April 5, 2018

Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ (Acts 3:6 NIV) 

The man is a lame beggar at the temple gate in Jerusalem. He sees Peter and John, the disciples of the resurrected Jesus. He begs them for money. Then Peter says this to the man, “Silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”. Peter then takes the man by the hand and helps him up. The man feels his ankles and knees become strong. He jumps to his feet and walks. He is healed. The man is so happy. He walks, jumps and praises God all over the temple. People are amazed. Is not this the lame beggar who used to beg by the temple gate? The man started the day wondering if he was going to get enough money to pay for his necessities. Instead, he ends up now walking and possibly able to make a living for himself. 

Later this man hangs on the Peter and John as the people come running to them. Peter seizes this opportunity to share with the crowd. He traces the this man’s healing to the presence of the resurrected Christ.  He also tells the crowds that they were the ones who put Jesus on the cross to die. 

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.” (Acts 3:15-16 NIV) 

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, we celebrated the fact that God has invaded our planet. He has become a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus is called the Son of God. Jesus did die on the cross. Yet, God raised Jesus from the dead. Peter tells the people that this is the start of God’s healing process for Israel and the world. The healing of this lame beggar is just a sign of God’s further healing process. 

It is the same for us as we move beyond Easter Sunday. God raised Jesus from the dead. This is the start of God’s healing process for the world and for us. There are some of us who might be lying near the temple gate right now wondering if we are going to collect enough money to pay for our necessities. Jesus comes directly to us or through his intermediaries, the Peter and Johns of our lives. He says the same words to us, “Silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”. He then takes us by the hand and helps us up. Look out for Jesus’ hand. 

Pastor Pye