Utterly Astonishing

Overview

The Miracle That Points Beyond Itself

When Peter and John encountered the lame beggar at the temple gate, Peter declared, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" Acts 3:6. The man stood, walked, and leapt praising God. A crowd quickly formed in Solomon's Portico, "utterly astonished" at what they had seen. But Peter immediately redirected their wonder. "Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" Acts 3:12. The miracle was never about the apostles—it was a sign meant to draw a crowd so they could hear the Word.

Peter then preached Jesus boldly, identifying Him as the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah 53—the one "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities." He did not soften the charge against his hearers: "You denied the Holy and Righteous One… and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead" Acts 3:14-15. Yet we cannot point fingers at the Jerusalem crowd alone. Scripture is clear that "all have sinned" and that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin's power Romans 3:9. Our sins, too, were nailed to the cross—and were also present in His resurrection victory over sin, death, and the devil.

Notice how the healing actually happened: by faith in Jesus' name. The beggar himself wasn't expecting to walk—he only asked for money. The faith at work was Peter's faith in the power of Jesus' name. Only afterward, leaping and praising God, did the man receive the gift of saving faith. This is true for us as well: "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8. Faith itself comes by hearing the Word of God Romans 10:17—which is precisely why God orchestrated the miracle to gather a crowd for preaching.

The healing was no sleight of hand. It was performed in the open, the man fully examined, his wholeness undeniable. And so is your salvation. The promise of being made righteous through Christ is no gimmick—"the righteous one, my servant, shall make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities" Isaiah 53:11. Examine it. Read the Word, ask questions, seek answers. You will find Jesus is no fraud, and the more deeply you look, the more you will discover how loved you are and how completely you have been made whole in His name. Be warned: you will be utterly astonished.

Transcript

Okay, I have a fun surprise for you today. 0s

I'm going to do magic. 3s

Nothing, my sleeves, nothing in my hands. 5s

There's going to be something in my hands. 8s

I have here a plain cup of water and a second plain cup of water. 9s

And I'm going to make this water end up in this cup. 16s

Are you ready? 20s

One, two, three. 21s

Ooh. 24s

Are you utterly astonished yet? 26s

Are you amazed by my power and incredible magical fortitude? 30s

Everyone loves magic. 39s

Everyone loves magic. 41s

A street magician will draw a crowd in a heartbeat. 43s

And what do we all say? 46s

When we see a good magic trick, a really good magic trick performance? 47s

We say, ooh. 52s

And we want to see more. 55s

And the more that we oo and awe, the more people gather around to see what's happening. 57s

And we want to know, how did you do that? 63s

How did you make that happen? 65s

What's the trick here? 66s

What's going on? 67s

And we want to know more and we want to see more. 67s

And people begin to really gather. 70s

And the more people gather, the more magician will pull more and more tricks out of his 72s

hat. 78s

And so to speak, and there's something really, really extraordinary and out of the 78s

norm happening. 83s

And people want an explanation. 85s

They want to know how you did that. 88s

Before Holy Week, we had, which began with Palm Sunday, we had a sermon titled validated 92s

from Pastor Eibel. 98s

And in it, we heard about a man who had been crippled from birth and he was begging for money 99s

at the temple gate. 105s

In verse 6, Peter goes to him and says, I have no silver and gold. 107s

But what I do have, I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. 111s

And the man who had been crippled, got up, and he could walk. 119s

And he began leaping about and he was praising God. 123s

Now, what Pastor Eibel's message was to us was that this healing miracle was a sign. 129s

That validated the truth of what was about to be preached. 137s

The miracle would be explained in God's Word. 142s

So what word was that? 147s

What was the word that Peter spoke that we heard in the first reading today out of 149s

Acts, which I'm going to invite you to open up your Bible to Acts chapter 3. 154s

If you have the Pue edition, it's page 105 in the New Testament. 160s

And we're going to look at this sermon that Peter proclaimed after healing the crippled beggars. 164s

So we will start with verse 11. 172s

It says, while he, the crippled man who had been healed, clung to Peter and John, all the people ran 176s

together to them in the portico called Solomon's portico. 183s

So Solomon's portico was an area where the rabbis and their disciples would meet. 187s

They would gather and the rabbis would teach their followers. 194s

And so here we have this crowd that is gathering because they have just seen something completely, 198s

completely out of the ordinary and they want to understand it. 206s

They want an explanation. 212s

They want to see it more. 214s

And the text says, they were utterly astonished. 215s

The miracle, the healing of this man that everyone knew as this crippled beggar crippled. 221s

Since birth, drew a crowd and they wanted to know more and see more and hear more about how this crippled man was not only walking, 229s

but leaping, dancing for joy because it was unbelievable. 242s

And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people. 252s

So Peter saw this crowd. 256s

He saw this group of people gathering together and he knew. 258s

He knew he needed to speak to them. 262s

He needed to use this opportunity to preach to them a crowd who was willing to hear him, 267s

willing to hear an explanation for what they had just witnessed in this crippled man walking. 274s

Peter also knew that this miracle was amazing, but the miracle itself would not bring anyone to Jesus. 283s

It would arouse some interest. 292s

And we know it did because it gathered a crowd, but Peter knew that saving faith didn't come by seeing or hearing about the miracle. 295s

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 305s

It's the word spoken about God. 309s

That's from Romans. 313s

The miraculous healing of the crippled man gave Peter that chance to address the crowd. 314s

And he begins by asking two questions. 321s

This is continuing in verse 12. 325s

You is realites. 327s

Why do you wonder at this? 329s

Or why do you stare at us as though by our own power and piety, we had made him walk? 331s

Peter began his sermon with two questions. 338s

Why do you wonder at this? 342s

And why do you stare at us as if we had anything to do with making this man walk? 344s

Why? 350s

Why? 352s

Why do you wonder at this? 353s

Peter has a couple of questions with this. 355s

First of all, what should make them marvel any more at this miracle than when Jesus had performed miracles before his death? 358s

They were owing and awying wanting to know more. 368s

But Jesus had performed miracles and they didn't seem to marvel so much at that. 373s

A lot of the same men who were marveling at Peter's healing of this crippled man. 378s

They had witnessed Jesus performing miracles and they had not been affected by them. 385s

They were not affected in a positive way wanting to learn more about this Jesus of Nazareth when he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. 389s

And yet here Peter heals a crippled man and they want to know. 401s

Second, if Jesus had healed all sorts of people when he walked the earth, why should it be strange that he would heal them from heaven? 407s

That he would continue healing people now that he was on the throne. 418s

Why? 425s

Do you wonder at this? 426s

His other question, Peter's other question, why do you stare at us as though our power and our 428s

entirety we made him walk? 434s

As if we've done anything, the moment that Peter saw the crowd owing and awying, ready to give praise and 436s

adoration to he and John, he stopped them. 444s

Peter says no, no, no, no, no. 447s

He makes it very clear that he has no power and no holiness in his own right. 449s

And I don't think that this was Peter merely being a humble servant of the Lord. 456s

He knew exactly who was at work in him and through him. 462s

Paul wrote in Philippians 2, 13, he said, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 469s

Peter and John were not so holy that they possessed special powers. 480s

And they were very aware that they were the instruments that God chose to use to deliver 486s

this healing miracle and even greater to deliver his healing word. 494s

Remember, this word was delivered because that crowd had gathered because of the miraculous healing. 501s

And Peter made the fact very clear that power and piety were not of men. 508s

God does not work for men to be glorified. 516s

God worked miracles to draw people to himself to have them hear the word. 521s

And even the crippled beggar, remember, this is the man who is healed. 527s

Even he does not give praise and glory to Peter or John, who is he leasing about praising. 531s

God, he is very clear on who has healed him. 537s

Man has no righteousness, no righteousness by which he can drum up the power to heal on his own. 543s

Verse 13, Peter continues, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, 552s

has glorified his servant Jesus. 562s

Peter began his sermon with an address of you Israelite. 566s

And now he's bringing it back to put it within the context of the Jewish belief system, the God of Abraham and Isaac. 571s

And Jacob, Israel, listen to me, Israel, your God has glorified his servant Jesus. 581s

This may not seem like a lot or like much, but the Israelite standing around, listening to Peter preach, 594s

they would be very familiar with this idea of a servant of the Lord. 602s

There was a servant, a suffering servant that was prophesied about in Isaiah. 609s

I'm going to read to you from Isaiah 53, and to whom about the suffering servant, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed, 616s

for he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground, he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, 625s

and no beauty that we should desire him. 633s

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hid their faces, 636s

he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 647s

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, 650s

smitten by God, and afflicted. 656s

But he was pierced for our transgressions. 659s

He was crushed for our equities. 661s

Upon him was the chastysmith that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 665s

All we like sheep have gone astray. 671s

We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 674s

This is the suffering servant, and Peter looks to the crowd. 684s

To the Jewish men of Israel, and he said, Israel, the servant is Jesus, and God has glorified this suffering servant, continuing in verse 13, 690s

the suffering servant whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 710s

But you rejected the Holy and righteous one, and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the author of life, 718s

whom God raised from the dead to this. 726s

We are witnesses. 729s

Peter is laying it out for the Jews in Jerusalem. 732s

He blames them. 737s

He is in the very city where the people had cried out, 740s

and he was cursed by him, cursed by him, and he is very possibly speaking to the leaders who had called for the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. 745s

Listen to this charge again. 760s

You handed him over. 764s

You rejected the Holy and righteous one. 766s

You chose a murderer to be released instead. 770s

You killed the author of life. 776s

Peter does not hold back to save anyone's feelings, and Peter does not hold back to keep from an uncomfortable situation. 782s

Peter was not afraid to confront them in their sin, 794s

and we hear him blaming these Jews in Jerusalem. 798s

But we, as 21st century people, cannot be too quick to get on that bandwagon with Peter and blame the Jews alone. 804s

Correct? 814s

God is not actually abandoning the Jews in this text. 815s

At this point in history, when Peter is preaching this sermon, 821s

the gospel would be in spread to the Jews first. 825s

In Romans, it says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. 831s

First, to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 841s

We cannot carry the same blame of the Jews into today because we know that both Jews and Gentiles are to blame for the death of Jesus. 848s

He died for all sin. 861s

Romans, 39, Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 864s

Romans, 610, the death he died, he died to sin once for all. 870s

First John 7, the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us all from sin. 876s

So though we were not historically standing in the flesh, in that place, in that moment in Jerusalem, 884s

shouting crucified him, crucified him, our sin was certainly with Jesus as he was nailed to the cross, 892s

crucified him all the same. 901s

Just as no man is exempt from the death of Jesus, no man is exempt from the love of God. 907s

And our sins, while they certainly were being nailed to the cross with Jesus, 917s

those sins were also present when Jesus was resurrected, overcoming our sin, 923s

overcoming death, the devil, evil are sin. 932s

It's through the love of God that that crippled beggar was healed. 938s

And it was through the love of God that Peter could preach the life-saving word to those who had previously hated Jesus. 942s

And we come to verse 16, and by faith in his name, his name itself had made this man strong. 952s

This beggar was made whole by faith in the name of Jesus. 963s

But if you remember, when we meet this crippled beggar, when he saw Peter and John for the first time, 972s

what did he ask for? He asked for money. He wanted money. 979s

He had no picture in his mind of being able to walk. 987s

He wouldn't even have that thought. 992s

So we can surmise that the man didn't actually have faith, per se, certainly not faith in the name of Jesus. 994s

But there was faith present, Peter and John had faith. 1004s

Peter's words to the crippled beggar were in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. 1013s

Peter knew the power of Jesus' name. 1023s

Peter knew that it was the name of Jesus alone that could make this man whole. 1026s

Jesus alone has the power and holiness to bring healing. 1033s

And when the man was healed, he did have faith. He did. 1038s

And it was faith in the Lord. Remember, he was leaping and praising God. 1043s

He was given that gift of faith, not only believing in that healing, but faith in the source of his healing. 1049s

His healing was a gift from God. 1061s

Just as his faith was a gift, our faith is also a gift from the Lord. 1064s

In Ephesians 2, verse 8, it says, for by grace you have been saved through faith. 1070s

And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. 1075s

By faith, this man has been healed. This man, we're picking up with Peter again. 1084s

This man whom you see a no. 1091s

And the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. 1094s

There was nothing secretive about this healing. 1102s

Everyone knew who this crippled beggar was. He was an everyday sight at the temple gate. 1106s

The miracle of the healing was done in the wide open. 1114s

There was nothing hidden about it. The people in the crowd could look at and touch the beggar completely examining his healing. 1118s

There was no crazy trick happening. No crazy magic, no slight of hand. 1128s

If I were to invite you up to see my magic, I would quickly be found out to be a fraud or a phony. 1135s

I will prove it to you. I know this is going to be you know hard proof. 1146s

I have a false bottom on the cup. It's a trick. I fooled you. It's all phony. 1150s

Close examination. Not even close examination. Just a little look at this. Tell you, I am not a magician. 1159s

But there was no magic trick happening with Peter's healing. 1167s

Because the power of God is not a trick. 1172s

The people examine the beggar and found him to be in perfect health. 1178s

And the utterly astonishing action was not that a crippled man could walk. 1183s

The utterly astonishing action was that Jesus had made him whole in mind, body and spirit through Peter. 1190s

Throughout the book of Acts, we find God acting in a very purposeful way. 1200s

He purposely gave power of a healing miracle to Peter in order for Peter to purposefully preach his word, his healing word. 1208s

Men and women were purposefully given the opportunity to hear the word of the Lord in order to bring about their faith. 1219s

My brothers and sisters, we are a crowd gathered here this morning to hear the word of the Lord. 1231s

I invite you to hear his word right now from Isaiah 53 verse 11. 1240s

The righteous one, my servant shall make many righteous and he shall bear their inequities. 1247s

The righteous one, Jesus, bore your inequities to make you righteous. 1255s

You are made whole through the power of Jesus. 1266s

It is an a trick and there is no gimmick. 1271s

This is the public plot proclamation for you. 1276s

And just as the Jews were given the opportunity to examine the miracle of the beggars healing, I invite you to examine the miracle of your salvation. 1281s

Read the word, read through your word, ask your questions, seek your answers because you will find that Jesus is not a fraud. 1294s

He is not a phony. 1309s

And the promise of salvation through him is not a silly magic trick. 1312s

And you will find that every single time the word is revealed to you, you will find how loved you are and how you have been made whole by the sweet, sweet name of Jesus. 1318s

But I must warn you. 1334s

There warning, you need to be prepared that you will absolutely be utterly astonished. 1336s

Amen. 1345s

Thank you. 1360s