Compare Acts 3:2 with other healing accounts in the Gospels. Setting the scene “And a man who had been lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.” Snapshots from the Gospels • John 5:5-9 – An invalid for thirty-eight years at the Pool of Bethesda; Jesus says, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk,” and the man immediately walks. • Mark 2:3-12 – Friends lower a paralytic through a roof; Jesus forgives his sins and commands him to rise, take his mat, and go home. • Luke 13:11-13 – A woman bent over for eighteen years; Jesus calls her forward, lays hands on her, and she straightens up and glorifies God. • John 9:1-7 – A man blind from birth; Jesus makes mud, sends him to wash in Siloam, and he returns seeing. • Mark 3:1-5 – A man with a withered hand in the synagogue; Jesus tells him, “Stretch out your hand,” and it is restored. Similarities that jump out • Long-standing or congenital conditions—no quick fixes or recent injuries. • Public settings (temple courts, synagogues, crowded houses, city pools) where many witnesses can confirm the miracle. • A verbal command that carries divine authority—“Get up,” “Stretch out,” “Walk.” • Instant, complete restoration—no gradual therapy required. • Immediate praise to God, amazement among onlookers (Acts 3:8-10; Luke 13:13; Mark 2:12). • Fulfillment of Isaiah 35:6, “Then the lame will leap like a deer.” Key differences worth noticing • Agent of healing – Gospels: Jesus heals by His own authority. – Acts 3: Peter acts “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (v. 6), showing the risen Lord working through His apostles. • Location inside Jerusalem – John 5 occurs at the Pool of Bethesda near the temple; Acts 3 happens right at the temple gate, moving even closer to Israel’s center of worship and witness. • Response of religious leaders – In the Gospels, leaders criticize Jesus for healing on the Sabbath (John 5; Luke 13). – In Acts 3–4 they arrest Peter and John, yet cannot deny the miracle (4:16). The same resistance continues, but now it confronts the church. • Emphasis on proclamation – Jesus often commands the healed not to speak (Mark 1:44). – Peter immediately preaches Christ crucified and risen (Acts 3:12-16), turning the healing into a platform for the gospel. What these accounts reveal about Jesus’ ongoing ministry • Jesus’ power over sickness did not cease with His ascension; it flows through believers who trust His name (John 14:12; Acts 3:16). • Every healing validates His messianic identity foretold by the prophets (Isaiah 35:5-6). • Physical restoration pictures the deeper spiritual restoration available to all who repent and believe (Mark 2:5; Acts 3:19). Living implications today • Long-entrenched problems—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—remain within the Lord’s reach. • Bold, Christ-centered witness can spring naturally from observable acts of compassion. • The same Jesus who walked Galilee still works when His people rely on His name and authority. |
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