Chapter 33 — HEALING THE MAN WHO HAD NEVER WALKED

This story happened a short time after the apostles had received the Holy Spirit.SRme 1.1120

One day Peter and John prayed earnestly. Then they went to the temple to worship. At the gate of the temple Peter and John saw a crippled man begging. The crippled man was forty years old. The man was sad and poor. He had known only poverty and pain. For a long time this crippled man had wanted to go to Jesus to be healed. But the man was almost helpless and lived far away from where Jesus had been.SRme 1.1121

Finally, after the crippled man asked many times, some friends carried him to the gate of the temple. There the man learned that the Healer [Jesus], who he hoped to see, had been crucified. The crippled man's friends saw how disappointed he was. The friends knew how long the man had hoped to be healed by Jesus. The friends felt sorry for the man, and they carried him to the temple gate every day. Some of the people passing by the man would give him a little money to help with his needs.SRme 1.1122

Peter and John walked by the crippled man as they went to the temple to worship. The man begged them to give him money. The apostles looked at the man with sympathy. "Peter said, 'Look at us!' So he looked at them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said to him 'I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!'" (Acts 3:4-6).SRme 1.1123

The crippled man's face showed disappointment when Peter said, "I have no money at all." But the man's face was bright with hope and faith as the apostle continued talking. "Then he [Peter] took him [cripple] by his right hand and helped him [cripple] up. At once the man's feet and ankles became strong; he jumped up, stood on his feet, and started walking around. Then he went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. The people there saw him walking and praising God, and when they recognized him as the beggar who had sat at the Beautiful Gate they were all surprised and amazed at what had happened to him" (Acts 3:7-10, TEV).SRme 1.1124

The Jews were surprised that the apostles could do miracles as Jesus had done. The Jews thought Jesus was dead. The Jews had expected all wonderful miracles to stop when Jesus died. But here was this man who had been crippled. The man had been helpless for forty years. Now he could use his arms and legs. The man was rejoicing. Now the man had no pain and happily believed in Jesus.SRme 1.1125

The apostles saw the wonder of the people. The apostles asked the people why they were surprised at the miracle. "Why do you look at us as if we had done this wonder with our own power or goodness?" Peter told the people that the man had been healed by the power and name of Jesus. Peter told the people that Jesus was the one whom they had crucified. God had raised Jesus from the dead.SRme 1.1126

Peter added, "'By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.SRme 1.1127

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer" (Acts 3:16-18).SRme 1.1128

After the crippled man was healed, the people crowded into the temple. Peter talked to some of the people in the temple. John talked with other people in another part of the temple.SRme 1.1129

The apostles told the Jews plainly that the Jews had sinned in killing Jesus. But the apostles were careful to keep those who listened from feeling that their crime was hopeless. "I know, brothers," Peter said, "that you had no idea of what you were really doing."SRme 1.1130

Peter said that the Holy Spirit was calling the people to ask God to forgive them. Peter told the people that the Holy Spirit was calling them to believe in Jesus. Peter said that there was no hope for salvation except through the mercy of Jesus. The Jews had crucified Jesus, but only through faith in Jesus could their sins be forgiven.SRme 1.1131