Acts 3:1-10

AT THE GATE BEAUTIFUL Acts 3:1-10.

Acts 3:1

Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Acts 3:2

And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

Acts 3:3

who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms.

Acts 3:4

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.

Acts 3:5

And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.

Acts 3:6

But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

Acts 3:7

And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength.

Acts 3:8

And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Acts 3:9

And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Acts 3:10

and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that 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.

Acts 3:1 The great day of Pentecost had passed but its power yet remained. This is as it should be in all true religious experience. We see now the power of Pentecost in action in the everyday life of God's servants. Being Jews, Peter and John observed the three Jewish hours of prayer; nine in the morning, at noon, and at three in the afternoon.

Acts 3:2 The temple in Jerusalem was the place of prayer and public meeting for all Jews in the city. It happened on a certain day at the afternoon hour of prayer that two of the apostles were ascending the steps into the temple. These steps led them through a particular gate of the temple called the Gate Beautiful, doubtless because of its beauty of construction. To this particular gate a beggar was carried daily and there was laid that he might ask a pittance of those who entered the temple. Luke describes the man's physical condition as being lame from his mother's womb.

92.

Why could we say that the power of Pentecost was manifested at the gate beautiful?

93.

Name the three hours of prayer, both in the Jewish time and our time.

Acts 3:3 Why the eyes of this poor lame man fell upon Peter and John, and why he should ask alms of them among all the rest of the multitude that was going into the temple, only He who marks the fall of the sparrow can know. Hearing the pitiable mumbled words of the prostrate beggar the hearts of Peter and John were stirred by the same Spirit that filled their lives on the great day of the first fruits; they knew that here was a man among men, whom God was going to now use to glorify His Servant Jesus.

Ah, friends, let us see that we are like this poor stricken soul just outside the Beautiful Gate, we have utterly nothing to recommend us as a means of God's glory, but through us He does make His glory known. How wonderful! Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. How completely left out of salvation is the boasting of men.

Acts 3:4-6 The man looked up from his reclining position into the piercing yet compassionate eyes of these two strangers. The look of the man was one of hopeful expectancy, but not different from the gaze he had turned on many a benevolent Jew. Disappointment and curiosity fleeted across the mind of this unfortunate Jew as the words: Silver and gold have I none, fell from the lips of Peter. No money? Why then arrest my attention? Why bother? I am only here for one purpose. I want nothing else. Then, the words But what I have, that give I thee. What you have? I do not see you reach under the folds of your robe. I see nothing in your outstretched hand. All of these thoughts could have flashed over the mind of this man.

Perhaps not even expressed in the mind but only felt in the heart were these thoughts. And then it happened. The unforgettable words of power and life:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

The firm grasp of Peter's hand upon his, the strength, the joy that literally flooded his soul, the experience of ecstasy in leaping up, standing, walking!

Acts 3:7-10 Luke with his customary medical exactness describes the action of the healing as being immediate in his feet and his ankle bones. What shouts of joy and praise rang through the halls of the temple. Was this any way for a man to act in such a place as a temple walking and leaping and praising God. What amazement passed over the faces of the reverent multitude on their ways into the temple. Was this any way for a man to act in such a place and at such a time? But then upon looking more closely they recognized something familiar about this exuberant one. Why, it is none other than the beggar whom we have seen and passed every day at the Gate Beautiful. Can this be that one who but a few moments before was appealing to us for alms? It is indeed. Then were they in truth filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

94.

What two characteristics of the beggar's physical condition are given to us by Dr. Luke?

95.

Show the comparison of the beggar with you and me as sinners.

96.

Describe the healing of the lame man from the first words of Peter to the entering into the temple.