The Thrilling Transformation of a Tragedy

Introduction

It seems that our world is full of tragedy. We hear countless stories every week of tragedies that have taken place all over the planet. So many in fact, the disaster has to be pretty extraordinary to hold our attention for more than a few minutes. It’s not that we no longer care about the hurts of people, but simply that we hear about so many things, we tend to become sort of numb.

However, our attention is sometimes held captive by the story of someone whose tragedy has turned to triumph. We like to hear about the bad boy turned good; the poor man who became prosperous; or the nobody who became somebody. The account that we are considering today is just such a story.

Acts chapter 3 tells us of a man who had experienced a terrible tragedy in his life—one that would perhaps depress and defeat most people. Fortunately, this man was graciously granted deliverance.

But more important than the thrill of a bad story with a happy ending, is what this story represents. This story is a beautiful illustration of what Christ has done for every born-again child of God. It also pictures what He desires to do for every lost sinner. Our Savior can literally transform the tragedy of a life fettered by sin into a life set free by salvation. What a thrilling thought and truth that is.

As we study the course of events in this man’s life, we should realize the great power of Christ to transform, and our responsibility to proclaim that transforming power. May our hearts be thrilled today as we think back, remembering how the Lord transformed our own lives.

I. The Tragedy of a Man's Life

The tragedies of one’s life can be devastating. But those same tragedies can lead to greater developments, as was true in the following story.

Braille:

It was 1818 in France, and Louis, a boy of 9, was sitting in his father’s workshop. The father was a harness-maker and the boy loved to watch his father work the leather.

“Someday Father,” said Louis, “I want to be a harness-maker, just like you.”

“Why not start now?” said the father. He took a piece of leather and drew a design on it. “Now, my son,” he said, “take the hole-puncher and a hammer and follow this design, but be careful that you don’t hit your hand.”

Excited, the boy began to work, but when he hit the hole-puncher, it flew out of his hand and pierced his eye! He lost the sight of that eye immediately. Later, sight in the other eye failed. Louis was now totally blind.

A few years later, Louis was sitting in the family garden when a friend handed him a pine cone. As he ran his sensitive fingers over the cone, an idea came to him. He became enthusiastic and began to create an alphabet of raised dots on paper so that the blind could feel and interpret what was written. Thus, Louis Braille opened up a whole new world for the blind—all because of an accident!

Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, pp. 23-4

A. Notice this Man’s Serious Defect

Acts 3:1-2, “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb…”

Not only was this poor man lame, but he had also been that way all his life. He had never known the joy of walking, running or jumping. As a child, I can imagine him watching with a heavy heart, as the other children would run and play, doing all the things he could not do. Folks, this is a perfect picture of what is spiritually true of every person born into this world. We were all born with a spiritual malady called “sin” (Rom.3: 23). We were spiritually crippled and helpless.

It is interesting that Peter and John noticed this lame man at the “ninth hour,” which was 3:00 p.m. What makes that fact interesting is that it was at the “ninth hour” that the darkness lifted on Golgotha’s hill (Lk.23: 44). During the three hours of darkness that clung to Calvary that day, Jesus became sin for all mankind. But at the “ninth hour” the darkness lifted, for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had dismissed His Spirit. As God’s grace would have it, the “ninth hour” would be the hour a lame beggar would be delivered from the darkness of his soul.

Notice another correlation between this lame man and the lost sinner. This man’s beggarly state was due to his physical condition—he was a cripple. In like manner, those who are lost cannot make it to heaven on their own. They are spiritual cripples. They have nothing to offer God, for they are beggars before He Who has everything and is everything.

B. Notice this Man’s Sad Dependence

Acts 3:2b, “…was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.” This man had to beg in order to scrape out a living. What was worse, he had to depend on others to carry him to where he would spend the day begging. Folks, can you not see in this man’s situation the pitiful condition of the lost sinner before God?

Look where this poor, lame, beggar was deposited each day. The gate called “Beautiful” was for this cripple, a place of both beauty and bounty, for people coming into the temple to pray, were perhaps inclined to be more generous here than in other places. However, where one begs makes him no less a beggar. Just like this man, many people of our day are sitting in beautiful edifices, wrapped in their beggarly rags of self-righteousness and spiritual darkness, having never fully realized their true condition before God. They are lost.

There’s another significant fact about where this beggar was sitting. The gate Beautiful was one of nine gates that led through a partition known as, “The Middle Wall of Partition.” Gentiles, nor even Jews, who were physically deformed in any way, were allowed beyond this point, by penalty of death. They were never allowed into the main temple area. You see folks, that’s another picture of those who are lost. They are separated from God because of their sin, with no way to get to Him (Isa.59: 2). But praise the Lord; Jesus has broken down the wall.

Ephesians 2:13-14, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he (Jesus) is our peace, who hath made both (Jew and Gentile) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

C. Notice this Man’s Sole Desire

Acts 3:3, “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.”

The word “alms” refers to “gifts of compassion” (Source Unknown). This poor beggar was looking merely for a coin or two—just enough to sustain life. But God had much more in store for him. God wanted this man to have not mere existence of life, but eternal life, through faith in Christ. This man was looking only for his next crust of bread. But God wanted to give him the Bread of Life (John 6: 35).

II. The Transformation of a Man's Life

A. We Find this Man Looking

Acts 3:4, “And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.”

When this poor beggar called out for help, Peter and John heard and responded. We too need to be listening for the cry of those who need our help. But notice also that Peter said, “Look on us” (v. 4). I wonder; do we dare make that statement to those about us without Christ? Could they really look to us for help from the Lord? The Scriptures tell us to “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Pet.3: 15b). One of the problems with getting people saved is getting them to see their problem, and God’s provision.

Think about it. In one sense, this man had been looking to dead religion to sustain him. But dead religion had left him exactly where it had found him—at the Middle Wall of Partition, separated from God. Dead religion had found him a beggar and had left him a beggar. It could not change what he was. But now he is looking up into the faces of two Galilean fishermen who want to direct his focus away from dead religion to the living Redeemer.

B. We Find this Man Listening

We often complain that no one listens anymore. Franklin D. Roosevelt had the same complaint. The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who came down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with phrases like, “Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir.”

It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming.” Source Unknown.

Acts 3:5-6, “And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

When Peter told this man to look at him, he listened, expecting to receive some money. But this man didn’t need money as badly as he needed a miracle. In much the same way, a lot of people think all they need to do is turn over a new leaf, when what they really need is a new life.

Rather than the jingle of coins, this crippled beggar heard the words, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (v. 6b). This man had without a doubt heard many sympathetic words in his lifetime. But he’d never heard anyone say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, rise and walk.”

When Peter invoked the name of Jesus Christ in his command to this beggar, he was inviting this man to exercise his faith in Jesus that he might be healed.

C. We Find this Man Leaping

Acts 3:7-8, “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”

The result of this man’s faith in Jesus to heal was instantaneous. “Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (v. 7b). The same is true when a person receives Christ as Savior. Salvation is instantaneous. They don’t have to wait or work for it.

In my mind, I can almost hear some pious gasbag in the astonished crowd criticizing this man for leaping and praising God after being healed. But folks, this man had just been set free from the physical chains that had held him prisoner all his life. Why wouldn’t he be beside himself with joy?

Please take note of the fact that immediately after this man had been delivered by the power of Christ, he followed Peter and John into the temple, praising God. Folks, I believe when I person gets saved, they want to be in God’s house. I truly worry about these folks who claim to know the Lord, and yet you can’t get them to come to church.

D. We Find this Man Lauding the Lord

Acts 3:9,“And all the people saw him walking and praising God:”

It may seem elementary, but I want to specifically point out that this former cripple did not enter the temple praising Peter. He praised God alone. He realized that God, by the power of Jesus Christ, had done a miraculous thing for him.

III. The Testimony of a Man's Life

A. The Man’s Transformation was Obvious to Others

Acts 3:10-11, “And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.” Notice that the people who knew this former crippled beggar “…were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him” (v. 10b). There had been such a transformation in this man’s life that the change was obvious to everyone. That’s the way it should be.

B. The Man’s Transformation Was An Opportunity For Outreach

1. Peter Spoke of Denial

Acts 3:12-15, “And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made   this man to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof  we are witnesses.”

2. Peter Spoke of Deliverance

Acts 3:16, “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

3. Peter Spoke of Decision

Acts 3:17-20, “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord: 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:”