TEXT: Acts 3:1-21
DID you ever see a big gate? A pretty gate? In the city of Jerusalem there was a most beautiful gate. It was near the Temple Church. It was not a little gate. It was so big that it took many men, big men like your daddy, to open it and close it. It was so heavy!
This gate had a shiny, shiny gold look. It had all kinds of pretty stone-rocks in it. Wouldn’t you like to walk through this gate and go to the Temple Church?
Two helpers of Jesus were walking to this beautiful gate, Peter and John. They were going into the church. It was in the afternoon.
Peter and John stopped. What did they see? A lame man, a man who could not walk at all. He had to be carried by his friends and put down by the gate. He could not stand on his feet. He would fall down. Poor man! He had to lie there and ask people for money so he could have something to eat. Every day his friends would carry him and put him down by the gate. He did not even know what it felt like to walk, and now he was a big man.
People were coming into the church. They saw this man all the time. Some of the people gave him money. Peter and John saw the man, too. They stopped and looked at him and talked to him.
At first, when the man looked at Peter, he thought: Maybe this man will give me some money. Peter told the man he did not have any money to give him. Peter did something much better than give him money.
Peter looked at the man. The man looked at Peter. Peter said that he had no money but he had something better. He said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Just think of that! Peter reached out and took hold of the lame man’s right hand and helped him stand up. The man’s feet got strong. His ankles got strong. He stood all by himself for the very first time in all his life.
The man could hardly believe he was well. He walked and then he ran. Yes, he was healed! He was well! How happy he was! He started to praise and thank God for making him well.
He had never walked into the Temple Church. Now he walked with Peter and John right into the church. He did not have to be carried by his friends any more. He did not have to ask people for money any more. God had made him well.
Of course all the people had seen this man by the beautiful gate. They knew that he could not walk before but now he was well and strong and walking with Peter and John. Perhaps they turned to listen as he thanked God.
There is a big, big porch by the Temple Church. Peter and John and the man walked together out on this big, big porch. All the people went out on the porch, too. They stood and looked and looked at the man who used to lie by the gate. They did not know who made him well, but all of a sudden he was well and there he was.
Peter turned around and saw the people standing there. “Why are you looking at us?” Peter said. The people probably thought it was Peter and John who made the man well. Peter did not want them to think that. He wanted them to know that it was God who had done it. Just God, and no one else.
Peter talked to the people. He told them all about Jesus. He told them Jesus was in Heaven now, but when Jesus was in the Temple Church they did not treat Him very nice. Jesus was taken out and put on the cross. They knew about that. Peter told the people that Jesus wanted them to be sorry for the bad things they had done and to pray and ask Jesus to forgive them, so that they could see Jesus in Heaven some day.
Jesus wants you to pray, too. You are never too little to pray. Jesus loves the little children. When you get sick or hurt Jesus will make you well. Someone can help you pray like Peter helped the lame man and you will get well.
Do not forget to say “Thank You” to Jesus when He makes you well. Jesus likes to hear you thank Him for the good things He gives you.
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