What is the meaning of Acts 3:7? Taking him by the right hand • Scripture often links the right hand with power and blessing (Isaiah 41:13; Psalm 16:11); by seizing that hand, Peter physically conveys both. • The personal touch echoes Jesus’ own ministry: “So He went to her, took her hand, and helped her up” (Mark 1:31). • This gesture signals compassion, not mere spectacle—just as in Luke 8:54 when Jesus “took her by the hand” before raising Jairus’s daughter. • It also invites immediate participation from the lame man, preparing him to respond in faith. Peter helped him up • Peter acts on the authority Christ gave in Acts 1:8 and models bold obedience like in Matthew 14:29 when Peter himself stepped out of the boat. • Lifting the man before evidence of healing risks embarrassment unless Peter is certain of God’s will—paralleling Elijah’s confidence in 1 Kings 17:21-22. • The man’s cooperation mirrors other faith-responses: “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’” (John 5:8). • The church today is called to similar hands-on ministry, trusting the Lord to supply the power (James 2:15-16). At once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong • The miracle is instant and complete, like the leper cleansed “immediately” in Matthew 8:3 or Aeneas healed “at once” in Acts 9:34. • Luke the physician notes the specific strengthening of “feet and ankles,” underscoring physical reality, not symbolism. • God reverses lifelong disability in a moment, fulfilling promises such as Isaiah 35:6: “Then the lame will leap like a deer.” • The sudden strength propels praise (v. 8) and opens a gospel door for Peter to preach Christ (vv. 12-26). summary Acts 3:7 shows divine power flowing through a willing servant. Peter’s compassionate touch, bold lift, and the Lord’s immediate healing combine to display Jesus’ risen authority. The verse invites believers to extend faithful hands, confident that God still strengthens the helpless and magnifies His Son through acts of obedient love. |
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