Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mothe’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple
A modern maxim in regards to rules for happiness says that everyone needs something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for. This makes me think of many believers in Christ who should have joy and happiness because they have someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for, yet they lack the power, peace, and joy should come from such a life.
Acts 3:1-2 says, “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.” This was a bit reminiscent of something Peter and John had experienced with Jesus. In John 9, Jesus passed a man born blind from his mother’s womb, and the disciples asked, “Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” That is a lesson that Peter and John learned.
The story in Matthew 3 is a result of what Peter and John learned. They realized that this man born lame, as the other was born blind, was here to show forth the works of the risen Jesus, and that is what happened. Peter and John told him, “We don’t have silver and gold, but what we do have we give to you,” and then they commanded him in the name of Jesus to rise up. When he did, he leaped up, walked, entered the temple, leaped and praised God. All the people saw him walking and praising God. So, God was glorified.
What follows is a lot of conflict. The religious leaders came to Peter and John and objected to them preaching in Jesus’ name. They asked by what power and name they did that. That was the wrong question to ask because what followed was a powerful answer to that question and a powerful sermon about the resurrected Christ. But I want you to see that the things we need in life come from living beyond self.
If Peter and John had been merely living to make a name for themselves, to be happy, or to have rest, peace, or joy, they wouldn’t have been in the temple and in conflict with these men, yet they had peace, power, and all the things that one would wish to have. You don’t get happiness by seeking happiness. You get happiness and joy by seeking something else, seeking someone else. That someone else is the risen Jesus. Everywhere and all the time these disciples were preaching about the resurrected Christ.
This gave them three things in particular. First, it gave them power. In Acts 3:7 they raised this man from his condition, and people were “greatly wondering.” Peter said to them, “Ye men of Israel 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 walk?” Peter told them it was from the glorified Son, the holy one, the Prince of life whom God has raised from the dead. He is the one who did this. The power didn’t come from them. It wasn’t something they were seeking. It is something that came because they trusted in the risen Christ.
In Acts 4:7 the religious leaders said, “By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” The Bible says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said…” and Peter preached the resurrected Christ. Later on we are told they had great power and great grace and they witnessed of the resurrected Christ. So, the things in life we need come from living beyond self. They were living for Christ, therefore they had the power of Christ.
Second, they had boldness. In Acts 4:13 when the religious leaders and others saw “the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” The boldness they needed came from living beyond themselves. They lived for the message of the resurrected Christ.
In verse 29 Peter and John were threatened by the religious leaders for preaching in Jesus’ name. Instead of praying that God would lessen their problems, they prayed that God would increase their strength to match their problems. They prayed, “Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” Later, the Bible says they were “filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” So, Peter and John, and the disciples at large, had boldness, not because of a temperament or personality, but because they were living beyond themselves for the risen Christ.
Third, the unity we seek comes for living beyond ourselves. Verse 24 says they “lifted up their voice to God with one accord.” Verse 32 says, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.” What did they agree on? Did they agree on their favorite football team, favorite ice cream, or favorite preacher? No, they agreed upon the risen Christ.
The more I can agree, the more harmony I can have with a person, but the place to begin is Jesus Christ. So many things we need and lack come from trying to find happiness, joy, or peace in ourselves, what we like and enjoy. That is not what Peter and John were doing. They weren’t seeking ease or peace; they were seeking to proclaim the risen Christ. The power, boldness, and unity they personified were because of their determination to live beyond themselves and to proclaim the risen Christ. The things you need in life come from living beyond self.