· Peter and John Encounter the Lame Man (Acts 3:1–3).
o The ninth hour (3:00 PM) was one of the two main times of corporate prayer at the Temple.
o The Beautiful Gate is only mentioned here in the New Testament.
- Most likely, it was either the Corinthian Gate or the Nicanor Gate.
o The Crippled Man
- Lame from his mother’s womb/his entire life.
· He had been lame for 40 years (Acts 4:22).
- This man was totally dependent on others to carry him and place him at the gate of the Temple so he could beg for alms.
- Day after day people passed him by to go into the Temple to pray.
· Do you think this man prayed? Do you think he felt like God wasn’t listening to his prayers for healing?
- This man was not allowed in the Temple courts to pray because of his disability.
· Leviticus 21:17–20
- For 40 years, this man was kept outside the Temple and not allowed to pray with everyone else.
- The lame man was viewed as a sinner and looked down upon.
· John 9:1–2

· Peter and John See the Man (Acts 3:4–5)
o Peter “fixed his gaze” on the man.
- Peter saw this man and looked intentionally at him.
o The man does not return eye contact, because Peter has to say “look at us”!
- Peter wanted the lame man to know that he is seen.
o The lame man looks at Peter and John, expectantly; he thinks they are going to give him alms.

· The Lame Man is Healed (Acts 3:6–7)
o Peter tells the man, “We don’t have any money to give you.”
- What do you think went through the lame man’s mind when Peter said this?
o Peter tells the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk.”
- What do you think went through the lame man’s mind when Peter said this?
o Peter grabs the man’s right hand, pulls him up, and he is healed.

· The Healed Man’s Response (Acts 3:8–10)
o The healed man stands upright, leaps, and walks!
o The healed man praises God!
o Notice what verse 8 says: “and he entered the Temple with them.”
- The man, now healed, was no longer excluded from entering the House of God! For the first time in his life, he could approach the Temple to pray with everyone else! He was ushered into the presence of the King, because King Jesus the Messiah healed him.
o This story has parallels with another story from the Old Testament.
- Jonathan, King Saul’s son, had a son of his own named Mephibosheth who was crippled when he was a child (2 Samuel 4:4).
- King David wants to bless one of Saul’s family members and finds out that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth is still alive (2 Samuel 9:1–8).
o David gives Mephibosheth all of Saul’s land and declares that Mephibosheth will always eat at his table. (2 Samuel 9:11–13).
o The lame man in Acts 3 was seen and sought out by the King, healed, and ushered into the King’s house, just like Mephibosheth.
o The miracle in Acts 3 astonished people who recognized the healed beggar.
- This miracle once again draws the attention of the crowd so that Peter can share the message of Jesus.

Application:
Do you ever feel like the lame beggar?
· Do you ever feel overlooked and passed by? As if others have all the opportunities and special access to God, while you are sitting over on the side, begging the Lord for something that never seems to happen?
o Do you know that Jesus sees you and knows you and cares for you, even when it seems like you’re invisible to others?
o The God of the universe is intimately acquainted with your needs, requests, hurts, and struggles, and He sees you.

Don’t allow the delay of your deliverance to discourage you or to steal your joy in the Lord.
· Deliverance will come (Isaiah 35:4–6).

The lame man didn’t receive what he asked for; he received what he really needed.
· Is it possible that what you are longing for or what you think will fix your hurts and pains is much too small? Is it possible God has something greater in mind? Maybe God is working in your life to give you what you really need, instead of what you are asking for/what you think you need.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. -Ephesians 3:20–21