leads to a sermon, a word. After hearing that sermon, more people are converted to faith in Jesus, and the Jewish religious authorities are enraged.

The passage breaks down neatly into two parts. This text is about a miracle and a message: the wonder and the word.

The Wonder

Acts 3:1-10

Three foundations of the Jewish faith included the Torah, worship, and showing kindness (giving alms). Since these activities were part of the rhythm of the religious community, the beggar chooses a visible location to ask for alms of people going up for prayer. As people worship, they will have to see him, and perhaps they will feel more compelled to give to him since they are en route to offer prayer and praise to God.

“Each day” the beggar was laid at the Beautiful Gate (v. 2). This was probably the most extravagant and prominently used entrance into the temple court.

The man in view here is not simply broke. He’s broken. He’s physically crippled. He’s humiliated. He’s hopeless. And to make things worse, he’s more than forty years old (4:22). Presumably, he’d lived this way for decades.

As this broken man asks Peter and John for alms, something miraculous happens. The disciples direct their gazes to him, get his attention, and give him a renewed life (vv. 4-7). The people observe this man’s transformation, and they are filled with wonder. One moment he’s a lame beggar, and the next moment he’s practicing for “Dancing with the Davidic Stars”! Seeing such a miracle should have caused people to marvel. And it did. But this chapter contains more than an account of wonder. Peter helps us understand the miracle and uses it to declare the gospel to the crowd it attracted. Not everyone liked that.

This story highlights the need to care for the hurting people all around us. It is a sobering reminder that it is possible to attend religious events while ignoring the needs right in front of us. Just read the prophets for more on the truth behind that statement (e.g., Isa 1:11-20; Amos 5:21-24; Mic 6:6-8). Another point of application here involves the apostles’ care for just one guy. In the previous passage three thousand people were saved. And from this switch in focus comes a new principle: Those who reach the many care about reaching the one. May God give us compassionate hearts for meeting the physical and spiritual needs of every individual. To see those who might feel lost in the crowd.

The Word

Acts 3:11-26

Let’s break Peter’s message into two main parts: (1) the explanation of the miracle and (2) the evangelistic appeal.

The Explanation of the Miracle

We can detect two denials and six affirmations concerning this wonder.

Two Denials. First, Peter denies that this act was the work of witchcraft, magic, sorcery, or any mind-over-matter technique (Piper, “Jesus’ Name Made This Man Strong”). The lame man is still holding on to Peter and John when Peter essentially says, “Why are you looking at me? I’m not some kind of wizard!” (vv. 11-12). There are apparent healings of all sorts associated with witchcraft and works of darkness, but this miracle was the work of Christ, the source of life.

Second, Peter denies the intrinsic worthiness of either the healer or the healed man. This miracle couldn’t be attributed to Peter’s power or godliness. If God uses a person to heal, it’s not the healer who should receive the glory. God alone gets the glory. The former lame man was not healed because of his piety either. He didn’t even ask to be healed! He was begging for money when God generously healed him anyway.

Some people think the reason God has not yet healed them is because they aren’t worthy of healing. Some think God doesn’t answer their prayers for someone else to be healed because their prayers aren’t perfect enough to merit his attention. But that kind of thinking is wrong. I’m not saying a person’s moral life doesn’t matter. I simply want to point out what Peter (a godly man!) said: This miracle came because the all-powerful Savior decided to intervene and perform a wonder! You see, Jesus is on the throne, ruling and reigning, and he can decide to intervene and perform a miracle whenever he pleases. On this day he was pleased to do so. Peter says, “It’s not about me; it’s about him!”

Six Affirmations. First, as mentioned, Jesus healed this man. In verses 13-16 Peter explains how faith in the crucified, glorified Christ literally healed. This point runs right through this chapter and into the next.

Second, God gave Peter and John the gift of faith and healing and miracle working in this moment. In verse 16, Peter was given faith to heal. John Piper explains,

First, notice that the faith to heal (Peter’s faith, not the man’s; there is no reason in the text to think he was believing when Peter spoke) is “through Jesus”—that is Jesus gave it. It came through the working of Jesus (cf. 5:31). This, it seems to me, is the key to what happened in verse 4 when Peter gazed at the lame man. Luke tells us in verse 2 that this man was laid daily at the gate. So Peter had passed this man many times before without healing him. But today, when he looked at him, something happened. What? The faith to heal him came THROUGH JESUS. The living Jesus did something in Peter, and Peter knew it was the day. When he said, “What I have I give to you,” he probably meant, “Today I have been given something special for you. Jesus has just given me the faith to speak healing to you and I now share this gift with you. Rise.” That’s what the last part of verse 16 says, “The faith, which is through Jesus [not in Jesus!] has given this man perfect health.” Jesus gave the faith to heal, and Peter acted on it. (“Jesus’ Name Made This Man Strong”)

Might God decide to do something like this among us today? Sure. I think apostolic miracles were unique in number and nature, but I know God still does miracles through his people in particular moments for his own purposes.

In 1 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul lists these three gifts together—faith, healing, and miracles. Where do we most often see these gifts on display today? Certainly one place is within the prayer ministry of the church. James writes,

Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (Jas 5:14-15)

As we pray for healing, we need to remember that God always answers: either presently or at the resurrection. But God always invites us to pray, hears our prayers, and will ultimately heal his people.

It seems that God is also pleased to perform wondrous works on the mission field where there is little biblical revelation. Multiple missionaries attest to this. But whether it happens in prayer or on the mission field, healing happens as a gracious gift of God.

Third, we need to affirm that Christ should be praised as the source of life who provides through “ordinary means” as well as through what would be easily recognized as miracles. In 3:15 Peter refers to the Lord as the author or “source” of life. This covers both physical and spiritual life. As Creator of all life, God sometimes works through miracles, but more often he provides for the needs of the ailing human body through farmers, pharmacists, and surgeons. The doctrine of providence teaches that God cares for his creation, and he sustains it. Whether you eat because you raised chickens or because you drove through the Chick-fil-A line, the Lord of life is to be praised. And whether your condition cleared all at once in the midst of a prayer meeting or was alleviated over time through the use of antibiotics and a medical procedure, God deserves glory for your healing.

Fourth, we should affirm that this miracle involving the lame man was a sign of the messianic kingdom to come. Later, Peter refers to “the restoration of all things” (v. 21). In the new heaven and new earth there will be no lame legs! Jesus gave a sneak preview of that joyous day through his many healing miracles, and Isaiah foresaw such a day:

Then the lame will leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,

for water will gush in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert. (Isa 35:6)

Isaiah pointed to this glorious future, inaugurated at Jesus’s first coming (Luke 7:18-23) and fully consummated at his second. This particular lame man, then, became a living example of Isaiah 35. Jesus’s miracles of healing were signs of his identity and glimpses of his kingship. The restoration of this lame man makes us, who groan with the aches and pains of living under the curse of sin, long for the “restoration of all things.” Take heart! That day is coming soon!

Fifth, because Christ gave the faith and worked the miracle, his name alone is exalted. Just notice how often “the name” is mentioned in chapters 3 and 4. The name of Jesus means everything that is true about him. He is to be exalted as the source of life and as the forgiver of sinners. His is the only name by which people can be saved.

Finally, we must affirm that this miracle serves the gospel message. It was a launching pad into the sermon. Peter doesn’t stop after the miracle, say, “My work is done here,” and then move on. No, there’s a purpose for the wonder. The physical miracle was a fact, but it was also a picture, a parable. Jesus’s miracles too were often illustrations or validations of the message he shared. The miracle attracted a crowd, but the message offered to that crowd was more important than any wonder. Why? Simple. You can be healed miraculously today, but your heart and body will eventually wear out. You need the message of eternal life more than a miracle of temporary healing.

The lame man’s healing is a powerful reminder that Jesus is the source of life. He gives life! Jesus heals the disabilities of the human heart! He causes redeemed sinners to dance in his presence with joy!

The Evangelistic Appeal

Not one to pass up an opportunity to preach the gospel, Peter uses this miracle to point everyone to the Messiah. He exalts Jesus in several ways and along the way sharply indicts the unbelieving crowd.

Jesus is the servant of the Lord (3:13,26). In verses 13 and 26 Peter refers to Jesus as God’s “servant.” This title refers to the promised Servant in the Old Testament (e.g., Isa 52:13–53:12). This promised Servant appeared in human history and said, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In a world all about climbing the social or career ladder and being served, Jesus pointed to another, better way to live. He served us all the way to the cross, and he continues to serve his church today. Once you begin to grasp how Christ has served you, you will gladly serve him and others.

Jesus was glorified by God (3:13-14). The God of our fathers glorified his Servant, Jesus. A happy sharing of glory exists within the Godhead. Prior to his cross work, Jesus prayed to the Father:

The hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you. . . . I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed. (John 17:1,4-5)

In this first part of the sermon, Peter also gave Jesus this messianic title of Servant (see Isa 53:11; Mark 1:24). But tell people that Jesus alone is the Holy and Righteous One, as Peter does in verse 14, and you will have a religious controversy with which to deal.

Many think Jesus is like other religious teachers. They thus think of him as a historical figure to be studied, like one of the many presidents whose contributions are summarized in a United States history textbook. While an understanding like that might lead a few to honor Jesus by chiseling his likeness on Mount Rushmore, it completely misses the truth that he’s in a class by himself. Peter rightly says there’s Jesus, and then there’s everyone else—including all other religious leaders.

So, in light of this fact, how can we be holy and righteous? We need Jesus’s holiness and righteousness. That, in fact, is the good news of the gospel. Jesus, the Righteous One, traded places with sinners like us. By repentance and placing faith in Christ, we receive his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Incredibly, his work gets credited to our accounts. While other religions teach that people work for righteousness, the gospel message so unique to Christianity is that people work from Christ-given righteousness. Only in Christianity—because of the work of Christ—does a verdict come before a performance. As a believer in Jesus, you are declared righteous. Out of that position you get to obey the Righteous One in his power for his glory, knowing that he has already dealt with your greatest problem.

Jesus is the source of life (3:15). Peter exalts Christ with this amazing “source of life” title. John writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Paul says, “For everything was created by him. . . . all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together” (Col 1:16-17). In other words, apart from Jesus there’s no life. Apart from him you don’t even have a physical life. But let’s say you do. Even so, you are dying even as you think about what I’m saying, and you will die a spiritual death as well as a physical one unless you are united to him by faith. When your computer, iPad, or smart phone is detached from a power source, it eventually dies. Similarly, people must be united with the source of life in order to live. Peter found that making such a statement about Jesus before Jewish people enraged many. But his words offer wonderful news about how we can overcome death.

Jesus rose from the dead (3:15,26). Christ’s resurrection is the constant message of the apostles. God raised Jesus from the dead, and the apostles saw him alive. This validated all of Jesus’s claims, displayed the Father’s acceptance of the Son’s atoning death, and proved that he indeed is the source of life. Peter’s point is clear: we aren’t saved by the quality of our faith but by the object of our faith! So put your faith in Jesus, the resurrected Lord, who came to rescue people like you.

Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and promises (3:17-26). Peter alludes to several Old Testament texts as he points people to Jesus the Messiah. From Abraham onward, the flow of redemptive history culminates in this Jesus. Peter says “all the prophets” (vv. 18,24) predicted his coming—including Moses, who predicted someone greater and more glorious than he. Peter essentially says, “The Messiah came!” But this audience, like many people today, is still waiting for the fulfillment of all those prophecies. Doing this is as uninformed as saying, “I hope Mickey Mantle plays for the Yankees.” He already played. If you don’t know that, you missed it!

Jesus is the final prophet. There aren’t any prophets after Jesus because he is what the prophets were speaking about! Further, unlike the other prophets Scripture mentions, Jesus doesn’t simply speak the truth; he is the truth! He doesn’t just show us the way; he is the way. He doesn’t just tell us what meaning is; he is the meaning (John 1:1).

As the greater Moses, Jesus led a greater exodus. Jesus is the ultimate Redeemer. As the greater King, Jesus reigns forever. As the offspring of Abraham, in Jesus all the families of the earth are blessed. The Old Testament sustains this messianic hope throughout the narrative, and it gets fulfilled in Christ, our great Prophet, King, and Redeemer.

We should pause for a moment and consider all the indictments Peter makes against his audience:

• Verse 13: You handed over Jesus.
• Verse 13b: You’re worse than Pilate.
• Verse 14: You traded the Holy and Righteous One for a murderer.
• Verse 15: You killed the one who gave you life.
• Verse 17: You’re ignorant.
• Verses 18-25: You don’t understand the Bible.
• Verse 26: You denied your privilege.
• Verse 26b: You’re wicked.

Repent! (3:19-21). In light of these serious charges, we must ask whether there is any hope for such wicked people. The answer is yes! Look back at 3:19-21. In the center of this passage about the glory of Christ and the gravity of sin, Peter offers amazing gospel hope to everyone.

Notice the necessity of repentance in verse 19. He says there’s hope if you turn from your sins. Down in Verse 26 he tells his hearers that God wants “to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.” In other words, our ability to repent is God’s gracious gift.

Notice also the blessings of forgiveness. In verses 19-21 Peter mentions three benefits of genuine repentance: (1) total forgiveness, (2) spiritual refreshment, and (3) universal restoration.

Regarding the first, he says that through repentance, “your sins may be wiped out” (v. 19). This is a beautiful word picture. Parchment was expensive, so sometimes scribes used acid-free ink as they wrote on it. The ink just lay on top of the parchment, so a person could take a wet sponge and wipe a message away, blotting it out. To put Peter’s point in modern terms, imagine having all your sins listed on a dry-erase board. Now, imagine sitting there pondering the weight of your sin record and the certainty of coming judgment without having any hope of changing your sad reality. But then, when you feel eaten by shame and fear, someone marches in and forever wipes that record of your wrongs off the board. He declares you innocent. Would that not make you soar in worship to the one wiping away your sin? It should! That’s what’s happened! Jesus Christ has wiped out our wrongs. We have no guilt. We are under no condemnation. And as sure as Jesus wipes our sin away the moment we ask him to do so, he will wipe our tears away later (Rev 21:4).

But there’s more. Through repentance you can enjoy spiritual refreshment (v. 20). The language Peter uses here speaks of respite, rest, refreshment, or relief. It’s a word about the messianic age, when the Spirit will be poured out. It’s a reminder that those who turn to Jesus find rest. What good news the gospel offers to people who have been trying to earn forgiveness of sins and to achieve eternal life: simply come to Jesus and find rest and refreshment for your weary soul. His actions on the cross set us free!

Finally, Peter says, if you will repent, then you will enjoy the hope of Christ restoring all things (vv. 20-21). Paul spoke of the day in which our sufferings will give way to glory (Rom 8:18-37). Christ gives us hope to endure the difficulties of this life because he has given us the promise of glory to come. How terrible would it be to have hope only in this life? The gospel, however, offers an unshakable hope that our best days are yet to come.

According to Acts 4:1-4, some people actually received Peter’s message. The number of believers grew to include five thousand men! This is another reminder that God uses ordinary people to declare his extraordinary message. Lives are transformed as Christ is exalted from his Word. As the Spirit worked through Peter the fisherman, he can work through you.

As we minister in word and deed like these apostles, let’s be confident in the name of the One who saved us. Acts 3–4 contains multiple references to “the name” (3:6,16; 4:7,10-12,17,29-30). Jesus issued the Great Commission by saying, “All authority has been given to me. . . . Go . . . and make disciples” (Matt 28:18-20). When you truly believe Jesus is in control of all things, and he is with you, the way you pray, live, serve, and evangelize will change. John Piper puts the authority of King Jesus in perspective:

All authority. He has authority over Satan and all demons, over all angels—good and evil—over the natural universe, natural objects and laws and forces: stars, galaxies, planets, meteorites; authority over all weather systems: winds, rains, lightning, thunder, hurricanes, tornadoes, monsoons, typhoons, cyclones; authority over all their effects: tidal waves, floods, fires; authority over all molecular and atomic reality: atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, undiscovered subatomic particles, quantum physics, genetic structures, DNA, chromosomes; authority over all plants and animals great and small: whales and redwoods, giant squid and giant oaks, all fish, all wild beasts, all invisible animals and plants: bacteria, viruses, parasites, germs; authority over all the parts and functions of the human body: every beat of the heart, every breath of the diaphragm, every electrical jump across a million synapses in our brains; authority over all nations and governments: congresses and legislatures and presidents and kings and premiers and courts; authority over all armies and weapons and bombs and terrorists; authority over all industry and business and finance and currency; authority over all entertainment and amusement and leisure and media; over all education and research and science and discovery; authority over all crime and violence; over all families and neighborhoods; and over the church, and over every soul and every moment of every life that has been or ever will be lived. (“The Lofty Claim”)

Minister with this massive promise: Jesus Christ has all authority, and he is with you!

Reflect and Discuss

1. What is the most challenging aspect of this text for you?
2. What aspect of this text do you think your church needs to hear the most?
3. Why should Christians care for people in need?
4. What are you doing to care for the broken?
5. What does this text teach about caring for both physical and spiritual needs?
6. What about this miracle most resonates with you? Why?
7. Does God heal people today? Explain.
8. How do you think this sermon should influence how we read and teach the Bible?
9. Is there anyone in your life whom you are trying to lead to salvation in Christ? If so, how does this text inspire and instruct you?
10. How should the authority of Jesus impact the way you live this week?