Second Presbyterian Church

"Preaching and Healing
Preaching From the Book of Acts"
January 22, 2006

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2006 » Sermons for January 2006 » Sermons from the Series from the Book of Acts

#4 in the Series from the Book of Acts
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Isaiah 52: 13-53:12
• Acts 3: 1-26

The church has begun. Believers were gathering regularly for worship and prayer in the temple. (Remember, no one was called a Christian yet and no one was thinking in terms of another religion) They would regularly gather, probably on Sundays, to celebrate with the breaking of bread (Holy Communion). The followers were gathering around the apostles who would teach them about Jesus and his resurrection. And, as we noted last week, the Holy Spirit had mightily empowered the apostles to boldly speak the Good News, that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Being devout Jews, the followers of Jesus would attend the daily prayers at the temple in Jerusalem. It was at the 3 O'clock prayer that Peter and John were getting ready to attend. We meet a man who was lame from birth. He would have people carry him to one of the gates of the temple, the Beautiful Gate, so that he could beg for money from the worshipers who were coming to pray. The man asked Peter and John for alms. Peter and John looked intently at him. Peter replied that he had no money, but what he had he would give him. Peter said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" Peter lifted the man up by the hand and immediately the man's legs and feet became strong and he leaped up and began to walk. The man entered the temple with Peter and John leaping and walking and praising God.

The crowds were astounded. That means they were surprised beyond measure. They recognized this man who had to beg, who was so lame. Here he was walking and praising God. Peter, being one who was an apostle took the opportunity to witness. He was also being very careful that the one who deserved the credit got the credit: God in Jesus Christ. Even while the healed beggar clung to Peter, he said, "Don't be astounded by us. We are just men, like you. What you are witnessing is from God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers. Peter making it very clear that this was nothing new in terms of a new deity; it was Yahweh, the God of Israel who healed this lame beggar.

Peter continued by letting the crowd know that it was the power in the name of Jesus whom they (actually all of us) crucified unjustly and allowed a known killer go free. The crowds were convicted. They realized what Peter was saying was true. They had all participated, either actively or passively, in the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Peter went on to say that they had killed the author of life. Yet God raised him from the dead and to that Peter spoke that he and the other apostles were witnesses.

Peter continued to speak. He told them that he knew that they and the leaders acted out of ignorance. He told them that now was the time, the opportunity to repent, to believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, and to have their sins wiped out.

Peter even alluded to the time when Jesus would return and come again to "restore all things to God." It will be a time of refreshment when creation would be restored to the state in which God first intended it.

Now this is about it for what we read for today, although this story continues further. The reaction to Peter's healing the beggar was positive in Chapter 3. But in Chapter 4 we encounter the temple leaders who felt threatened and defensive about what happened at the Beautiful Gate.

The question for us today is what are we to do with a passage that expresses so straightforwardly a healing of a lame man? We don't really see events like this happening anymore in the church. We do hear explanations about how Christians have helped to pioneer the medical profession, built hospitals around the world and thus have expressed the healing touch of Jesus Christ everywhere. But it doesn't seem the same.

We sometimes see TV evangelists who make a show of healing people, throwing away their crutches, knocking them over ("slaying in the Lord"). That kind o showmanship has often turned me off. I don't care for it. But healing is different. Perhaps this is why this is so important to me. I have lived with a leg that hasn't worked right all my life.

Is the issue because in our day of science, miracles don't seem to happen anymore? I don't believe that at all. Miracles happen everyday. It is clear that some healings just don't happen. Paul spoke of a thorn in his side and how he had asked Jesus to remove that thorn. He reported the Jesus' reply was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12: 9).

The Lord heals some people, even in our day, because it is the Lord's will to remove their physical or mental ailment. Whenever there is healing it is for the glory of the Lord. No one can claim power for it, because all healing comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Father of Jesus of Nazareth, our Messiah.

Others of us must live with our physical situations, knowing that our healing from sin is accomplished by grace through faith. When push comes to shove, if we live long enough our mortal bodies wear out and die. No one, but Jesus Christ himself has lived forever, yet even he died once!

There is, therefore a healing for all of us. It is the healing that comes when we accept the call of Jesus Christ to become his disciple. It is a much more profound healing than a physical healing because it heals our LIFE, our SOUL. Our lives are healed, because Jesus restores our relationship with God and we are no longer so self-directed. As we grow as Christians, we become more and more reconciled and restored. We become more peaceful, because we know whom our Redeemer is, Jesus Christ. And we look forward with anticipation to the time when Jesus returns in power to restore the universe into the state it is intended to be, a state that we cannot really imagine.

In the meantime, whether we have our physical symptoms removed or not, we continually seek the healing that can only come from the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us remember that today when we seek the prayer for wholeness and the anointing with oil. Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.