Teaching Text

ACTS 3:1-4:22

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame 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 do 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. While the man 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: “Fellow Israelites, 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? 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 completely healed him, as you can all see. “Now, fellow Israelites, 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 Messiah 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 Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him 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 their people.’ “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who 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.”

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Suzy Silk continued our sermon series through the Book of Acts, The Fifth Act, with a teaching on how Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, healed a lame man and faced the persecution from religious leaders by continuing to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus as Lord. In this passage we see Peter and John, ordinary men who had been with Jesus, operating in the transformation of the Holy Spirit to perform a miracle, but more importantly use it to point others to Christ.

Pastor Suzy invited us to view Acts not as distant history, but as a living continuation of God’s story, featuring real, ordinary, unschooled people like Peter and John. In Peter’s case, shortly after denying Jesus, he is filled with the Holy Spirit and able to boldly proclaim the Gospel throughout Acts, demonstrating how the Spirit can radically change lives.

The journeys of Peter and John show a clear progression: being with Jesus, proclaiming Him, becoming like Him, and doing what He did—including experiencing both His joy and His suffering. Being with Jesus allowed Peter to truly know Him on a personal level: His character, teachings, and the way He fulfilled all of the Old Testament Scriptures. His life shows us not to underestimate what the Spirit can do in our hearts and minds if we are committed to knowing Jesus. The disciples knew Jesus deeply, so they couldn’t help but proclaim the good news, even in the face of persecution. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they lived like Jesus—demonstrating generosity, healing, and miracles. The healing of the lame man even mirrors the story at the pool of Bethesda, showing that Jesus’ followers would continue His work. As Jesus promised in John 14:12, His followers would do even greater things.

Pastor Suzy also guided us through a biblical theology of healing, acknowledging that it can be a confusing and sensitive topic. While some experience miraculous healing, others continue in suffering, not due to a lack of faith or righteousness, but because God’s purposes include both healing and weakness. In light of this, Pastor Suzy guided us to see what Scripture promises: full future healing, where God will one day make all things new and end all suffering (Revelation 21), The Spirit’s present presence as our comforter and advocate (John 14:16), and sufficient grace in suffering, since God’s power made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12). We are also commanded to pray in faith for healing, even when God’s response is unclear, trusting that His ultimate plan is for our eternal good. Healing and suffering are not opposites; they often coexist as part of how the Spirit works in our lives.

Like the apostles, we are invited to step out in faith, seek Jesus deeply, and trust Him to work through us, no matter how ordinary we may feel. As we know Jesus, proclaim Him, become like Him, do the things He did, we may experience suffering like He did, but also the joy of witnessing people enter into the Kingdom of God. Pastor Suzy called us to prioritize being with Jesus, and from this place, boldly proclaim the Gospel wherever we go—not because of our qualifications, but because of God’s power.