Peter and John have arrived at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple where they have pronounced God’s healing on a man crippled from birth who had been carried there by family or friends in order to beg for alms.

Chapter three verses nine through eleven: Note that “all the people saw him” walking, etc. God does not operate “in a corner.” Whether He is healing, feeding, casting out demons, sending floods, earthquakes or tornadoes and hurricanes–everything is done for all to see. See Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Note also that the people entering the Temple at the hour of prayer knew who the healed man was, having seen him there many times over the years. When they saw what had happened they “came running” to where he was. Seeing him “walking and leaping and praising God” they were “filled with wonder and amazement.” Compare their reaction to that of the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes as described throughout the New Testament. Later, a disciple named Stephen would be stoned to death by their followers for performing miracles in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Eventually eleven of the apostles, along with Paul, would be martyred for the same reason. Why? Because their Words and actions placed God in charge of all things spiritual. We see that religious man’s desire to replace God as the determiner of right and wrong is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve assumed that power for themselves by defying their Maker’s commands. Nothing has changed.

The healing of the crippled man and the people’s reaction to it took place in Solomon’s Porch, an 800 foot long area attached to the Temple proper which had been left standing when Nebuchadnezzer’s Babylonian army took the House of Judah (the Jews) into captivity. It is believed to have been spared because of its beauty.

Let us examine the lame man’s reaction to being healed: He stood by his own power for the first time in his life. He walked, leaped and praised God as further proof of his miraculous healing. Due to the commotion the Lord’s disciples had stirred up in the city, he obviously knew who Peter and John were and how the authorities viewed them. Nevertheless, he held on to them, thereby identifying himself with them. Having no known mental problems, he undoubtedly knew that there would be repercussions for doing so, not only for himself but for his parents also. This later proved to be the case. L.J.