Sermon Tone Analysis



MARCH 6, 2022

STUDY NOTES

ACTS 3:7-10

BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES

A TRUE MIRACULOUS HEALING

INTRODUCTION

There are churches today who advertise a "Miracle Healing Service"

The pastor will lead the service which includes laying on of hands, anointing with oil and prayer

The prayer is identified as the prayer of faith (James 5:13-16; Isaiah 61:1-3; Mark 2:1-12)

It is emphasized that the one who is to be healed must have enough faith to be healed

If the person is not healed, the blame falls on them, it is because of their lack of faith

There are Bible scholars who say there is no mention of the faith of the lame man in this account

Claiming that the lame man did not exercise faith, yet he was healed

We will cover that subject in more detail when we get to, Act 3:16 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.

Did the lame man have faith?

From our study we will probably conclude with the answer of "yes"

There is no doubt that Peter and John exercised faith in the Person of Jesus, Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Without their faith in the name of Jesus they would not even have stopped to talk to the lame man

Throughout the history of the church the subject of "Divine Healing" has been a controversial subject

Scripture records many accounts of God healing the sick and the lame

But there are also accounts when God chose not to heal (2 Timothy 4:20; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Scripture is telling us that regardless of laying on of hands, anointing with oil, or a prayer of faith

Which is not always identified with all the healing accounts in scripture, such as in Acts 3

Scripture reveals that the healing power belongs to God, it is His choice, if-and when He wills to heal

There is no doubt that we find a true miraculous healing, the healing power of God in Acts 3

Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

We are not told that the lame man jumped up believing what Peter said

The lame man did not get up before Peter "took him by the right hand

Peter had faith in Jesus to heal or he would not have reached out for the hand of the lame man

Peter exercised faith when he took him by the hand and lifted him up

"And lifted him up," describes that his position changed from laying down to standing up

Verse 8 will help us to understand exactly when the healing occurred

Here we are not told that the lame man had faith at the time Peter took him by the hand

But by the time his hand reached Peter's hand he believed that a miracle had occurred

He was "immediately" healed, which could have been nothing other than a miracle from God

"Immediately" means suddenly, at that very moment, right there on the spot, he was healed

From the time of birth there was no strength in his feet or ankles, he had never walked before in his life

The man who couldn't walk leaped up and began walking

The human author of Acts is Dr. Luke, Luke was a physician, I am sure he thought like a doctor

Which may be indicated in his original words describing the miracle allowing the lame man to walk

The word translated "feet" is a peculiar, technical word found only here in the New Testament

The word translated "ankle bones" is also a technical term, a word found only here in the NT

In verse 8, the original word translated "he leaping up" is another medical description

Another word found only here in the NT, so, we have 3 medical terms describing this miracle

Words that only a medical man would use and fully understand, Dr. Luke understood them

A modern-day medical doctor explained that modern medical procedures would correct his problem

Today's surgical procedures would allow the lame man to walk, there was no such procedure in that day

But in today's successful surgery procedure, you could not use the word "immediately" to describe it

In Jesus' day, or in our day, only the "Great Physician Jesus" can "immediately" heal

"Immediately" is the term used in scripture to describe a "True Miraculous Healing"

It is used when Jesus rebuked the fever in Peter's mother-in law, Luk 4:39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

Jesus told a paralyzed man to "Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house" (Luke 5:24)

Luk 5:25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

(Notice that he was "glorifying" God)

A woman's hemorrhage stopped immediately after she touched the fringe of Jesus' garment, Luk 8:44

Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

Jesus laid His hands upon a woman who was bent double and immediately she stood erect, Luk 13:13

And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

A blind man immediately received his sight when Jesus said, "Receive thy sight," Luk 18:43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

The woman who stood straight "glorified" God and the man who received his sight "glorified" God

All-of the above accounts were written by Dr. Luke who knew a medical miracle when he saw one

Today the word "miracle" is often used in reference to that which is wonderful, but not "immediately"

"And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength"

"Received strength" describes that which "immediately" took place

"Received strength" identifies the miraculous healing that took place, immediately he could walk

His feet and ankles received strength allowing him to walk, something he had never done before

The evidence that the lame man was "immediately" healed is found in the next verse

Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

The man had been carried to the temple gate because he could not stand up or walk

The lame man was healed at the time Peter spoke, "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth"

The lame man immediately received the power to do what Peter told him to do, "rise up and walk"

It was at that moment that his feet and ankle bones received strength and he "leaped up"

At that very moment the lame man had the physical power to "leap up" and "walk"

The miraculous healing had already occurred before Peter took him by the hand

He could "leap up" and "stand up" and "walk" because he had already been healed

The original reads that he was continually leaping, he was leaping, leaping, and leaping

He was excited because of what Jesus had done for him, which is a foretaste of the future for believers

There will be excitement at the time of the return of Christ because of what Jesus will do, Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isaiah 35 is a glorious Millennial passage, the context is the future earthly Kingdom of God

Scripture references to our salvation experiences of today are a picture of our future state with Christ

What God does for us today physically and spiritually are only the beginning of life "in Christ"

The manifestation of God's power today tells us what God can and will do in the Millennial Age

Miracles of healing in the body and soul will occur at the time of Christ return and the Millennium,

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isa 35:6

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

(The lame will leap like a deer)

The lame man who was healed at the temple gate is a picture of those who will leap like a deer

Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray, he "entered with them into the temple,"

He wasn't going to let Peter and John out of his sight, but he was the "sight," everyone saw him

He had the attention of all that were in the temple, they all knew that he was the "lame man"

He entered the temple, "walking, and leaping, and praising God," continually praising God

It's interesting that Jesus used the same word "leaping" to describe a salvation experience, Joh 4:14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

"Springing up" is the same word translated "leaping" in Acts 3:8

The excitement of the healed man was because of physical healing and spiritual healing

There was physical power in his feet and ankles that had never been there before

Not only could he stand up he could walk, and he could walk or run up the stairs of the temple

Notice the direction he went you would think that he would have run home to his family

But he now had the same desire that Peter and John had, to pray and worship God