The Gate Beautiful

The Bible is an amazing document. We can read through the words written so many centuries ago and gain an understanding about life in 21st century. You can get revelation about what God has for your life, even though you’re not specifically mentioned.

I am convinced that those who make the argument that, “the Bible was written by men, and so it can’t be the inspired word,” of God have never read it. How can this be true when it has so many connections and references to the Messiah: When it has all the foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, written hundreds of years before His birth; all of the rituals that are chronicled that speak of the death and resurrection

In this post I want to examine one porton of scripture for how it speaks to us in the twenty-first century, more than two thousand years after it happened.

Act 3:1-13
And on the same day Peter and John went up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. (2) And a certain man, who was lame from his mother's womb, was being carried. And they laid him daily at that temple gate which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered into the temple. (3) Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. (4) And fastening his eyes on him, Peter with John said, Look on us! (5) And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. (6) But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! (7) And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength. (8) And leaping up, he stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. (9) And all the people saw him walking and praising God. (10) And they recognized him, that it was him who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (11) And as the lame one who was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. (12) And seeing this, Peter answered the people, Men, Israelites, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made this man to walk by our own power or holiness? (13) The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His son Jesus, whom you delivered up, denying Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to let Him go.

The Apostles’ Ties to Their Roots

The first thing that I’d like to examine is that these men were tied to their roots. In the text we find them on their way to prayer. Peter and John are no longer Jews in the sense of religion. They are now believers in Jesus as Messiah, the savoir sent by God. So now they’re Christians. They have accepted the Messiah. The law no longer binds them, because they have been justified by their faith in Him. But yet they are still involved in prayer at the temple. Don’t forget that the beginnings of the New Testament church was Jewish. They’re still meeting daily at the temple courts.

Act 2:46-47
And continuing with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

They wouldn’t cast off their Jewish identity because they accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Christianity isn’t the end of the Judaism it’s the fulfillment of their faith. For centuries, prophets predicted Jesus as the Messiah that was sent to deliver them.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7) There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.

The problem is that they missed Him, they didn’t recognize Jesus as the one who was predicted. They were looking for another type of Messiah; a political one.

But Peter and John recognized this in their lifetimes. They knew that Jesus was the Messiah who had come for us. They knew that He was God among men. They knew that they had seen the fulfillment of the prophecies and rituals come to life before them. Can you imagine how exciting it must have been for them to realize that the Messiah they had waited for, for so long had been revealed? All of their lives they had been taught to expect Him; all of their lives they had heard the words of the prophets and now they were actually seeing them come to life, right before their eyes. It must have been a terribly exciting time to be alive for a believing Jew.

One time Brenda and I had an opportunity to go to Tombstone Arizona. This is a very famous part of the American history of the old west. This is the place where the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, had his most famous gunfight with the Clanton Brothers at the OK Corral. I was standing in the very place where Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp, and Doc Holliday faced down the Clantons in that famous fight. I was excited. I had seen the movies, I had read about it, I was standing in the place where it had happened. But it was just history. No change had taken place in my life as a result of that gin battle. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I ever stood at the garden tomb, or on the hill Golgotha, or in the garden of Gethsemane.

That’s what it must have been like for them as they met God face to face: the One who had been prophesied; the One who had been foretold. Can you imagine how the preaching in the temple came alive after as saw some of those prophecies fulfilled?

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you. He is righteous and victorious, meek and riding on an ass, even on a colt, the son of an ass.

Matthew 21:1-9
And when they drew near Jerusalem, and had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, (2) saying to them, Go into the village across from you. And immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. (3) And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and immediately He will send them. (4) All this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, (5) "Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and sitting on an ass, even a colt the foal of an ass." (6) And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. (7) And they brought the ass, even the colt, and put their clothes on them, and He sat on them. (8) And a very great crowd spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them in the way. (9) And the crowds who went before, and those who followed, cried out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

Church must have really come alive for them. Their future was tied to their heritage. Our future is tied to our heritage. Have you ever heard the saying, “Learn from history or you’ll be doomed to repeat it?” We can learn from our heritage to enhance our future. Look at this scripture:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope

The word translated as future comes from the Hebrew word achar which is the same root for the word that means behind. In Hebrew the thought is that your future is something that is coming behind or following after.

You can get a word picture if you think of a man rowing a boat. He is facing where he has been and where he is going is at his back. He is looking backwards and moving forwards. If you look at it in that sense, where we have been is important to where we are going.

Of course many of us think, I've had a horrible past. I have lived my life in opposition to God. But if our past is linked to our future then we can’t be all that God calls us to be, without that influence from the past. God may want to use something in your past to minister to someone in your future. Your heritage plays an important part in who you are today. I can minister effectively to someone who is heading down the same path I went.

I once shared a testimony on a university campus. I shared with those students that I was once a university student. Like any university student I experimented with alcohol and drugs but I always thought it was all harmless fun, I wouldn’t get addicted. Ten years later I was a broken and hopeless alcoholic, on the very verge of suicide. I told them that some of them, even though they didn’t see it at the time, were on the same path I was on, because the university party scene was where I started drinking heavily. I was able to use my past to answer God’s call on my life.

Their Understanding of Their Calling

Secondly, I want to examine what they were doing at this moment and what that says about their calling as Christians. We can look at their example, here, and understand what was important to Jesus. These men are his disciples. A disciple is someone who has attached himself to a teacher. They are seeking to learn, but discipleship implies even more than that: Disciples are looking for an impartation from their teacher. Impartation literally means to bestow something. In other words they are looking for something to be laid into their lives; not just to be taught but that something be transferred to them so that they become like their teacher.

Next to our church in Riverside was a Kung Fu school, and often I would talk to the young men who frequented the place. I was struck with the words they spoke about the teacher. I would ask a question and they would answer with, “My master says…” or “Our master teaches…” One day, I asked one of the most faithful of them, “You want to be like your teacher, don’t you?” His response was, “Oh yeah!” This young man was a disciple, he was looking for more than knowledge, he was looking for impartation.

Jesus has imparted something into these men, Peter and John, about the importance of their ministry. Look at verses three through six of our text:

Acts 3:3-6
Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. (4) And fastening his eyes on him, Peter with John said, Look on us! (5) And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. (6) But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!

Their ministry is about people, not about being in church, although we notice they are on their way to the temple. The word ministry literally means to serve; a minister is a servant.

Once our church choir was invited to a choir competition with a number of other churches in our city. The sponsoring church made a big fuss over the pastors who attended. They had set up a section right in the front where they sat the pastors. It was like first-class on an airplane and they provided comforts that they didn’t provide to everyone. I learned something from my pastor’s reaction, he was so uncomfortable that after a few minutes, he got up and went and sat with the other people in our church. His priority was about ministering to the needs of people. It wasn’t about his ego, in fact, it wasn’t about him at all. That’s how Jesus was too. He focused on the needs of the people. He put Himself at risk to minister to the blind, the lame and the deaf.

Luke 6:6-11
And it happened, also on another sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered. (7) And the scribes and Pharisees watched him to see if He would heal on the sabbath day, so that they might find an accusation against Him. (8) But He knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, Rise up and stand in the middle. And he arose and stood. (9) Then Jesus said to them, I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil, to save life, or to destroy it? (10) And looking around on them all, He said to the man, Stretch out your hand! And he did so. And his hand was restored whole like the other. (11) And they were filled with madness, and talked with one another as to what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi, He understood the law. He knew the Pharisees would see it as a violation to heal this man on the Sabbath. But His regard was for the man who suffered. This beggar stopped Peter and John, as they hurried into the temple, and they focused all their attention on him.

There was a liquor store very near the church in Riverside, and homeless men would stand near the liquor store or the church and beg. Everyday when we went into the church we would have to pass them to get into the church and there was an interesting thing that happened. People would bring them food, they would give them money, and they came and ate with them. Some people said they wanted to experience what the homeless men experience, everyday. These things were nice. They ministered to these homeless men on one level, but they never offered them what they needed most: The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Peter and John have surely seen this beggar before. The Bible says he was brought to the temple everyday. But on this day when the beggar speaks to them he can’t even look at them because he’s ashamed. They tell him, “Look at us.” The beggar feels worthless, Peter doesn’t give him money, he reaches into his life and lifts him up. He gives him a whole new lease on life.  The people who fed and comforted the homeless men in Riverside, gave them food and comfort that would help them in that day, but never the new lease on life that only Jesus can give.

Peter and John understood what it is to be a minister of the Gospel. They understood that it was about serving people, not with the material things (although there is a place for that) but serving them with the thing can meet all of their needs.

Our church isn’t involved with all the “Christian” causes. We aren’t boycotting products, we aren’t protesting in front of abortion centers. We aren’t doing any of those things. Why? We are here to preach Salvation through Jesus Christ, if the people we deal with come to a place of salvation and deliverance, then all those other things will take care of themselves. I’m not saying those things are bad, or that people shouldn’t do them, but the focus of ministry is conversion. Conversion will change behavior in a way that these other things can’t. Look at the reaction of this beggar as Peter reached down and pulled him to his feet.

And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength. (8) And leaping up, he stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

He leapt up and went into the temple to worship God. I bet worship service had a whole new power for him, as well.

The Beggar’s Testimony

Finally, I want to consider one last point and this concerns the beggar more than Peter and John.

Act 3:9-10
And all the people saw him walking and praising God. (10) And they recognized him, that it was him who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Have you ever considered your testimony? This is the thing we have; this is what God has done for us. This is what he has given each of us, specifically. What you have been given by God is most likely different from what He has given me. I was delivered from the sin that was specific to my life and you were forgiven from that sin specific to yours. Your testimony of God’s grace and mercy is different from mine.

In our text, this man receives the ability to walk. He has been lame from birth; from the womb. Everyone knew him as the beggar from the Gate Beautiful. They have seen him for years, lame and begging at the gate. Here he is walking, leaping and praising God. They were filled with amazement and wonder. Do you realize that people look at YOU that way? You're the person they knew from the bar or prison or wherever your sin took you. Now they see you well and living for God you’re life completely changed and they’re amazed.

A few years back, my wife and I had dinner with a woman that knew me in high school. She couldn’t get over the fact that I was a pastor, because she knew how I was before. She knew how I lived; she was involved in some of the sin in my life. She knew me well. She could see the profound change that had taken place in my life and she was amazed. That night it struck me how important my testimony is, because in seeing the change in me, someone who is hurting and enslaved by sin can envision a change in his or her own life.

People are convinced that they can’t change. They’re convinced that they’re stuck with who they’ve become. . But we who have experienced the power of Jesus Christ understand that there is a lasting change that can come into our lives. That change that is so evident in us can become a beacon of hope for others.

That’s why it is so important that we guard our testimonies: That we always protect the change that has taken place in our lives. If we stumble publicly and destroy our testimony, we may shatter the hope that someone else has. They may say, “See, I told you it was too good to be true.” That’s the tragedy of people who have destroyed their testimonies and been caught in some gross sin. They have brought a reproach on the Gospel and other people will throw it at you when you tell them you’re living for Jesus. Have you ever heard this, “I know this guy who said he was saved but then I see him doing…” I’ve heard that recently, too many times. Our testimony is a gift from God and we need to protect it so that others will find hope in it. Those that surrounded Peter, John and the beggar were greatly wondering, and people are looking at your life and wondering, “Can that work for me, too.” People are watching you, not because they hope you will fail, but because they hope that you won’t.

I want to leave you with one final thought.

Acts 3:12-13
And seeing this, Peter answered the people, Men, Israelites, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made this man to walk by our own power or holiness? (13) The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His son Jesus, whom you delivered up, denying Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to let Him go.

Peter and John took no credit for this miracle. God didn’t heal the beggar to make Peter and John look good. He didn’t do it because they were good people and He wanted to give them credibility. He did it because He’s a sovereign God.

Exodus 33:19
And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.

We are just lucky that he uses us for his work. It’s a privilege to be used by God; to be a part of what He wants to do in the lives of other people. We were rebels, liars, cheaters and fornicators, but He has chosen us to be the instruments of His will.