April 27 / Acts 3

Acts 3

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, a healing incident and a long sermon. The healing incident in today’s reading continues tomorrow in Acts 4. As for the sermon, we see exactly what I posted about two days ago:

My Study Bible pointed out some general Acts speech items that we will see again in similar fashion in chapters 3, 10, and 13:

1. An explanation of events
2. Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension
3. An exhortation to repentance and baptism/salvation.

Check.

As for the incident, I am always struck by Peter and John being together and being the only ones mentioned. We know Peter as the leader of the Apostles and we always picture John as one of the younger Apostles. Yet here they are going to the temple together. They had run to the tomb together on Easter morning. And later they will be sent to Samaria to pray for new believers there that …they might receive the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-15) They were two of the three (Peter, James, and John) who witnessed the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), who were with Jesus at the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 5:37), and who went forth with Him when He prayed at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). So these two, a strange pairing. And where’s James?

And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (v. 8) What’s strange to me is that the man leaps up and is immediately walking and leaping. In today’s world when someone has a stroke or has a body part replacement, there is a period of physical therapy and rehabilitation, often re-learning basic life functions. I had a hip replacement in 2019 and a long recovery period. But this man, lame from birth, is immediately “up and at ‘em”!! Now that’s Holy Spirit healing!!

Blessings!