3:1 The Jews observed three times of prayer—morning (the third hour, about 9:00 AM), afternoon (the ninth hour, about 3:00 PM), and evening (sunset). At these times devout Jews and Gentiles who believed in God often would go to the Temple to pray. Peter and John were going to the Temple for the afternoon prayer service.
3:2 The Beautiful Gate was an entrance to the Temple, not to the city. It was one of the favored entrances, and many people passed through it on their way to worship. Giving money to beggars was considered praiseworthy in the Jewish religion. So the beggar wisely placed himself where he would be seen by the most people who were on their way to worship at the Temple.
3:5, 6 The lame man asked for money, but Peter gave him something much better—the use of his legs. We often ask God to solve a small problem, but he wants to give us a whole new life and help for all our problems. He may say, “I’ve got something even better for you.” You may ask God for what you want, but don’t be surprised when he gives you what you really need.
3:6 “In the name of Jesus Christ” means “by the authority of Jesus Christ.” The apostles were doing this healing through the Holy Spirit’s power, not their own.
3:7-10 In his excitement, the formerly lame man began to jump and walk around. He also praised God! Then others were awed by God’s power. Don’t forget to thank people who help you, but also remember to praise God for his care and protection.
3:11 Solomon’s porch was part of the Temple complex built by King Herod the Great in an attempt to strengthen his relationship with the Jews. This porch was an entrance supported by columns. Jesus taught and performed miracles in the Temple many times. When the apostles went to the Temple, they were undoubtedly in close proximity to the same religious leaders who had conspired to put Jesus to death.
3:11ff Peter had an audience, and he capitalized on the opportunity to share Jesus Christ. He clearly presented his message by telling (1) who Jesus was, (2) how the Jews had rejected him, (3) why their rejection was fatal, and (4) what they needed to do to change the situation. Peter told the crowd that they still had a choice; God still offered them the opportunity to believe and receive Jesus as their Messiah and as their Lord. Displays of God’s mercy and grace, such as the healing of this lame man, often create teachable moments. Pray to have courage like Peter to see these opportunities and to use them to speak up for Christ.
3:13-15 Pilate had decided to release Jesus, but the people had clamored to have Barabbas, a murderer, released instead (see Luke 23:13-25). When Peter said, “whom ye delivered up,” he meant it literally. Jesus’ trial and death had occurred right there in Jerusalem only weeks earlier. It wasn’t an event of the distant past—most of these people had heard about it, and some may very well have taken part in condemning Jesus.
3:15 The religious leaders thought they had put an end to Jesus when they crucified him. But their confidence was shaken when Peter told them that Jesus was alive again and that this time they could not harm him. Peter’s message emphasized that (1) the people and their religious leaders had killed Jesus (3:17), (2) God had brought him back to life, and (3) the apostles had been witnesses of this fact. After pointing out the sin and injustice of these leaders, Peter showed the significance of the Resurrection, God’s triumph and power over death.
3:16 Jesus, not the apostles, received the glory for the healing of the lame man. In those days a man’s name represented his character; it stood for his authority and power. By using Jesus’ name, Peter showed who gave him the authority and power to heal. The apostles did not emphasize what they could do but what God could do through them. Jesus’ name is not to be used as magic—it must be used in faith. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we must remember that it is Christ himself, not merely the sound of his name, who gives our prayers their power.
3:18 Some of these prophecies are in Psalm 22, Isaiah 50:6, and Isaiah 53. Peter was explaining the kind of Messiah God had sent to earth. The Jews had expected a great ruler, not a suffering servant.
3:19 John the Baptist had prepared the way for Jesus by preaching that people should turn from their sins. The apostles’ message of salvation also included the call to repent—acknowledging personal sin and turning from it. Many people want the benefits of being identified with Christ without admitting their own disobedience and repenting. The key to forgiveness is confessing your sin and turning from it (see 2:38).
3:19, 20 When we repent, God promises not only to cleanse us of our sins but to bring spiritual refreshment. Turning away from sin may at first seem painful because it is hard to break old habits and give up certain sins. But God will give you a better way. As Hosea promised, “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hosea 6:3). Do you feel a need to be refreshed?
3:21 The time when God will bring the “times of restitution of all things” refers to the Second Coming, the Last Judgment, and the removal of sin from the world.
3:21, 22 Most Jews thought that Joshua was this Prophet predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). Peter was saying that the Prophet was Jesus Christ. Peter wanted to show that their long-awaited Messiah had come! He and all the apostles were calling the Jewish nation to realize what they had done to their Messiah, to repent, and to believe. From this point on in Acts, we see many Jews rejecting the gospel. So the message went also to the Gentiles, many of whom were open to receive Jesus.
3:24 The prophet Samuel had lived during the transition between the judges and the kings of Israel, and he had been seen as the first in a succession of prophets. Samuel anointed David king, founding David’s royal line, from which the Messiah eventually came. All the prophets pointed to a future Messiah. For more on Samuel, see his profile in 1 Samuel 6, p. 557.
3:25 God had promised Abraham that he would bless the world through Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish race (Genesis 12:3), from which the Messiah would come. God intended the Jewish nation to be a separate and holy nation that would teach the world about God, introduce the Messiah, and then carry on his work in the world. After the days of Solomon, the nation gave up its mission to tell the world about God. Here, too, in apostolic times as well as in the time Jesus spent on earth, the Jews rejected their Messiah.