“By
His Stripes We Are Healed”
Acts 3:1-11
Introduction: One of the most striking aspects of
the public ministry of Jesus is the miraculous healing of the sick that came to
Him. We read for example in Matthew 9:35 that, “…Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease
and every affliction.” There were not occasional acts of healing that
happened during the ministry of Jesus, rather all who came to him were
healed. These miracles were signs, evidence presented to the people, that the
Kingdom was at hand, and that they needed to repent of their sins and to put
their trust in Him. Peter alluded to
this aspect of Jesus’ ministry in his sermon on the days of Pentecost when he
announced that Jesus was “…a man attested
to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through
Him in your midst” (Acts 2:22). The miraculous
healings, like the casting out of demons or feeding the multitude, were
attesting miracles that proved Jesus was who he claimed to be. Now as we come to the book of Acts, we see
the same miracles that Jesus did being done in His name at the hands of the
apostles, proving that they had been given authority to bear witness to Christ
(see Acts 14:3). If they were doing the
works of Jesus, they could be trusted to be speaking the words of Jesus.
What about
today? Does this passage give a model of what we
should see happening in our services? Ultimately
all healing comes from God, but not all who come to God are healed physically,
at least not in this life. Spiritually
we are promised that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Physically,
we look to Him for healing, but we also know that the day will come when this
corruptible will put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality. The healings that Jesus did during his
earthly ministry were a glimpse of the future that is promised to those who
trust in Him. We read in Matthew 8:16-17 “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and
he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was
spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.’"
The miracles look ahead to the day when the effects of the Fall will be
eradicated and there will be no more sickness or pain or death. The miracles done at the apostles’ hands in
the name of Jesus, like this one in Acts 3, showed that they had been given
authority to act and to speak in His name. Sickness, and ultimately, death are
consequences of sin and the Fall. Jesus
has defeated sin and death, so in Him, finally, we will have victory. However, until that day when “death and hades
are cast into the lake of fire” we see the lingering affects of sin in this
world. Isaiah prophesied of the substitutionary
suffering and death of the Messiah when he wrote his prophecy 700 years before
the time of Christ. In his first letter
Peter is clearly reflecting on Isaiah 53: 5-9 when he wrote in 1 Peter
2:21-25,
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither
was deceit found in his mouth. 23
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not
threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his
body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his
wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like
sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
The healing here clearly is being understood to be primarily
spiritual, as we die to sin and come to Christ. Is there physical healing
in the atonement? I would say yes, there certainly is! But we are not guaranteed to experience
that healing until the resurrection, when we receive a new, resurrection body
freed at last from the affects of the Fall.
Much more important from an eternal perspective is the spiritual healing
and new life we experience when we come to faith in Christ. And right now, in this age, ALL who
call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13).
The Big Idea: God uses His people
to bring the healing, life giving message of Jesus to the world.
I. Meaningful ministry happens when God uses us to
meet people at the point of their need (1-2).
“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at
the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2
And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate
of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering
the temple.”
First of all, notice that Peter and John went
up to the Temple at the hour of prayer. The Temple was a place where sacrifices
were offered, and they no doubt understood that those sacrifices were no longer
meaningful or necessary. After all, the Lamb
had been slain, once and for all. But
they still went, to pray there as was their tradition, and I believe, as we see
this chapter unfold, also to look for opportunities to share Christ, to be a
witness for Him. Recall the plan that Jesus had revealed before His ascension
into heaven: “You will be witnesses for me…” (Acts 1:8). God has an unlikely plan for building His
church: here it is, US. You and me: we are His plan! Could he send angels? He could, but that’s
not the plan. Couldn’t He light up the sky with a message: Repent and Believe!
He could, but that’s not the plan. Couldn’t
He shake the entire planet with a tremendous earthquake and speak with a
thunderous voice from Heaven? Of course
He could, no problem! But the plan involved
sending the Son to provide salvation (through His death and resurrection!), and
then sending the Spirit to empower the church to bring the message of Christ to
the world. It has pleased God through the foolishness of the message, to save
those who believe. Not a plan that we could have imagined, a plan that calls on
humans to believe God, to take Him at His word.
Notice also that Peter and John are mentioned
here, even though later in the chapter Peter Is the main spokesman for the
apostles. Peter who denied Jesus and was
restored by Him personally, John who fled naked when Jesus was arrested in the
garden, these are out in public, at the hour of prayer, and God uses them. Even though Peter is the spokesman, it may be
that Luke points out that John was with him and that he spoke for the apostles
to avoid the erroneous idea that Peter was THE representative of Jesus. The apostles as a group were the
authorized representatives of Jesus.
And here they didn’t go looking for a lame man that God might do a
miracle through them, but they were available, and God arranged a “divine
appointment” to reveal His grace. It’s
still true that God uses His people to bring the healing, life giving message
of Jesus to the world.
II.
We have been entrusted with the answer to the deepest need of humans (3-6).
“Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple,
he asked to receive alms. 4
And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ 5 And he fixed his attention on
them, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, ‘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!’"
Most people are going through life
without confronting the truth about their deepest need. I came to faith as an
adult, and I can remember having moments when I wondered, “Is this all there
is?” I can even remember thinking at one point as a child, “You mean that someday
my parents are going to be dead and gone? My sister and brothers are going to
die? I am going to die? Then what?!” I guess everyone comes to realize their
mortality at some point and it bothered me, a lot! I wondered “Can anyone really know for sure
if there is more?” But usually, even as I grew older, since I didn’t have hope
and didn’t know where to look to find it, when those thoughts came up I would
push them aside. Remember the old Billy Joel song, “The Piano Man”? That seems
to be a lot of people, getting by, having a few laughs, dulling the pain, but
clueless as to the life with meaning, the abundant life, they were designed to
experience. This lame beggar knew he was needy, but had little to hope for.
Then Peter and John came along, and they acted
with compassion in the name of Jesus. We
don’t have the day to day experience living where we do, to see people in such
desperate need, begging just to survive. It was part of Peter’s daily life. There
was no unemployment checks, no welfare, no disability insurance. If your family had the means to care for you
ok, if not, it was beg or die. And the temple was a good place to beg. As they went to the Temple for worship, some
would be reminded as they went that God looked favorably on alms giving, and
hey, others might see you give and think highly of you for your generosity. We would see begging all the time in Brazil It
was such a part of our daily experience that sometimes I could just turn it
off, not look, not make eye contact, keep talking to my people in the car,
pretend I was adjusting the radio or something. Our hearts can get hardened. Not Peter, not
this day. He had His master’s eyes. So should we. Jesus looked on the
multitudes with compassion, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a Shepherd. He reached out in
compassion. Would we? Do we? As we rub shoulders with people around us, does
there desperate need even cross our minds?
What would Jesus do?
Peter speaks, with the determination to do
much more than give the coin or two the beggar was hoping to receive: “…silver and gold have I none, but what I have
I give to you…” There is a famous
story about Thomas Aquinas visiting the pope in Rome. The pope took Thomas in to see some of the
treasures of the Vatican. He boasted, “The day has passed when the church could
say, ‘Silver and gold have I none’!” Thomas nodded and replied, “Yes, and so
has the day when she could say, ‘Rise up and walk!’!” There was a story in the news this week of a couple discovering several sealed tin cans filled with over a thousand gold coins on their property in California. It appears to have been buried
there for over 100 years. The “Saddle Ridge Hoard” as it is being called, is valued at over
$10 million. All that time, out there
buried in the ground. That’s a lot of “old gold”! No one knows for sure how it got there, apparently
someone buried it for safekeeping, and eventually died, and there it sat!
Whoever owned the land through the years was rich and never even knew it!
That would be a nice discovery to make! But listen, all those riches will fade, the
comforts and luxury they may buy will only last a few years, then what? The God
who made all the gold in the universe, offers us an inheritance of far greater
value. We read in Ephesians 1:7-14,
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon
us, in all wisdom and insight 9
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he
set forth in Christ 10 as a
plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and
things on earth. 11 In him we
have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the
purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first
to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of his glory.”
Gold and silver pale in comparison to what we have been given in Christ.
Physical healing may or may not come to us in this life. We pray for it. And sometimes, when it fits
His purposes, God grants it. Other
times, the answer comes in a different way. But either way we already have,
through faith, the seal and guarantee of our inheritance—the indwelling Holy
Spirit.
At Boothbay Baptist Church
our vision statement says “We envision a
community of Christ followers rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable
and proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world.” Jesus offers the riches of His grace
in the Gospel, and God uses His people to bring the healing, life giving
message of Jesus to the world.
III. God will use us to reach out to those who need Him, but He alone
brings healing to the soul (7-8).
“And he took him by the right hand and raised him
up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and
began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and
praising God.”
The man probably had his right hand
out, expecting to receive whatever it was the Peter was offering. It wasn’t silver or gold, what was it? A
copper coin? Not much, but better than nothing. Something else? Yes, something unexpected,
more than he could have imagined or hoped for.
People consider Christ for a lot of different reasons. They are
lonely. Struggling with an addiction
that has their life in chains. Their heart may be broken or they may be
grieving. Jesus says “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy
laden and I will give you rest…” But
what He gives is more than we can imagine. Hope. Peace. Forgiveness. Abundant
life.
The miracle was immediate and
complete and shocking. Whatever caused his lameness was healed, instantly. The
muscles and connective tissues which would have atrophied from disuse were regenerated
and strengthened, and he not only got up, but with no physical therapy, no
stretching first, he leaped to his feet, and continued jumping and
leaping, and praising God! If you ever
get discouraged about the pain and brokenness of our physical condition, I
invite you to take a walk through I Corinthians 15. Whether it’s a degenerative
condition, an injury, or a congenital defect, for those who have put their faith in Jesus, healing will come
one day: this corruptible will put on incorruption, this mortal body will put
on immortality. Do you believe that? That’s good news! And God uses His people
to bring that healing, life giving message of Jesus to the world.
IV.
A life changed by God is a powerful testimony (9-11).
“And all the people saw him walking and praising
God, 10 and recognized him as
the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they
were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While he clung to Peter and
John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's,
astounded.”
First of all, notice that there were
plenty of witnesses to the miracle since it was done in a public place. “All
the people saw him,” and they knew the beggar, they knew he was lame, and
now they saw with their own eyes that He was completely restored! This
transformed life was a testimony, a witness that something supernatural had
happened. It was evidence that demanded a verdict about Jesus.
And we will see next week that the
miracle provided an opportunity to preach Christ. The disciples say, why are you looking at us?
This is not about our “holiness” or power or piety, but rather it is the work
of God to the glory of Christ. We don’t
have to wait for a miraculous healing to tell others about Jesus. To witness is
to testify about the reality of what we have seen and experienced, specifically
the forgiveness and reconciliation, and the transformation we have experienced.
If we are different or if we are changed
its not that we are better than anyone, or more “spiritual” or more
disciplined, it is only because of God’s amazing grace that we have been
changed. We have experienced healing in
our hearts, forgiveness for our sins, reconciliation with God, and we can tell
others about that!
What is God saying to me in this passage? God uses His people to bring the
healing, life giving message of Jesus to the world.
What would God have me
to do in response to this passage? Have you experienced
the healing power of Jesus in your life? It starts with the deepest most
significant level of healing which we need: the forgiveness of sins.
Remember the words of Peter in I Peter 2:24,25, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have
been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” If we have physical needs we rightly look to Him, and when it serves His
purpose He will grant the provisional healing that we are seeking. Know this,
all who are in Christ will one day receive a new, resurrection body,
incorruptible, unaffected by sin. What
does it mean to you that you have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit who is the
down payment and guarantee of the future inheritance you have in Christ? Are you willing to ask the Lord for eyes to
look with compassion on the needy people that He sends into your sphere of
influence? I don’t mean just those who
are “poor” in the eyes of the world, but also those who are destitute spiritually, desperately
needing to know the gracious message of the Gospel? Do you believe that He can
and will use you, if you make yourself available, to be a witness for Him?
As we celebrate to Lord’s Table on
the first Sunday of the month, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the price that
was paid for our salvation. Salvation is offered as a free gift, but it did not
come cheaply. The Son of God came and died and rose again for us. And He has
sent the Spirit as a down payment, a guarantee of our inheritance. That is a
treasure of unimaginable value! If you found gold buried in your backyard you
would have reason to celebrate. If you know Him, you have far greater reason to celebrate! You are a child of the God who
spoke all the gold and silver and every other element in the universe into
existence! That is cause to rejoice, and I hope it is motivation to share with
those to whom we are sent.
AMEN.
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