Lesson 282 - Junior
Memory Verse
"He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).
Notes
A New Life
A new life had opened up for the Apostles of Jesus. The Holy Ghost had descended on the Day of Pentecost, and they were now filled with power from Heaven to go forth and do miracles in the name of Jesus. Instead of being afraid, they could stand boldly for the truths that Jesus had taught them.
It was soon after their ten-day prayer meeting, in which they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, that Peter and John went to the Temple to pray. They still felt their need for prayer. They would have to continue to pray if they wanted to keep the power on their lives that God had given them.
The Man at the Gate
When Peter and John came near the Temple gate they saw a lame man sitting there begging. There was no one to take care of this poor old man, so he sat by the gate, hoping that the people who came to worship would be kind-hearted enough to give him a little money for food.
Peter and John were kind-hearted, but they did not have any money. What could they do for the poor man? Peter looked at him with sympathy, and said: "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” [ACT:3:6]).
Peter spoke with confidence. He knew that God would answer his prayer. He knew if he asked in the name of Jesus, the miracle would be wrought.
Greater Works
Jesus had said: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” [JHN:14:12]). When Jesus went to the Father, He sent the Holy Ghost; and it was through the power of the Holy Ghost that the disciples would be able to work miracles in the name of Jesus.
Peter now had the Holy Ghost, and he had so consecrated himself to the Lord's work that he could say to the lame man, "Rise up and walk.” What a strange thing to say to a man who had never walked in all his life! He probably hardly understood the words. Peter took hold of the lame man's hand, and helped him to rise. Immediately the man's feet and anklebones were strengthened, and he could walk – not haltingly like a cripple, but swiftly and smoothly. He even jumped.
The lame man was so happy to be healed that he went right into the Temple with Peter and John to say thank You to God. He knew who had healed him, and his heart overflowed with praises to the Heavenly Father who had answered the prayers of two faithful servants.
In the Name of Jesus
One reason that God had healed the cripple was that Peter and John had asked in the name of Jesus. Jesus had told His disciples: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” [JHN:14:13]).
The Pharisees did not want to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. But through the miracles that the disciples did in the name of Jesus, He was glorified as Deity. If they had prayed in the name of each other – as in the name of John, or of Peter, or even of Mary, the mother of Jesus – God would not have answered. They were ordinary people, like you and me. The only thing that was unusual about them was that they had so fully consecrated their lives to the service of God that they had faith enough to believe that God would make the lame man walk when they prayed in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John were not supermen. Neither was Elijah who had done things through prayer that no man could do by himself. James said: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” [JAM:5:17-18]).
Think what we could do in the name of Jesus if we prayed as earnestly as those men prayed! The Word tells us: "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” [JUD:1:3]). So we see that the Lord wants us to strive for such power.
What is most important to us today? Are we more interested in having the power of God upon our lives than we are in collecting things for ourselves? What receives the most of our attention – thought of how we can get more of the power of God, or thoughts of how we can better ourselves in the opinion of others? Are we more concerned about the Master's business than about our own?
The Thrill of Power
Do you think the man who was healed cared that Peter and John had no money? He had received something far greater than money could buy. Do you think Peter and John worried about being poor? The thrill of their life was to know that they were doing the will of God.
How excited the people were as they came running to see what had happened! Thousands of people gathered and they looked at Peter and John with amazement. What kind of men could these be that could make a lame man walk? This was another opportunity for the Apostles to preach about Jesus.
Peter was no longer afraid of people. He answered their questions by saying, "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?” If these men of Israel had believed in God as they said they did, they would have understood that Jesus was the Son of God, and that it was in His name this miracle had been wrought.
Jesus Denied
What pointed accusations Peter made to the people! "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life.” Was not that a terrible thing that these religious people had done?
But Peter's talk was not all accusations. It was true that these people had crucified Jesus, but they had done it ignorantly. Many of the scribes and Pharisees did not understand that Jesus was the Son of God. Peter still offered them hope if they would repent.
Jesus had gone to Heaven, and they could not undo what they had done to Him; but He was coming again, and they could prepare to meet Him the next time. After all, they were the chosen people; they were the children of Abraham with whom God had made the Covenant, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” God still wanted to use them to teach others the way of salvation.
The Words of the Prophets
In preaching about Christ, Peter was giving the people no new doctrine. He reminded them of the things the prophets had written during many hundreds of years that were passed. The people knew the words of the prophets. Why did they not see that those prophecies applied to Jesus?
Moses had said: "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” And the people should have been careful to listen to those words, for a warning went with them: "It shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” [ACT:3:22-23]). That Prophet was Jesus; and if they would not believe on Him they were going to be destroyed.
Samuel, and all the other prophets, too, had told about Jesus. Every prophet who had ever spoken had directly or indirectly told about the coming of Jesus. They had prophesied that He would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah, and that a king would try to destroy Him when He was a baby; and after He grew up His own people would turn against Him, would crucify Him, and He would rise again. All those things had happened just as they were written in the Books of the prophets.
The reason these Jews could not believe was that there was sin in their heart; but Peter was giving them a chance. They must repent, be sorry for their sins and turn from them, and then they would receive faith. Think of the mercy of God to these sinners! They were the ones who had crucified Jesus, and still the risen Christ had been sent first to the Jews to give them one more chance.
Some believed, but many did not. Because of their unbelief, they were besieged, about 35 years later, by a conquering army from Rome, and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. All through these many years since, the Jews have suffered untold persecution and hardships because they refused the Christ who had come to give them so much.
Questions
1. Where were Peter and John going when they saw the lame man?
2. What did Peter say to the man?
3. What happened when Peter took hold of his hand?
4. By what power did Peter work? and in whose name?
5. Of what did Peter accuse the Jews?
6. What chance did Peter give them?
7. What could the Jews do to help them believe on Jesus?
8. Do miracles still take place today?