Acts 3:1-16, “In the name of Jesus Christ, walk!”
Today’s scripture lesson comes from Acts 3:1-16, a healing story of a lame man, which can be contrasted with the story from the last sermon I preached, a story of a boy –deaf and mute– by demonic spirits. We know that Jesus’ disciples could not heal the boy who was mute and deaf by demon spirits. We also know that when the disciples questioned why they couldn’t drive out demonic spirits, Jesus answered, “Without praying and fasting, this kind cannot come out.”
Today’s text depicts a quite different picture; they were no longer powerless and incompetent. Peter and John helped the lame man in our text. They were changed people. What had happened to them? They were helpless when dealing with demon spirits or healing the sick, but in our text, they were different. They became bold and sure in proclaiming God’s power. What caused this dramatic change in them? Well, they received the Holy Spirit. That is as simple as that. In Acts 2, we see how they received the Holy Spirit and boldly started proclaiming Jesus’s name. Without receiving the Holy Spirit, they could not understand the mission of Jesus; they could not understand who Jesus was, although they had been with Jesus for three and a half years, –eating, sleeping, and hanging out together.
Likewise, without receiving the Holy Spirit, there is no way we can know Jesus for who he really is. We can never know the power of God that manifests in proclaiming the name of Jesus. It does not matter how long we have been Christians. Without receiving the Holy Spirit, Jesus can be someone we can deny conveniently or pretend we are not Christians, although we might often say we love him, just like Peter did. We can never understand the heart of God sending his Son to die for us or the agony and heartaches of Jesus facing his cross in the garden of Gethsemane, just like his disciples couldn’t. They could not keep their eyes open when Jesus asked them to stay awake with him, being with him when he was overwhelmed with sorrow right before he was arrested. Just like them, we can never understand the agony and tears he sheds for the lost souls, –how much he wanted us to stay awake with him for those who do not know Christ if we do not receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ disciples were changed people, however, after they received the Holy Spirit. They prayed earnestly until they received the Holy Spirit. The importance of prayer comes again here. God has a plan for this church. God wants our church to be powerful instead of powerless. God wants to pour out the Holy Spirit upon us, but without prayer, without us praying earnestly, desiring to receive the Holy Spirit, it cannot be done!
120 people, including disciples, gathered together and earnestly prayed until they received the Holy Spirit. When they received the Holy Spirit, they finally understood who Jesus was, why he came down, why he had to suffer, the power of resurrection, and how powerful the name of Jesus was. They experienced all powers and principalities of the darkness trembled at the name of Jesus. They finally had Jesus as their indwelling Lord since they received the Holy Spirit.
Our text today shows a beggar, a lame man, sitting at the temple gate begging for money. People were passing by this beggar going in and out of the temple. They would drop a coin or two, but it did not occur to them that this lame man was also an Israelite entitled to experience the glory of God’s presence inside the temple court. To those people, this lame man was nothing but a misfortunate born lame who could not be helped but sit there like a piece of furniture or an object, always there to beg. They were careless, if not helpless, and powerless to help this lame man walk; they did not do anything beyond just dropping coins. I wonder whether those people even treated him as a person. I wonder whether those temple-goers even cared that the lame man might have a dream of going into the temple court to worship inside, to participate in what was going on inside the gate called “beautiful.” What he might have dreamt of all his life was going inside the temple, walking into the temple court, and being in the assembly of God worshipping, but he only dreamed about it, just sitting outside the temple gate.
A couple of days ago, Janice and I visited the nursing home to give Communion to our people. We started with Maggie, Wanita, and a couple of other people who wanted Communion. When we visited Dixie, her roommate was sitting in a chair. I did not know whether she could communicate because she was sitting in her chair motionless, without saying anything or having any facial expressions on her face. After a while, when Dixie introduced her roommate, Rita, who vaguely smiled at the introduction. I still did not know whether she could communicate since many people, like her, did not respond when we tried to engage in talking, but something in me led me to go over to her and ask her if she wanted Communion. At that, she burst into tears and said, “I have dreamed of receiving the communion.” After receiving the Communion, in tears, she thanked us for coming over to her and gave her Communion.
Yesterday, Peter and John were the same as the others in dealing with this lame man. Yesterday, to Peter and John, this lame man was a beggar. They only tossed a coin or two to make them feel good about themselves, thinking they helped a beggar. Yesterday, they did not think that this lame man was also an Israelite who belonged to the assembly of God worshipping inside the temple court. To them, he was just a beggar worth a coin or two, tossing at him without looking at him.
But today, they were different after receiving the Holy Spirit. Instead of a beggar, Peter and John saw a desperate soul who needed Jesus. Instead of a lame man, they saw someone who should be helped up from the ground to “walk” to the temple court. They saw somebody Christ died for at the cross, who was worth more than the whole wide world.
In vs. 7, Peter called out to this lame man, looking at him straight, giving full attention, “Brother, silver or gold coins I do not have, but I give you what I have, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk!” Peter and John were helping him up by taking his right hand. Instantly, a lame man’s feet and ankles became strong; he jumped to his feet and began to walk. Peter and John helped this lame man walk from the temple gate to inside the temple court to worship God! The lame man changed from being a beggar to a child of God!
Because Peter and John received the Holy Spirit, knowing and believing the power of the name of Jesus, they were able to heal the lame man in Jesus’ name. The challenge to us is whether we know and believe in the power of the name of Jesus. What do we offer to those who are lame being outside the temple gate, not being able to come into the temple court worshipping God on their own? There are many people around us: drug addicts, alcoholics, and people with depression who seem to be immobile where they are, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. What do we do with these people? Do we help them with food or with financial help, tossing a few dollars in their direction? Or do you offer Jesus and help them up from where they are? Do we know the name of Jesus has power? Has it ever occurred to us to heal the immobile people around us in the name of Jesus?
Lastly, when the lame man could walk to the temple court, he was walking, leaping, and praising the Lord. He could not help but give his heartfelt thanks to God by jumping, leaping, and praising God. Do we give heartfelt thanks to God for our salvation? Do our hearts leap at mentioning the name of Jesus, who loved us to death? One of the signs that we are saved is that we cannot help but talk about this God who saves us and how good God we have experienced. Last Sunday night, Deanna shared her testimony about how God saved her, which touched many people’s hearts, so I was told. That is an action of leaping, jumping, and praising God on her part. Without receiving the Holy Spirit, we cannot know the power of the name of Jesus. We cannot be fully convinced of the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. Jesus, the Son of God, came and died for our salvation. He bled and died. With His blood, He cleanses us. There is power in his name. In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven! In the name of Jesus, you are healed! Amen!