This year in my sermons we are reliving the book of Acts.  We are seeing Luke write about the history of the church and we are discovering how Luke intends for us to be the church which we read about.  We are beginning to make some progress into Acts 1:8; our theme verse.

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In Acts chapter one we waited with the 120.  We learned there are times in our life when we are called to wait upon the Spirit.

In Acts chapter two we heard the wind and saw the fire as the Spirit began to move on Pentecost Sunday.  We listened to Peter as he preached the first Gospel sermon; Jesus of Nazareth, the miracle worked crucified and resurrected who now sits on the throne with God as Lord and Christ.  We felt with the crowd as they were cut to the heart, knowing they had crucified their own Messiah.  Then we witnessed 3,000 of them accept the message of Christ and be baptized!  We celebrated on the birthday of the church as the gifts of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit were given to those whom God called.  We also rejoiced that we, who live at the ends of the earth, can also get the gifts!  These gifts which are better than… HDTV! 

Last week saw the newborn church in action.  They were devoted to learning the Apostles teaching; fellowship, breaking bread and prayer.  As they planted these four seeds God blessed them with the harvest of his power amongst them and a community of people who loved each other and he blessed them with growth.  We noted last week that we too can and should plant those seeds and expect the same harvest! 

Now as we move to Acts chapter three, we are going to begin to see the moving of Acts 1:8.  It began in Jerusalem.  The witness is still in Jerusalem.  The power is still in Jerusalem.  The seeds are still growing in Jerusalem.

Last week we read Acts 2:43.  Chapter three is giving an example.

Acts 2:43  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

That is what happens in chapter 3; awe and wonders and signs! 

Acts 3:1-10  One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer-- at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I have a question about this part of the story that is bugging me.  The text we just read says this unnamed cripple guy was taken everyday to this same gate called Beautiful.  He begged everyday in the same place.  We will find out next week, in chapter 4, the guy is 40 years old and he has been crippled all of his life. Let’s say he started begging at 18. It was probably earlier, kid beggars are effective. But let’s say he was 18.  That would have meant he had been there for - do the math - 22 years.  Same gate, everyday, hitting up everyone who came in, everyone recognized him as the same guy who always sat at the Beautiful Gate.  He was a fixture.  He was part of the Temple routine; you walk in through the Beautiful Gate, you see the crippled guy, you give him some money.  But I have a problem with this whole thing.

Here is the rub.  If Jesus died at age 33, which is likely.  Guess who would have been at the Gate when Mary and Joseph lost Jesus when he was 12?  That is only 21 years before.  When Jesus went into the Temple as a kid, the crippled guy was probably there.  All those years he went with his family to the feast days in Jerusalem, the crippled guy was there. When Jesus went into the Temple to drive out the money changers, this guy was there. We know from the Gospel of John that at least three times during his active ministry, Jesus went to the Temple.  When Jesus went into the Temple everyday between the Triumphal Entry and the Crucifixion, this guy was there.  The guy was a fixture and Jesus had to have seen him there lots of times.  Their paths had to have crossed, I suspect numerous times.  Here is the question that is bugging me; why didn’t Jesus heal him?

We know Jesus could and did heal cripples.  Remember Luke 13?

Luke 13:10-13  On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.    

I suspect Jesus healed tons of crippled people. Why would Jesus have walked past this guy, time and time again, and not have healed him? Then out of the blue, one day Peter sees this guy, whom he has seen for years – Peter had been in the Temple everyday since Pentecost according to Acts 2:46 – Why then suddenly does Peter decide to heal this guy in Acts 3?  Here this guy has been begging for at least 21 years. He has been a crippled for 40 years. Why would God let him suffer for all this time when he knew that eventually he was going to heal him?   Why was this day, as recorded in Acts 3, the day of healing?  That is the question that is bugging me. Well, let’s keep reading and see if we can figure this out. 

Acts 3:11-12  While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.  When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”

Let’s make a couple of observations here.  First, the healing had nothing to do with the crippled guy’s faith.  Some might say, “Well, the crippled guy didn’t have enough faith in Jesus.  It was his own lack of faith that made him wait until he was 40.”  That’s kind of silly.  The guy wasn’t even asking to be healed. Perhaps he had given up on healing already.  He had to have heard that Jesus was a healer.  He had to have known who Jesus was.  Everyone in Jerusalem knew that the miracle worker from Nazareth had been crucified.  Perhaps, someone had come up to him, more than once and said, “You know what you need to do?  You need to talk to that Jesus fellow.  They say he can heal cripples.”  Don’t you know “helpful” people had made that suggestion to him several times?  Perhaps, - I am doing lots of “perhaps” in this sermon – But perhaps he had asked Jesus and Jesus didn’t. 

I suspect he had long ago given up on being healed.  All he wanted was a couple of bucks.  He survived by begging.  He had lasted 40 years.  He had a prime spot to beg.  He only asked Peter and John for money. He was surprised when Peter healed him.  His healing had nothing to do with his faith. 

Also note it wasn’t Peter’s power that was somehow now strong enough. What did Peter say?  “Why are you staring at us like we did it?  We didn’t do it by our own power.  It’s not us.”  It wasn’t something in Peter that allowed him to do it, as if he couldn’t have done it before.  In fact Peter goes on to say that it wasn’t even his own godliness that had anything to do with it.  It wasn’t Peter’s power or goodness.  The reason the crippled guy had to wait had nothing to do with Peter, personally, or not being good enough.

Note it wasn’t the crippled guy’s lack of gratitude that was preventing his healing. He bounced all over the Temple, when he was healed.  Can’t you see him saying, “Peter, watch this!” as he runs up three steps at a time up the stairs.  Or jumps 2 feet straight up.  He was grateful.

So, if it had nothing to do with the crippled guy’s faith or appreciation  or Peter’s power or godliness, somehow getting strong enough, why did he have to wait all those years for healing? Hmm, let’s keep reading.

Acts 3:13-16  “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.  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.”

Peter says it is all about, guess who… Jesus.  Peter says it is faith in the name of Jesus.   Faith in the name…  Peter’s faith?  Peter has had faith in Jesus for a long time.  Peter had walked on water… for a bit.  Peter had cast our demons.  Peter had spoken in tongues.  I think what Peter is saying is it is all about the name of Jesus.  Healing is done by the authority of Jesus; in his name. It is the name of Jesus, his choice to heal. But, this still is bugging me.  Why so long?  Watch some of the italicized words in this next section.  There are some clues. 

Acts 3:17-26 "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.  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-- even Jesus.  He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.  For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.  Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.  Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days.  And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'  When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Perhaps here is a clue. God has a purpose. God has a plan. God has a time for healing.  God has a time to bless.  The healing of the crippled guy was part of The Plan. It was according to God’s timing.  Let’s take a peak at chapter 4 and see what happened because of the crippled guy’s healing. 

Acts 4:1-4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.  They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

Could it be that by waiting for this time to heal the crippled guy God knew it would result in thousands of people believing?  The timing of the healing was for the glory of God and the spread of his word.  There is more to healing than simply an act of kindness.  It is part of God’s plan.    

The Pentecost miracles of fire and wind and languages, provided the backdrop for Peter’s first sermon and 3,000 were saved. Then, in Acts 3, with the ex-crippled guy holding on to him and jumping up and down, Peter preached his second sermon and thousands more were saved.  Miracles and messages seem to go together. 

I guess this still bugs me a bit.  God has his own agenda.  God heals on the day of his choosing. God uses his power to bring glory and spread his kingdom. We must have faith in the name of Jesus.  We must have faith in the God of Glory.  We must have faith and keep on asking for our day of healing.