Acts 3:1–4:22
One day Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray when they saw a lame man being carried to the place where he begged money from people going into the temple. When he saw Peter and John, he asked them for money. Peter looked right at the man and said, “Look at us.” The lame man thought Peter would give him money. Instead, Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold. I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk.”
Peter reached down and helped the man up. Immediately, his feet and ankles grew strong. He jumped up and started walking, jumping, and giving praise to God! The people who saw the man were filled with wonder and were amazed at what had happened to him. Others ran toward him to see what was happening. Peter began to tell the crowd about Jesus. He explained that although the people killed Him, Jesus rose from the dead. Peter told how he himself had seen those things. Peter preached to them about the need to repent of their sins and to turn to God. About 5,000 men who heard Peter’s message believed in Jesus that day. The priests and the temple guards came to Peter and John. They were upset that the disciples were teaching about Jesus. They took Peter and John to jail for the night.
The next day, the priests questioned Peter and John. Finally, they tried to convince the men to quit teaching about Jesus. Peter and John answered, “Do you think it would be right to listen to you or to God? We cannot help but tell what we have seen and heard.”
The priests let Peter and John go because they couldn’t decide how to punish them. All the people were praising God for healing the man who had been lame for more than 40 years.
What do you like to talk about? Usually, people like to talk about things that excite them, things that are important to them, and things that are going on in their lives.
When I was growing up, each day after school my parents would ask me about my day. What did I do? What did I learn? Was it a good day? On days that something exciting had happened, I started talking right when I got in the car because I had news I had to share.
Peter and John were disciples of Jesus. They had seen the amazing things Jesus had done while He was on earth. They had seen Him crucified. They had seen Him after He rose from the dead. They had seen Him return to heaven. Not only had they seen Jesus do these miraculous things, the Holy Spirit was now with them, and they were able to heal people by God’s power in them. Peter and John told many people about what Jesus had done. The Bible tells us in Acts 4:20 that they were unable to stop talking about what they had seen and heard.
Peter and John had a message worth sharing. It was so important and life-changing that they couldn’t keep it to themselves. They had to tell others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit helped them tell about Jesus. Even when they were put in jail for sharing the gospel, they did not stop.
Are you excited about the gospel message? Do you tell others about God and Jesus? If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives within you. He will help you have courage and the right words to say when you tell others about Jesus.
Jesus is worth talking about! Who can you tell about Jesus today?
Questions:
1. How did the lame man respond after he was healed?
2. What message did Peter share with the people?
3. What did Peter and John tell the priests when they asked them to quit telling others about Jesus?
Pray: God, thank You for the example of Peter and John. Help us to tell those we meet about Jesus. Help us to want to share Your Word with others. When we are afraid or worried about sharing the gospel, help us remember that the Holy Spirit will help us. Amen.