The Beautiful Gate
“One afternoon Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. As they came to the entrance called the Beautiful Gate, they were captured by the sight of a man crippled from birth being carried and placed at the entrance to the temple. He was often brought there to beg for money from those going into worship. When he noticed Peter and John going into the temple, he begged them for money. Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!” Peter held out his right hand to the crippled man. As he pulled the man to his feet, suddenly power surged into his crippled feet and ankles. The man jumped up, stood there for a moment stunned, and then began to walk around! As he went into the temple courts with Peter and John, he leapt for joy and shouted praises to God.” Acts 3:1-6
There is so much we can learn from this passage. First, it points out Peter and John are walking together to the temple. Interesting enough this is Peter and John. These two were so different in their character and personality but both are necessary for the advancement of the Kingdom of Yahweh. Peter is strong, outspoken, gifted and talented. He always has something to say. John the beloved, the one whom Jesus loved. He is tender. He doesn’t have anything to prove because He knows who he is to Jesus.
Now let’s go deeper in the “Beautiful Gate.” This gate points to Jesus. He is the entrance into the sheepfold of Yahweh. Furthermore, according to The Passion Translation footnotes, this points to Ezekiel’s temple. His temple described a river flowing out from the Threshold through the gateway of the temple. The river was first measured to be ankle deep. The crippled man at the temple entrance where Peter and John were entering was lame in his ankles.
The crippled man was brought to the gate often when people (believers) were coming to pray so he could ask for money. Think about this. In order for him to continue to show up this means some of the believers were just handing him money with no real solution to his problem. Let’s see how Peter and John responded to his situation.
Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”
What? Look at us! As this man looked into their eyes, he saw something he had not seen before. The blazing fiery eyes of Jesus. Peter and John were full of faith because they understood what they carried on the inside of their being. They knew the power of the Holy Spirit flowed from them just like the river flowed out of Ezekiel’s temple gate. This river brought healing power and authority wherever they went. We, beloved sons and daughters must come to the same revelation - we have the river of the Holy Spirit that wants to flow out of us to bring healing to ourselves and others.
Then Peter held out his “right hand” and pulled the man up. The right hand in scripture represents honor, power and authority. Peter and John could have given this man money like all the other believers, and he would have stayed the same the rest of his life. They honored what Jesus had accomplished by His death and resurrection. They displayed the power and authority Jesus gave them by sending the Holy Spirit to them. They understood the assignment. It wasn’t to show up on Sunday morning, read our bibles, sing our songs and nothing ever really changes. Nope, we don’t need power to do that.
You are the beautiful gate on earth today. This revelation should make us want to run around singing and dancing. We too can reach out our right hand of honor, power and authority to others and bring transformation. How will you begin to walk in this truth today?
