Sometimes, some of us face situations that seem hopeless. When things seem hopeless, we need something amazing to happen.
When we lose a job, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we have a sick or hurting loved one, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we have a loved one who is not following the Lord, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we don’t know how we’re going to feed our family, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we feel that political leaders lack integrity, compassion, and wisdom, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen. When we are frightened, distressed, or lost, we may feel hopeless; we need something amazing to happen.
In Acts 3:1-10, we’re going to hear about a man who was in a seemingly hopeless situation, but then something amazing happened. Today’s sermon is entitled “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.
(prayer)
You may remember from the last sermon in the book of Acts that the early Christians were very much still Jewish. So, they continued to practice Jewish acts, such as going to the temple to pray.
In today’s passage, Peter and John (two of the original followers of Jesus) are walking to the temple and encounter a man who needed hope.
Let’s look at the passage together and see what happens. Look at Acts 3:1-10:
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. 2 A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. 4 Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.
Pay attention to this, church: We hear this pivotal phrase mentioned by Peter in verse 6: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
Indeed, this phrase gives us the title for today’s sermon.
Speaking of this title, you may remember at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, it was said in John 1:46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Yet, here we are after the ministry of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the ascension of Jesus back into heaven, and powerful ministry is being done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
There is something powerful about the name of Jesus the Messiah from the city of Nazareth!
So, let’s see in this passage three provisions that are given to us through the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
First, . . .
I. The name of Jesus provides hope.
Imagine this man, absolutely hopeless that he will be healed. Here he is sitting at the gate to the temple with thousands of people passing him, and he is begging simply for survival.
This man was desperate, and he couldn’t even make his own way to the temple gate; others had to carry him there. He had been unable to walk since he was born.
He had no hope for walking, no hope for work, no hope for a life free from begging. Yet, at the name of Jesus, we read in verse 8 that this man “ jumped up and started to walk.”
The name of Jesus provided hope for this man.
All of a sudden, where there was no hope, he now had hope. Once, he was lame; now he is walking, jumping, and praising God.
We don’t know these details, but perhaps this man could now get a job to earn a living. Perhaps this man could now have a wife and children. We do know this much: this man no longer had to beg because he was unable to walk.
This man was changed by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The name of Jesus provides hope.
Second, . . .
II. The name of Jesus provides for our greater need.
What did this man think his immediate need was? He was begging for money, right?
Verse 3 says, “When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money.”
This man may had given up all hope of walking. He probably thought that walking was no longer a possibility. After all, he had been lame since birth.
What this man thought he needed was money, just so he could survive.
However, money was not this man’s greatest need, was it?
How many of you know that God knows what we really need?
We may think we really need a little more money ourselves, like this man did, but that’s not what we really need. We may think that we need acceptance from our friends, but that’s not what we really need. We may think that we need a significant other in our lives, but that’s not what we really need. We may think that we need better health, but that’s not what we really need.
The only way we can get what we really need is through the powerful name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
Much more important than money for this man was healing. So also, much more important than healing for any of us is an experience with Jesus.
This passage continues into what I’ll preach next time (Lord willing), where Peter uses this moment of healing as a platform upon which he can stand to proclaim the repentance of sins found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As pastors, we talk about the Bible among ourselves at times, and Pastor Richard will often say, “All healing is temporary.” You see, as amazing as this was, this man was only experiencing temporary healing by being given the ability to walk. In other words, this man is not alive on the earth, walking today nearly 2,000 years later.
What this man really needed was forgiveness of sins found in the powerful name of Jesus of Nazareth. That is truly amazing!
God is sometimes gracious to give us provision, and we should be grateful for that. God is sometimes gracious to give us healing, and we should be grateful for that. God is sometimes gracious to give us courage, peace, joy, and more, and we should be grateful for those blessings.
However, God knows that what we need more is forgiveness of sins found in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
That takes us to our final point . . .
III. The name of Jesus provides amazement.
Look at verses 9 and 10 again:
9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.
The people were filled with awe and astonishment at what happened to him. The power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, seen in the ministry of His apostles was awesome, astonishing, and amazing!
Listen, church: The healing of this man was amazing in and of itself. It’s always amazing when someone is healed.
However, this healing also brought a public witness to the power of God and to the work of God through His apostles.
The healing pointed the people to something greater. The healing was not the end-all. The healing was amazing, but what is more amazing is that there is a power and authority that can bring about healing instantaneously. That’s what’s more amazing!
Physical healing is not the goal; Jesus is the goal!
The physical healing pointed to the reality that Jesus is King!
You may recall this story from the ministry of Jesus while He was on the earth. Matthew 9:1–6
says:
So he got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. Just then some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “He’s blaspheming!” Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts? For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he told the paralytic, “Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”
What was Jesus pointing people to in this passage? The healing was amazing! The fact that the man could now walk was amazing!
However, Jesus is pointing to something that is more amazing. Jesus said, “So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
It’s amazing that Jesus can heal, but what’s more amazing is that He has the authority to forgive sins!
When Jesus heals, we should be amazed! When Jesus provides, we should be amazed! When Jesus comforts, we should be amazed! Most of all, when Jesus forgives our sins, takes us from being enemies of God, and makes us sons and daughters of God, we should be amazed!
Now, some may look at this story and wonder if the power of Jesus can still heal the way we see in this passage.
Let me be crystal clear: the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth can do anything! God has the authority and the power to do anything that He wants to do.
Yet, among most Christian churches today, we don’t see this kind of physical healing. Often, when we do see claims of fantastical physical healing, they are taking place among ministries that are led by charlatans who are seeking money and power.
So, what do we make of all this?
Some people say that these types of miracles were only for the time of the early church.
I think there’s something to be said about the fact that most of these phenomenal miraculous healings took place among Jesus and the apostles. However, the Bible doesn’t actually say that healings were only for Jesus and the apostles, and even if the number of miraculous healings were more concentrated during the time of Jesus and the apostles, that doesn’t mean God is done providing miracles.
I do know this: I want to see more and more of the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! I want to be more amazed at the work of Jesus.
I also know this: God can do whatever He wants, and He does whatever He pleases. He has the ability and the authority.
So, let us not focus on what we think God can’t do. Let us focus on what we know God can do: anything He wants to do.
Let’s also reflect upon this bottom line for today:
Bottom Line: The name of Jesus accomplishes amazing things.
The man in this passage seemingly had no hope, but there is always hope with Jesus.
There is always hope that God can and will do amazing things in your life. He may heal you physically, He may provide for a need you have, but He will always be willing to do the most amazing thing in your life: forgive you of your sins and make you new in Jesus.
All healing is temporary, except the spiritual healing found in the blood of Jesus. That will make you new forever.
Challenge yourself this week in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Ask God to do something amazing through you.
What if we each asked God to do something amazing through us, we had the faith that He could do it, we trusted Him to do what He wanted, and we left the results up to Him? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Church, God is still in the business of doing amazing things, so ask Him to do something amazing through you this week.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Ask God to do something amazing through our church.
How incredible would it be for our community to know that God does amazing things through our church?
God wants to work through our church, God wants to do amazing things, and God wants to use our church to lift high the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
The most amazing thing that God has ever done was through Jesus, through His life, death, burial, and resurrection from the dead.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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