The Real Deal
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Are You The Real Deal? Or Are You Counting Cards?
Are You The Real Deal? Or Are You Counting Cards?
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
This story would’ve spread among the early Christians as a separate story- one that begins to verify ALL that had been happening already.
The early Christians were continuing attendance at the temple- they were watching the wonders and miracles that the apostles had done- and they were listening to their teaching. Now, the writer Luke is going to give us a single illustration of what is going on- this is a representative story that would’ve been told and repeated many times over.
They are in Jerusalem because it was the center of Christianity. Why? Wouldn’t it make better sense for Christians to be centered in Galilee?
Remember, Jesus had told them to stay at Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Spirit of God. They did. But now Pentecost has happened, and they are still there.
The early Christians looked at Jerusalem as having much importance. They were the remnant within Israel, members of the Messiah’s eschatological community, and even though originally from Galilee, they centered themselves in Jerusalem.
They continued to adhere to Israels institutios and their forms of worship. Petere and John are going UP to the temple at the time of prayer- 3 oclock in the afternoon.
2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.
3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.
This man is “lame from birth” and having to be carried to the “temple gate called Beautiful”.
Almsgiving was meritorious in Judaism. It was extra credit. He was place at the gate so those coming in could give him a coin and gain extra credit.
4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”
Peter responds to this man’s request- Look at us!
5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.
The beggar thought he had a benefactor, so he looked immediately.
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
This would not have been what the man was expecting. When Peter stated the name of Jesus, he was invoking botht he power and the presence of jesus in this situation. And He told the man to rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Immediate healing.
8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
He stands up and begins to leap, walk, and enter the temple. He begins to walk, leap and praise.
Count the verbs in this verse- 6 of them.. Some scholars have complained about all of the activity. STanding, leaping, walking, entering, walking again, leaping, praising....
Wilbur Rees wrote the following:
“I would like to buy $3 worth of God please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 dollars worth of God please.”
And that tells you why some commentators have a problem with this verse. We aren’t used to this much of God’s grace that it makes that much of a difference.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God,
10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
This was a token event of the messianic age they were seeing- Isaiah 35.6
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
Compare Acts 2 & 3. Acts 2, Peter is the preacher, in Acts 3 he is working personally with a single individual; In Acts 2, Peter is working with multitudes, Acts 3 with one poor man. In Acts 2 peter does ministry which results in blessing, and In Acts 3 Peter does ministry that gets him arrested, persecuted, and thrown in jail.
Christianity can be dangerous if you care to actually practice it.
Peter and John were partners in fishing. See Luke 5.10
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Peter and John prepared the last passover for Jesus in Luke 22.8
8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”
Peter and John run to the tomb on the first Easter Sunday morning in John 20.3-4
3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
You may remember, they were at one point competing for greatness. And you may see that now they are working together to buid the church.
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Peter and John were working together to build the church.
This man represents what salvation is like.
This man was born lame- he couldn’t walk. All of us are born with sin, unable to please God.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This man was poor.
We too are bankrupt before God.
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,
38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This man was “outside the temple”.
We are separated from God- no matter how close we are!
This man was healed by one thing- God’s grace. (God coming out of the temple to meet him!)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This man asked for help- he needed healed.
We look for God’s help- when we need God’s grace.
The apostles had no money to give; but the man did not need money most. he needed salvation for his soul and healing for his body and money could provide neither.
We want God to get us “through” something. God wants to get through to us. We sit outside the temple gate- God walked through them to get to us.
When God Takes Your Hand There Should Be No Question Where You Stand
When God Takes Your Hand There Should Be No Question Where You Stand
This man walked leaped and praised God- Acts 3.8
8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
He identified with the apostles in the temple- Acts 3.11
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.
We cling to Jesus like he is our life raft- because he is.
He stood with Peter & John in their trial (arrest) in Acts 4.14
14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.