For forty years he
was lame. For forty years he watched as those around him moved about on feet.
For forty years he learned to live his life disabled. I imagine for a long time
he grew up being cared for as anyone born with a disability probably is. They
are cared for while you try to teach them to adapt as you learn to adapt to
their needs. This man had learned to beg
for his needs. He relied upon others fully to help him. So when he could suddenly, miraculously walk
you have to take a few moments to realize what that had to be like.
He had to be
ESTATIC!
He wasn't quiet
about his joy either...
'And all the people
saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for
alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and
amazement at that which had happened unto him. '
How would YOU have
reacted? You knew this lame man. You'd
watched him grow up and live without ever walking and there he was walking,
dancing, leaping!
'And as the lame man
which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in
the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.'
How did he walk?!
What miracle caused this?! These two
men! These two did this, they healed him!
It had to be them! You saw those
men with the miraculously cured lame man and he was holding them, it had to be
those two! No sooner than those thoughts
crossed the minds of the people than Peter was talking to them…
' And when Peter saw
it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or
why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had
made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God
of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied
him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye
denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto
you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof
we are witnesses. And his name through
faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the
faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of
you all. And now, brethren, I wot that
through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which
God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should
suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times
of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet,
shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel
and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of
these days. Ye are the children of the
prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto
Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son
Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.'
You listened to
EVERY word! You listened because you couldn't deny what your own eyes were
seeing. You had to believe what was being said, because you believed these men,
their God- their Savior had done this
miracle! And such things, such words being spoken they caused a fire to burn
within you, a fire of truth! But others came and listened and they did NOT like
what they were hearing.
'And as they spake
unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees,
came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through
Jesus the resurrection from the dead.'
These priests, these
captains of the temple, the Sadducees, all of them knew well of what Peter was
saying, they'd had Jesus crucified and they did so hoping that everything about
Him would just go away. Now not only
hadn't He gone away news of Him and His resurrection, His power, His love, His
hope was being shared with others! They couldn't let this go on!
'And they laid hands
on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men
was about five thousand.'
Thrown in jail for
the night by the leaders, the very men Peter said had killed the One who had
healed the lame man, the people watched it all happen and with their hearts
still burning in them with the truth, they BELIEVED all that Peter and John had
told them. Five thousand men BELIEVED!
FIVE THOUSAND!
More on this
tomorrow, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR. All through HIS LOVE!
AMEN!
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