Acts 3:8-10 8And leaping, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
The now healed man did not struggle to get up be jumped up, like someone doing exercises and has a strong body. The difference between the before and after was unmistakable and dramatic. Peter’s extension of his right hand represented the power of God that surged into the man. Luke adds more vividness to the scene with the man walking and leaping and praising God. The word for leaping (hallomenos) is a rare word also used in the Septuagint of Isaiah 35:6 in reference to how a deer leaps. The eschatological prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled in a way that was obvious to all honest and open people.
The man also praised God because he knew that only God could heal him. The man may have waited at that gate for handouts for many years. He may even have seen or at least heard about Jesus. It would be interesting to know more about his background. He did not need a theological lecture about healing. Experiencing it was more powerful than any intellectual debate with the Pharisees. His healing served as a powerful testimony to others. All the people who had gathered in the temple knew the man because they had passed him on their way into the temple. When someone is crippled, it is usually obvious.
The miracle led to astonishment from the temple worshipers. This miracle was not something to be examined intellectually but to be celebrated emotionally with growing faith. The Jewish leaders made the mistake of trying to figure out the miracle with their human thinking. The crowd was moved because of God’s obvious intervention in this man’s life. If they had recognized that it was done “in the name of Jesus,” their faith could have had a goal and an object, and not just be in some amazing event. The man’s healing and his response of praise were a powerful testimony that led to another great sermon by Peter. God brings miracles to people’s lives to point them to the good news of Jesus. The man wanted more and so followed Peter and John into the temple. Undoubtedly, he stayed and heard Peter’s sermon and grew in his faith in the Lord Jesus.
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