Bible Study - Acts 3: 11-26

After the healing

Read Acts chapter 3 verses 11-26

You can't keep a good thing quiet. From a small incident involving three people - Peter, John and the healed man quickly became the centre of a large and astonished crowd. After all this did take place in a very public place - Solomon's colonnade, a roofed cloister running the length of the outer Eastern wall of the temple, where Jesus had also taught. People came running to see what had happened and Peter seeing the crowd, took the opportunity.

Here again we see such a change in this man. Peter, no longer blustering and out of his depth as - for example at the transfiguration of Jesus, no longer a puzzled onlooker at some miracle of Jesus but involved in a miracle himself. The Holy Spirit has brought him maturity of understanding and the ability to help others make the connection with Jesus for themselves. If the power of God can bring about such a change in Peter, what can he do in us?

And perhaps the biggest change, Peter is no longer the centre of his own world. Everything he says or does is pointing people to Christ: People of Israel… Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk… By faith in the name of Jesus this man whom you see and know was made strong. (v12 + v16).

Questions to consider:

What day-to-day opportunities do we have to share the good news of Jesus with others?

How can we make the most of these opportunities?

Living with Christ at the heart's centre: What did this mean in practise for Peter and for us?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, we see in Peter how you can change someone so completely. Breathe in our lives that we too may go on becoming the people we were truly made to be, living out the good news of Jesus for all. Amen.

Norbury Parish Church, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire. Telephone: 0161-483 8640