And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Peter and John, going up to the temple to worship a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit and immediately after fervent prayer, meet at the gate the forty-year-old man lame from birth, carried daily to beg charity, who had long hoped in vain to be healed by Jesus before His cruel death. Peter with John fastens his eyes attentively and compassionately upon him and bids him look at them, gaining his full attention before answering his request and preparing him to receive the help to be given. The man gives heed expecting money and help, but Peter declares he has no silver or gold and then offers healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, so that his hope falters at the denial and then grows bright with faith at the promise. Through power given in the name of the crucified Jesus the helpless man is restored to perfect soundness of body with full use of his limbs and freedom from pain, and rejoices and believes. Wrought in full light of day, he enters the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God in sight of all the people, a public cure known to thousands that cannot be denied and that proves the resurrection of Christ and His power in heaven to work miracles through His apostles on earth while they preach a crucified and risen Saviour.
Setting and Immediate Exchange
Peter and John were going up to the temple to worship when they met the man at the temple gate. It was a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit and immediately after fervent prayer. There they responded to his request for alms, Peter directing him to look at them.
The man was lame from birth, a lifelong cripple forty years old who had known only pain and infirmity. He was distressed and poverty-stricken, carried daily by kind persons to the gate to beg charity and ask alms. He had long desired to be healed by Jesus but was helpless and far from His labors, and his hope was disappointed by His cruel death.
Peter with John fastened his eyes attentively and compassionately upon him and bade him look at them. It was a fixing of attention to gain his full attention before answering his request. In this way he was prepared to receive the help to be given.
The man gave heed, expecting to receive money and help. But Peter declared his own poverty, that he had no silver or gold. Then he offered healing, telling him to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The man's hope faltered at the denial of money and then grew bright with faith at the offer of healing in Jesus' name.
Healing and Wider Witness
Through power given the apostles in the name of the crucified Jesus a mighty miracle restores the helpless man to perfect soundness of body. Full use of his limbs is regained and he is freed from pain after forty years as a cripple, rejoicing in restored strength and believing in Jesus. The disciples thus show they can perform miracles like those of Jesus himself.
He enters with Peter and John into the temple walking and leaping and praising God in the sight of all the people. The news spreads so that the people press around greatly astonished at the cure. Wrought in the full light of day before a crowd, the cure comes to the knowledge of thousands and fills Jerusalem with excitement, so that it cannot be denied or covered by falsehood. The healed man standing beside Peter provides convincing testimony that adds weight and strength to Peter's words.
The healing declares that Jesus has ascended and imparted power to his followers, and that wonderful works continue after his death. It proves the resurrection of Christ and his power while in heaven to work miracles through his apostles on earth. It proves that crucifying Jesus did not stop miracles in his name nor the proclamation of the truths he taught. With mighty power the disciples preach a crucified and risen Saviour, and in the name of Jesus signs and wonders are wrought and the sick are healed, on this occasion preaching Christ as the Prophet promised by Moses to be heard and obeyed. It belongs to the record of Christlike medical missionary work joining human action with divine power, with Christ as the true source and actuating force.
The cure accomplished by Peter acting with John leads on the day following to trial before Annas and Caiaphas with the other dignitaries of the temple in the very room where Peter had denied his Lord, where they are asked by what power or by what name this was done. It belongs to the account in Acts 3 to 5 of witnessing after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when humble men clothed with the divine panoply and with no weapons but the Word and Spirit of God went forth to tell the story of the manger and the cross and to triumph over opposition. Though after the death of the Lord they had been helpless, disappointed, discouraged, without wealth, and counted as mere ignorant fishermen, they were transformed in character, united in Christian love, and made witnesses for Christ and heroes of faith without earthly honor or recognition. Their clear bold testimony under the power of the Holy Spirit amazed those who had rejected and crucified the Saviour and expected to find them discouraged and ready to disown their Lord. Their words and works represented those of their Teacher with divine eloquence and power that shook the world, so that all who heard said they had learned of Jesus and talked as he talked.
Peter and John, going up to the temple to worship a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit and immediately after fervent prayer, meet at the gate the forty-year-old man lame from birth, carried daily to beg charity, who had long hoped in vain to be healed by Jesus before His cruel death. Peter with John fastens his eyes attentively and compassionately upon him and bids him look at them, gaining his full attention before answering his request and preparing him to receive the help to be given. The man gives heed expecting money and help, but Peter declares he has no silver or gold and then offers healing in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, so that his hope falters at the denial and then grows bright with faith at the promise. Through power given in the name of the crucified Jesus the helpless man is restored to perfect soundness of body with full use of his limbs and freedom from pain, and rejoices and believes. Wrought in full light of day, he enters the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God in sight of all the people, a public cure known to thousands that cannot be denied and that proves the resurrection of Christ and His power in heaven to work miracles through His apostles on earth while they preach a crucified and risen Saviour.
Setting and Immediate Exchange
Peter and John were going up to the temple to worship when they met the man at the temple gate. It was a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit and immediately after fervent prayer. There they responded to his request for alms, Peter directing him to look at them.
The man was lame from birth, a lifelong cripple forty years old who had known only pain and infirmity. He was distressed and poverty-stricken, carried daily by kind persons to the gate to beg charity and ask alms. He had long desired to be healed by Jesus but was helpless and far from His labors, and his hope was disappointed by His cruel death.
Peter with John fastened his eyes attentively and compassionately upon him and bade him look at them. It was a fixing of attention to gain his full attention before answering his request. In this way he was prepared to receive the help to be given.
The man gave heed, expecting to receive money and help. But Peter declared his own poverty, that he had no silver or gold. Then he offered healing, telling him to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The man's hope faltered at the denial of money and then grew bright with faith at the offer of healing in Jesus' name.
Healing and Wider Witness
Through power given the apostles in the name of the crucified Jesus a mighty miracle restores the helpless man to perfect soundness of body. Full use of his limbs is regained and he is freed from pain after forty years as a cripple, rejoicing in restored strength and believing in Jesus. The disciples thus show they can perform miracles like those of Jesus himself.
He enters with Peter and John into the temple walking and leaping and praising God in the sight of all the people. The news spreads so that the people press around greatly astonished at the cure. Wrought in the full light of day before a crowd, the cure comes to the knowledge of thousands and fills Jerusalem with excitement, so that it cannot be denied or covered by falsehood. The healed man standing beside Peter provides convincing testimony that adds weight and strength to Peter's words.
The healing declares that Jesus has ascended and imparted power to his followers, and that wonderful works continue after his death. It proves the resurrection of Christ and his power while in heaven to work miracles through his apostles on earth. It proves that crucifying Jesus did not stop miracles in his name nor the proclamation of the truths he taught. With mighty power the disciples preach a crucified and risen Saviour, and in the name of Jesus signs and wonders are wrought and the sick are healed, on this occasion preaching Christ as the Prophet promised by Moses to be heard and obeyed. It belongs to the record of Christlike medical missionary work joining human action with divine power, with Christ as the true source and actuating force.
The cure accomplished by Peter acting with John leads on the day following to trial before Annas and Caiaphas with the other dignitaries of the temple in the very room where Peter had denied his Lord, where they are asked by what power or by what name this was done. It belongs to the account in Acts 3 to 5 of witnessing after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when humble men clothed with the divine panoply and with no weapons but the Word and Spirit of God went forth to tell the story of the manger and the cross and to triumph over opposition. Though after the death of the Lord they had been helpless, disappointed, discouraged, without wealth, and counted as mere ignorant fishermen, they were transformed in character, united in Christian love, and made witnesses for Christ and heroes of faith without earthly honor or recognition. Their clear bold testimony under the power of the Holy Spirit amazed those who had rejected and crucified the Saviour and expected to find them discouraged and ready to disown their Lord. Their words and works represented those of their Teacher with divine eloquence and power that shook the world, so that all who heard said they had learned of Jesus and talked as he talked.