Acts 3: How to Recieve Blessings from Jesus

Following the gifts of tongues, the first miracle is vividly described in detail in the third chapter of Acts. Of course, Peter and John are the ones involved:

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (three o’clock in the afternoon), [When] a certain man crippled from his birth was being carried along, who was laid each day at that gate of the temple [which is] called Beautiful, so that he might beg for charitable gifts from those who entered the temple. So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them to give him a gift.

And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, “Look at us!” (Acts 3:1-4 AMPC)

There is a subtle action in this event that should not be missed. Both Peter and John “gazed intently.” This is the Greek work atenizō which also means to look into anything. They were not merely looking at this man with their eyes. They were looking into the matter, to see what the Lord wanted them to do.

And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. But Peter said, “Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” Then he took hold of the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady… (Acts 3:5-7 AMPC)

This is the gift of miraculous healing. They looked at this man to see what the Holy Spirit wanted, then they boldly declared the will of God in the name of Jesus. An action followed the declaration, which is often the case in miraculous healings.

Peter took the man’s hands and pulled him to his feet. The healing only occurred after the man was pulled to his feet. Actions often precede miracles, serving as a physical demonstration of obedience to God and faith in the final outcome. There were other people who operated this manner:

• Jesus: healed the blind by putting mud on their eyes (John 9). He also commanded others to take actions, like “pick up your mat and walk.” (John 5)

• Moses: put his staff in the water, then it parted (Exodus 17). Put a bronze snake on a pole and people had to look at it to be saved from the poisonous bite (Numbers 21).

God is intentional. He had a reason for healing this man. Everyone knew he was lame because he was at the gate every day. When they saw him walking with and clinging to Peter and John, it drew a crowd! Peter gave an empowered speech about Jesus to those running to see what was going on!

And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. (Acts 3:12-13 ESV)

In this passage, Peter redirects the people to God as the source of the miracle, then launches right into the details about what happened with Jesus. The purpose of miraculous healings is to bring glory to God so that people will learn about Jesus. How many people have been miraculously healed and don’t tell others about it? Oh, they may tell their family, but do they use this to point people to Jesus? Here is how Peter gave the glory to Jesus:

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And His name—by faith in His name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. (Acts 3:14-16 ESV)

This is healing by faith in the name of Jesus. It was for one man whom God healed to display the glory that came through Jesus. It doesn’t say the crowd was healed, just this one man. The boldness of the Holy Spirit continues to move through Peter as he addresses those coming to see what happened with the lame man. Next, Peter tells the crowd why Jesus died:

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom Heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:18-21 ESV)

When we repent or turn away from sin, the blood of Jesus blots it out. This brings the presence of the Lord, which is “refreshing!” When the time comes, Jesus will return from Heaven; until then, it is His presence that refreshes us. Peter quotes a scripture to support what he has said.

Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to Him in whatever He tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. (Acts 3:22-24 ESV)

The words of Moses came to pass 1400 years after he spoke them. The prophets since then, 700-800 years ago, also prophesied about Jesus. The word of God is not old; it is not irrelevant. It is still coming to pass even now! We know this because of what Peter says next:

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” (Acts 3:25-26 ESV)

God sent Jesus to those who had kept His word and recorded His ways first. That is Israel. Next, God sent the message of Jesus to the rest of the world.

The key to receiving blessings from God is revealed: Turning from wickedness. The Greek word ponēria means sins: iniquity. This is how we receive more from God in this life!

When you accepted Jesus, did you call Him ‘Lord?’ The word means owner, master. Jesus said, so many times, those who love Me obey Me. Are you willing to learn so that you know how to obey God? What He expects of you so that you can remove iniquity and sin, from your life. There are so many blessings when we do this!