Acts 3-4: Why God May Be Waiting to Heal

We read Acts 3–4 and watch Jesus’ power change a lame man’s life, then ignite a public moment that forces everyone to decide what they think about the risen Christ. We also sit with the harder question of God’s timing and why healing and rescue sometimes come later than we want. 
• the healing at the Beautiful Gate and the crowd’s shock 
• Peter giving Jesus the credit and calling for repentance 
• the arrest over preaching resurrection in Jesus’ name 
• Peter’s Spirit-filled defense and the claim that salvation is found in no one else 
• the council’s warnings and the apostles’ refusal to stay silent 
• the church’s unified prayer for boldness and God’s power to heal 
• the early Christian community’s generosity and Barnabas’ encouragement 
• a personal reflection on waiting, perseverance, and trusting Jesus’ timing 

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Transcript

Welcome And Acts Recap

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, welcome back to the Out Loud Bible Podcast. This is Mike. Last time we started the book of Acts, Acts chapter 1 and chapter 2, and we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is what Jesus had been talking about for a long time, saying things like, It's better for you that I go so that the Holy Spirit can come. And I'm sending you a helper, and I'm sending you power from heaven. And sure enough, this power came, and 3,000 people became followers of Jesus Christ that day through the testimony of Peter and an explanation of what was going on. Of course, not everyone likes power from heaven to be on display, so we get to see some power on display here today and the consequences of it here as we read Acts chapter 3 and 4 in the New English Translation.

Healing At The Beautiful Gate

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer at three o'clock in the afternoon, and a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. Peter looked directly at him, as did John and said, Look at us. So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk. And then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man's feet and ankles were made strong, and he jumped up, stood, and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him. While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon's Portico. And when Peter saw this, he declared to the people, Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our

Peter Explains The Miracle

SPEAKER_00 2:26

own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him. But you rejected the holy and righteous one and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. You killed the originator of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this fact we're witnesses, and on the basis of faith in Jesus' name, his very name has made this man, whom you see and know, strong. The faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete health in the presence of you all. And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too, but the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he has fulfilled in this way. Therefore, repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus. This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets. Moses said, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey him in everything he tells you. Every person who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed from the people. And all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed him have spoken about and announced these days. God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities. While

Arrested For Preaching Resurrection

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and Sadducees came up to them, angry, because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening, but many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem. Annas, the high priest, was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest's family, and after making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, By what power or by what name did you do this? And then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, Rulers of the people and elders, if we're being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man, by what means this man was healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead,

The Trial And Unshakable Boldness

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this man stands before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved. When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another, saying, What should we do with these men? For it's plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we can't deny it, but to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let's warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, Well, whether it's right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide, for it's impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. After threatening them further, they released them, for they couldn't find how to punish them on account of the people because they were all praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed was over forty years old. When they were released, Peter and

Prayer For Courage And A United Church

SPEAKER_00 7:39

John went to their fellow believers and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them, and when they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that's in them, who said by the Holy Spirit, through your servant David our forefather, why do the nations rage and the peoples plot foolish things? The kings of the earth stood together, and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ. For indeed both Herod and Pontus Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen. And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously. The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales and placing them at the apostles' feet. The proceeds were distributed to each as anyone had need. So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the Apostles Barnabas, which is translated son of encouragement, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and placed it at the Apostles' feet. Let's

When Jesus Seems To Pass By

SPEAKER_00 9:46

pause in the story there for now and go back and consider the man who was lame from birth. Peter and John found him at the gate to the temple in Jerusalem. We also know that this man who was lame from birth was forty years old at the time that he met Peter and John. Now, lame people are not exactly known for moving around a whole lot, so I'm going to guess that he was at this particular gate at the temple in Jerusalem for a long time. This was probably his spot. And people, thousands of people, think of all the festivals every year coming in and out of the temple, doing their sacrifices, worshiping God, going about their business, doing the things that they do. How many thousands, millions maybe even, people have gone past him back and forth throughout his lifetime sitting there at the gate called Beautiful? Well, I don't know how many, but I can guess that there was one named Jesus. Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem? He walked through that gate. Now we don't know this man from the Gospels, he was not mentioned in any of the stories of Jesus walking about on earth. However, isn't that the point? Did Jesus see this man at some point? It's very well he could have. And he didn't heal him. And I understand this is a bit of conjecture here, but bear with me. Can you relate to this man pre Peter and John showing up? In a time where you feel like Jesus sure is around, but hasn't healed you? Or he hasn't shown up and saved the day the way that you had hoped. Can you relate to this man? You've been dealing with whatever you're dealing with for far too long. Jesus has seemed to help other people, why not me? Well, if Jesus did see this man at some point walking by and not heal him, we know now it's because Jesus was setting up a even greater scenario for his glory to spark a great movement and to convict people of their sins and to give his people a great testimony of the power of Jesus. Jesus' primary concern is increasing his reputation in the world. And it's not an ego-driven thing, it's because the best thing for us is to have a greater appreciation and knowledge of the Lord and what he does. His reputation increasing is what's best for us, and so that is what he is doing when he works in the timing that he works in, and it's not always convenient to us, it sometimes breaks our heart, but we can trust that he is setting himself up for a great display of his power and his glory for the benefit of more than just you. If that's the case, are you willing to wait even longer for the right time for Jesus to make his glory known through you and through your story? It's a tough thing to say yes to, it's a tough thing to go along with, but if you persevere, if you wait, if you trust Jesus and his timing, then I guarantee he will not waste a single day of whatever you're going through right now. I really believe that. And that's the thinking out loud thought for the day. Thanks for joining me here. We'll see you next time.