 |
| Crucifixion of St. Peter by Caravaggio. The early Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
It seems to mean that if we would just get busy, get things done, or turn over a new leaf, God could look favorably upon us. Did you know that saying is not in the Bible? In fact, it is the very opposite of the gospel message!
Consider this story: A man came home from work and declared to his wife that he had become “born again by the Spirit of God.” They were not churchgoers; in fact, they had been known to make jokes about “Bible Thumpers.” The wife feared he had gone crazy.
Though he was not looking for God, God had come to him by placing him in the time and place to hear and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be “raised from the dead” spiritually. The man was changed, and it was not his doing. He no longer wanted the party life they had lived. He gave up drinking and drugs. He was reading his Bible and talking to his wife about Jesus. One day she angrily screamed at him, “It feels like you are having an affair with this Jesus!”
As time went on, she began to ponder the amazing changes she witnessed in her husband’s character. There was no doubt that something had changed. What she witnessed in her husband was used by God to soften her heart toward Jesus, and within just a few months she too was born again, and their family legacy was forever changed.
This is what we see in Acts 9:32–43 as Jesus, through Peter, heals the paralyzed man and gives Tabitha life again. Aeneas and Tabitha are recipients of God’s amazing grace, and Peter is given the incredible privilege of having God work powerfully through him.
In all of these scenarios, the people were completely powerless to change their circumstances or their hearts. But God raised each of them from the dead, physically or spiritually, in order to display his power to heal and restore. Lydda was a town on the Plain of Sharon, between Jerusalem and Joppa on the coast.
- Why was Peter in this region?
- Find Joppa on a map of ancient Israel (in a Bible or online). Who summoned Peter to Joppa and why?
- Explain what occurred in Lydda.
- In verse 34, who does Peter say is the source of healing?
- What was happening when Peter arrived in Joppa?
- Describe Tabitha and her value to the saints.
- What was Peter’s response as he encountered Tabitha?
- What was the result of Peter’s actions following his arrival at the Upper Room?
Why did Peter immediately direct Aeneas to “rise and make his bed”?
What do verses 35 and 42 reveal about the purpose and the result of these healings?
Read John 11:38–45. Compare the response of the people when Jesus raised Lazarus, with the events in Acts 9:32–43.
What effect did miracles have on evangelism in the early church?
