Faith in Jesus

December 3, 2017 Background Scripture: Acts 3 Lesson Passage: Acts 3:11 – 21 There is power in the name of Jesus. Today, that statement has been used so casually that hearers may well assume that it hardly has real meaning any more. I believe it is a good thing that the Jews reverence God so highly that they dare not mention His name. Christians should be so careful. Instead of being careful, we throw around the name of Jesus haphazardly as a general expression or a sigh of frustration. When the first century apostles used the name of Jesus, they saw miraculous results ensue. They were witnesses of the bodily resurrection of Jesus from among the dead. Because of this, they did not doubt that every word Jesus spoke to them prior to his death were words of God. Jesus’ resurrection from among the dead gave them assurance that every other promise he made to them would be fulfilled. It was with this living faith that Peter and John went about their accustomed ritual of going into the temple at the hour of prayer. At the gate where they were about to enter sat a man who had been a paraplegic from birth. He was brought to the gate of the temple daily to beg for handouts. It could be that the three times the Jews went up to the temple to pray that this was the gate Peter and John would have normally entered. Whether this was the gate they normally entered or not, things were about to change for this man on this occasion. Peter—no doubt prompted by the Holy Spirit—offered this man something superior to a handout. Peter offered this man healing in the name of Jesus. Through faith, this man accepted the offer and immediately began to walk, leap, and praise God. Toddlers stumble around for months before they learn how to walk steadily and then progress to jumping or leaping. God healed this man so thoroughly that he began to walk and leap immediately although he had never walked in his life. Praising God was a natural response to the supernatural healing. This man’s actions, and perhaps praises, inside the temple drew the attention of many. They recognized that he was the paralyzed beggar they had seen daily begging outside the temple. The crowd quickly grew seeking to understand what had taken place that would have caused this. Peter, recognizing the crowd’s response, provided the much needed and desired explanation. This man was not standing there because of Peter’s ability or power. Neither was it the result of Peter’s holiness. Faith in the name of Jesus to give healing power led to the healing. This was the same Jesus who had been ill-treated just a few days earlier by a Jewish crowd and their leaders. Peter acknowledged that the crowd had mistreated Jesus out of ignorance but God was willing to forgive them if they would repent and turn to Him and accept Jesus as their savior. Faith in the name of Jesus had brought healing to the paraplegic. Faith in the saving power of Jesus brings salvation. Robert C. Hudson November 3, 2017