Acts: Signs, Wonders, and Miracles, Part 7

I have in the previous 6 parts on Signs, Wonders, and Miracles endeavored to work through the basis for and purpose behind these extraordinary events, and I endeavored to find their proper emphasis in the Book of Acts generally, and the life of Paul specifically, to manage our expectations.

To put a finer point on my examination, I wanted to re-examine the healing of the man at the Beautiful Gate—the very first healing. I have offered a couple of possible significations of that initial miracle (here and here). An amazing, first, public demonstration of Christ’s glory! And while that public demonstration of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus stunned and astonished the crowd, and disturbed the religious leaders, the man couldn’t help himself either. Where, before the miracle, he had no control over his limbs, they remained inert. After the miracle, the man still had no control over his limbs, as he leapt and jumped and skipped for joy.

To be very clear, we should never eschew this delightful astonishment—or quench the Holy Spirit when decency and order are momentarily absent like this and faculties and reason have seemed to have given way to heights of emotion. The thing will prove itself out soon enough whether it be of God or not.

How might that be? Leaping and jumping and dancing are exceptional and exuberant—the stuff of joyful, happy children. But bear in mind there is a place for that kind of exultation in a man’s life. See 2 Samuel 6:16-23. A place mind you, as in a time and season for everything. We therefore should be discerning and not dismissive as Pharisees often are and as Michal was. We do not want to have her spirit and despise a thing because our sense and sensibilities are too immature to bear fruit in the Spirit. Remember she bore no children. That’s a warning

With that lengthy caveat in mind, let’s return to the healed man. Joyful? Wonderful? Yes. Important? Yes. But for his healing to be complete the man at the Beautiful Gate had to learn to walk. Of course, he had to strengthen his gait physically. That’s not the point no matter how true.

He had to learn, as we all do, to walk by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And the just, the truly righteous in Christ Jesus, must live by it, walk by it in this life.

What I am saying is this: the miracle was a sign and I have described how that might have been or should have been understood by those who saw it. But it was also a sign for the man. He had no faith sitting at the Gate each day. He could never enter in; his reach in this life was limited to a couple of handouts on the outside of life looking in. He had no faith for real living.

Here was a start for him. But that was as a far as the miracle would take him—a start—an opportunity to begin a relationship with Christ Jesus. If the healed man did not walk by faith in Christ Jesus, the Risen One who just powerfully raised him up on his feet, the healing would have been to him for nought . The measure of his life, after the dramatic event, would be how he responded to God’s free gift, not that he received such a powerful and declarative one.

So, whether we have experienced the miraculous in our lives or not, the obligation to follow Jesus is the same regardless. Anyone, healed or not healed, who would come to God must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.