Acts 3
Big idea: A man lame from birth is raised up 'in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,' and Peter refuses the credit: the God of the fathers has glorified his Servant Jesus — the Prince of life whom you killed and God raised — so repent, for all the prophets from Samuel onward told of these days.
The sermon in Solomon's porch has no recorded ending — ch. 4 opens with the priests and Sadducees interrupting it. The healed man, the name that healed him, and the resurrection claim all reappear as the evidence and the offense at the church's first trial.
3:1–10 — Raised up at the Beautiful Gate
At the hour of prayer, a man lame from his mother's womb — laid daily at the temple door called Beautiful — asks Peter and John for alms. Peter has no silver or gold but gives what he has: 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!' Raised by the right hand, feet and ankles immediately strengthened, the man enters the temple walking, leaping, and praising God — and all the people, who know him as the beggar from the gate, are filled with wonder and amazement.
1 Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. 4 Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” 5 He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 He took him by the right hand and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8 Leaping up, he stood and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
3:11–16 — His name made this man strong
As the healed man holds on to Peter and John in Solomon's porch, Peter deflects the crowd's stare: why fasten your eyes on us, as though our own power or godliness made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his Servant Jesus — whom you delivered up and denied before Pilate, exchanging the Holy and Righteous One for a murderer and killing the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong before you all.
11 As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. 12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
3:17–21 — Repent — times of refreshing
Peter softens without retracting: you did this in ignorance, as did your rulers, and God was fulfilling what he announced by the mouth of all his prophets — that Christ should suffer. Therefore repent and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, ordained for you before — whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things.
17 “Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
3:22–26 — Children of the prophets
Peter closes with the prophetic dossier: Moses promised a prophet like himself who must be listened to in all things — and every soul that will not listen will be utterly destroyed from among the people. All the prophets from Samuel onward told of these days. The hearers are children of the prophets and of the covenant with Abraham — 'All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring' — so God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.
22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23 It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, also told of these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).