INTRODUCTION
Faith in the power of Christ is not the same thing as faith in the power of faith. In this passage, Peter says explicitly that it was not through their own power or holiness that this remarkable healing was accomplished. Rather it was the power of the risen Christ who did it, using Peter and John as His instrument.
THE TEXT
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them . . . But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.” (Acts 3:1–18).
SUMMARY OF THE TEXT
Peter and John were going up to the Temple at “the hour of prayer,” which was 3 pm (v. 1). There was a beggar there, lame from birth, who would be carried to the gate that was called Beautiful in order to beg (v. 2). For various reasons, which gate this was is uncertain. He saw Peter and John about to enter, and asked them for alms (v. 3). Peter looked at him directly, together with John, and told him to look at them (v. 4). The man did so, expecting to be given some money (v. 5). Peter made his famous statement, “silver and gold have I none,” and commanded him to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (v. 6). He took him by the right hand and lifted him up, when he was immediately healed (v. 7). The man jumped up, and went into the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God (v. 8). Everybody saw him (v. 9). They all knew who it was, and so they were stupefied (v. 10). The healed man was hanging on to Peter and John, and everybody gathered in Solomon’s portico, filled with amazement (v. 11). Solomon’s portico was a long colonnade along the eastern side of the Temple complex. Peter saw their wonder, and asked them why they were so amazed. It was not as though they did this thing through their own power or holiness (v. 12). He comes right to the convicting point. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the “God of our fathers,” has glorified His Son Jesus—the one you all delivered up (v. 13). You denied Him before Pilate, when Pilate wanted to release Him (v. 13). But you people denied the Holy and Just One, and demanded that a murderer be released instead (v. 14). So Barabbas went free, and you people killed the Prince of Life—the one that God raised from the dead, as the apostles can witness (v. 15). It is the name of Christ and faith in the name of Christ that restored this cripple, a lame man that all of you recognize (v. 16). Peter acknowledges that their crime was done in ignorance, as also done in ignorance by their rulers (v. 17). But all the things that all the prophets had said would happen in the suffering of the Christ had in fact happened (v. 18).
SILVER AND GOLD
One legend had it that Thomas Aquinas was once talking with the pope, who was counting out a large sum of money. The pope said, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ Thomas replied, ‘That is true, holy father, but neither can she still say, ‘Arise and walk.’’” So just remember that it is extremely difficult to keep money from doing what money always does.
FAITH AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE OBJECT
The miracle was accomplished by the name of Christ and by faith in the name of Christ. This was the faith of Peter and John, not the cripple, because the healing of the lame man overtook him from behind. He was expecting something else entirely. Faith needs to be understood as the natural response to the perceived faithfulness of God (Heb. 11:11). By faith Sarah “considered him faithful.” When God is understood to be faithful, that understanding is what faith is. Faith has no power or virtue in itself to suspend itself in mid-air. Faith in faith is impotent and empty. Always look away.
You all believe your chairs will continue to hold you, but it is the chair that is doing the holding, not your faith. You all believe that the roof is not going to fall in, but it is the steel beams that hold the roof up, not your faith. You have all seen those early reels of inventors, pre-Wright brothers, jumping off of bridges with Batman wings. How much faith did they have, and did it keep them from crashing? And you all know about nervous passengers on a jet, terrified at every moment, and yet their fear doesn’t make the plane crash. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20), placed in the right object, then mountains move.
WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED
This is the second random crowd of Jerusalem inhabitants that Peter accuses of murder. He did it twice with the people who assembled at random in response to the gift of tongues (Acts 2:23, 36), and he does it four times here. A random crowd at the Temple gathered in response to a lame man being healed, and Peter charges them with murder multiple times (Acts 3:13,14,15,17). He wants them to know that Christ is the one who healed this man, of course, but he wants them to know that it was the same Christ that they had delivered over to death just a few months before.
Peter allows that they did it in ignorance, just as their rulers did it in ignorance (Acts 3:17). This accords with what Jesus said from the cross—”they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The obstinacy and high rebellion really begin at the resurrection. When the rulers obtained a guard for the grave, they were not trying to prevent the resurrection.
So these events, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, constituted the condemnation of Jerusalem, that bloody city. These same events were also salvation, if the people repented and believed, from the consequences of this awful murder. This was their crime, and it was also their salvation.
And the same application can be made for each of us. It was our sin that put Christ on the cross, and Christ on the cross is our deliverance from our sin. So when you look at the cross, you should see your crime. And when you look at the cross you should see your salvation. Only faith can see both. Both what? The impaled bronze serpent (John 3:14) and the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15) are both there.