9 ( G)And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 8 So he, ( F)leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-walking, leaping, and praising God. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: ( E)In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 2 And ( C)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, ( D)to ask alms from those who entered the temple 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And may you see Jesus as the one whom God has vested with all authority and who uses his power to forgive, heal, and bring us near.3 Now Peter and John went up together ( A)to the temple at the hour of prayer, ( B)the ninth hour. I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to see the God who has authority over every event, institution, and power. Like Peter, no matter who opposes or plots against us, we can proclaim Jesus with great boldness because we are no longer outcast beggars we are filled with the Spirit of God (Acts 4:25-26, 31). Instead, we are now the temple in which he is pleased to dwell. No longer do we beg outside the temple of God's presence. Our sins are not temporarily atoned for through daily sacrifices, but are now completely wiped out on Jesus' cross (Acts 3:19).įurthermore, we are made into new temples in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (Acts 4:31). We get to run into God's presence with leaps of joy (Hebrews 4:16). When we do, we don't have to beg anymore. Jesus comes to us as the apostles came to the beggar in Acts, and all we have to do is ask for help (Acts 3:3). This is good news for poor and helpless beggars like us. But Jesus is the final, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). Sacrifices had to be offered in the temple daily. Moreover, his atoning death fully accomplishes what the sacrifices of the temple hinted at. What the temple symbolized, Jesus actualizes. Because Jesus is God himself, he is also the fullest dwelling place of God. ![]() While standing in the temple that bears God's name (1 Kings 8:29), Peter says only one name can saveÑthe name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). The true temple is Jesus, whom they rejected and crucified (Acts 4:10). Peter quotes Psalm 118:22 to rebuke the them, saying, "Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone'" (Acts 4:11). The rulers had put their trust in their building but missed the point. The temple authorities are disturbed by this teaching, so they arrest Peter and John (Acts 4:3). Faith in Jesus' sacrificeÑnot animal sacrificesÑis what brings forgiveness and renewal (Acts 3:19). His resurrection from the dead is the proof (Acts 3:15). This bold claim is backed up when Peter shows that everything in the Old Testament, including the expectations of Abraham, Moses, and all the prophets, are fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 3:22-25). Healing and salvation are not found in the temple anymore, but in the name of Jesus. What power did Peter use to perform this miracle (Acts 3:12)? Peter explains that Jesus healed him (Acts 3:16). The onlookers are astonished (Acts 3:11). When Peter and John heal the man in Jesus' name, he immediately jumps up and leaps right into the temple courts (Acts 3:8). But this wrongly led to people with defects actually being kept out of the temple. The Law prohibited crippled animals from being sacrificed and disabled priests from serving (Leviticus 21:21). As Peter and John enter the temple to pray, they see a lame man begging outside the gates (Acts 3:2). The tension between Jesus and the temple comes to a head in Acts 3-4. The temple was the closest thing Israel had to the authority of a throne. ![]() With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles proclaim the reign of Jesus as the King who rose from the dead and now offers forgiveness of sins and his presence through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).īut what about the temple? This is where God's presence was supposed to dwell and the forgiveness of sins was offered.
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