WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday December 3, 2017
Over
144,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com
FAITH
IN JESUS
(Peter
preaches in the Temple)
(Acts
3:11-26)
In Acts
chapter 2, after the HOLY SPIRIT came down from Heaven on Pentecost Day, we saw
Peter step forward and deliver the first sermon ever preached in a Christian Church.
And now, here in Acts chapter three, verses 1-8, we see Peter healing a man who
had been crippled for forty years. The man had come to the temple every day,
apparently, having “low expectations from GOD”, because he only sought after
alms that would merely allow him to exist in his present condition for one more
day.
Here we see Peter, along with John, in the
name of JESUS, giving the man much more than he thought he could ever receive
from GOD. Peter tells the man, “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” (Acts
3:6) (KJV).
Then Peter took the lame man by the right
hand and helped him up. As he did this, the man’s feet and anklebones were
healed and strengthened. The man got up and began to walk, and not only did he
walk, he even began to leap and praise GOD, as he entered into the Temple with
Peter and John.
This miracle fulfilled the prophesy of
Isaiah, as it is recorded in Isaiah 35:6, where it says, “Then shall the lame
man leap as an hart” (KJV). It was an undeniable miracle, because everyone,
including the leading priests and Pharisees, had seen this cripple man sit at
the gate called “Beautiful” and beg for alms for many years.
When all the people saw the once-lamed man
walking and praising GOD, they were absolutely astounded. They all rushed over
to “Solomon’s Colonnade” to take a closer look, where he was tightly clinging
to Peter and John, who had given him the power and authority of JESUS to walk
again into the Temple.
Now, as the crowd began to grow, Peter sees
an opportunity to address those in the Temple who had just witnessed the
miracle that was performed on the lame man. They too, like that man, had
probably came to the church daily, having low expectations concerning what GOD
could do for them. Peter asks them in verse 12, “Why marvel ye at this? Or why
look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made
this man to walk? (KJV)
Peter goes on to tell the crowd of people
that it was “The GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and, the GOD of our fathers,
WHO hath glorified HIS SON JESUS”, by allowing us to perform this miracle (Vs.
12-16). In other words, the very name of JESUS had, quite literally, healed
this man. It was nothing more than faith in JESUS’ name that had caused this
man’s healing right before their very eyes. We, as Christians, can all do a lot
better in life if we will raise our expectations of what GOD can do for us,
whenever we have faith, and trust in HIM.
As Peter began to “sermonize” his thoughts,
he first tells them how he could relate to their rueful feelings about the
things that they had said and done to JESUS out of ignorance, while HE lived
and taught before them. He reminded them that even their leaders reacted in the
same harsh and deadly way toward our LORD and SAVIOR. They all participated
fully in rejecting JESUS, and turning HIM over to Pontius Pilate, who, wanted
badly to release HIM. Peter tells them that they all chose instead to release a
legitimate criminal (Barrabas), and kill “THE AUTHOR OF LIFE” (JESUS).
However, through it all, it was really GOD’s
Will being played out, as HE was merely fulfilling what HE had told HIS prophets
to declare centuries ago, concerning the sufferings of the MESSIAH, HIS SON.
Even Moses had spoken of JESUS when he declared in Deuteronomy 18:18, that,
“The LORD your GOD will raise up a PROPHET like me from among your own people.
Listen carefully to everything HE tells you” (NLT). Moses went on to say that,
“Anyone who will not listen to that PROPHET will be cut off from GOD’s people
and utterly destroyed” (Deuteronomy 18:19 - NLT).
From the time of Samuel, every prophet
spoke about the things that were happening in the days surrounding the birth,
crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and post-ascension of CHRIST JESUS. And Peter
reminded them that they were the children of those prophets, and were included
in the covenant promise of GOD that was delivered by JESUS personally, and
then, signed in HIS OWN blood. When GOD sent CHRIST JESUS to earth, HE sent HIM,
first, to the children of Israel (the Jews), and they failed to listen.
Peter then urges the crowd, that, with all
being said and done, it was now time for them to repent and turn from their
sins, and turn to GOD for spiritual healing. Then, and only then, will their
souls be made fresh again, so that they can receive the MESSIAH upon HIS
return. But until then, JESUS will remain in Heaven, sitting at the right hand
of the FATHER, waiting on HIS new orders to return and “restore all things” (“apocatastasis”)
back to perfection under GOD (v.21).
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
No comments:
Post a Comment