Acts: The Kingdom Advances - Week 6 (3:1-26)
Acts 3:1-26
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Acts 3:1-26
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Acts 3:1-26 〰️ Acts 3:1-26 〰️
This week’s passage continues the tales of the Acts of the Apostles, the spread of the Gospel, and the growth of the church. Last week, we focused on the church’s growth and the response to Peter’s sermon, with many coming to saving faith in Christ, responding with faith, and seeking baptism. This week, we have two sections of the passage, beginning with Peter and John encountering a man who was lame and his miraculous healing. Regardless of where we stand individually on the working of the Holy Spirit in and through us today, this passage makes it clear that healing came from the Lord. Peter uses this opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus: that He was the Son of God (v13), that He was killed because of (and for) humanity’s sins (v14), and that He was raised to life (v15). Peter then connects these together in v16, telling the crowd that “the faith that comes through Jesus has given [the lame man] this perfect health.”
Something we say over and over at King’s Table Church is that the Bible is a unified story that points to Jesus. All Scripture points to the Son of God, and the underscoring theme of this truth is that all of God’s Word has connecting threads. Here’s a really cool chart showing the 63k+ cross-references in the Bible, both within and across the Old and New Testaments, with each arc depicting a single cross-reference.
In this passage, especially, there are some cool parallels between Peter and John’s exchange with the man who was lame and the interactions in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Something that we see over and over during His ministry is Jesus giving something deeper and more transformative in response to their asking for something (that appears) simple. In Mark 2:1-12, we see the faith of the friends of the paralyzed man. They brought him to Jesus to be healed, but Jesus first tells Him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v5). Only after this does Jesus grant the man physical healing.
We see a similar story in Luke 19:1-6, where Zacchaeus simply wanted to get a glimpse of Jesus, only to eventually have “salvation come to [his] house.” (v9).
Again, in John 4:1-26, the Samaritan woman comes to the well seeking ordinary water, but finds “living water” in Jesus. “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” (v13-14).
And there are many other examples! Over and over in the Gospels, we read of people coming to Jesus for healing or for something earthly, only to receive more than they asked for. Paul phrases this beautifully in his letter to the church at Ephesus, telling us that Christ can do “above and beyond all that we ask or think.” (3:20). The power of Jesus goes far beyond what our limited, finite imaginations can conceive! We seek earthly healing or answers to temporary troubles, but Christ offers eternal restoration and unity with Him. They came to Jesus seeking healing or temporary restoration, but through the miracles of His agents (both Jesus and the Apostles) He gave them something greater: salvation and restoration to the Father. This was the whole focus of Jesus’ ministry and is the whole message that the Church—both here in Acts and for us today—brings. God desires more from you than just what you can bring, whether that be labor, resources, devotion, or prayer; He’s after your heart. And He desires more for you than just temporary alleviation in this life. He wants restoration for His people.
So what could it look like for us to respond to this as God’s people? Well, for most of us, there’s a high likelihood of non-believers in our community groups, and a story like this can be an amazing opportunity for deeper Gospel conversations. A question we could ask one another, and ourselves, is “What is my actual need?” Are we seeking an easier life, earthly relief, or a brighter outlook? Or are we deeply aware of our sin and separation from the perfect Creator and seek to be restored to Him? As we survey these stories, Jesus does not promise to supply our every earthly need, as we’re painfully aware of, living in a sinful world. Our Savior does not promise earthly relief, but eternal life and salvation. That is the true gift of Christ!
Discussion Questions
Could someone read Acts 3:1-26 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
How does Peter’s interaction with the lame man in Acts reflect similar moments from Jesus’ ministry? (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 19:1-10; John 4:1-26)
In what ways did these people receive more than they asked for when encountering Jesus and the Holy Spirit through the Apostles?
How can suffering or need become an opportunity for us to approach Jesus and seek deeper transformation?
One of our values as a church is to care for the vulnerable. As a community group, how would we care for people’s physical needs in a way that could point them to spiritual hope in Christ?