in the Age of the Apostles
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles…. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
— Acts 5:12–14
Before his ascension to heaven, Jesus gave his apostles a solemn commission to continue his work on earth. They must have been eager to embark on this mission. However, there was one important thing that had to occur before they could begin. Jesus instructed them, “Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The same charge is repeated in Acts: “He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father,” namely, that they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4–5). Only by being filled with the Holy Spirit, as Jesus was at his own baptism, would they have the divine power they needed to be his witnesses to all nations.
Luke records that after giving this instruction, Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes …” (Acts 1:9–10). A cloud had great significance for the people of Israel. In the time of the exodus, the cloud was the visible sign of God’s presence in the midst of his people (Exod 40:34–38). Moses had gone up Mount Sinai, enveloped in a cloud, and brought down the gift of the Torah. So now Jesus goes up to heaven in a cloud and will bring down an infinitely greater gift, the Holy Spirit (Exod 19:9; Acts 2:33).
The two men in white robes are also a clue to what is happening. When was Jesus last seen in a cloud? At his transfiguration. The two men with him then were Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:28–35).
Moses, the great leader of Israel, had a young assistant named Joshua who spent years at his side, being formed by him and watching him do miracles as he led Israel out of slavery into freedom. Before Moses died he imparted his spirit to Joshua to succeed him in leadership (Deut 34:9). Joshua went on to do what he had seen Moses do: he led the Israelites across water on dry ground (Josh 3), a replay of the crossing of the Red Sea, and went on to lead them to victory in battle against their enemies.
Elijah too had a disciple, Elisha, who spent years with him, being formed by him and watching him prophesy, do signs and wonders, and call Israel to conversion. On the day Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven, he said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you” (2 Kgs 2:9). Elisha’s response was bold: he begged for a “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit, i.e., his supernatural gifting for prophecy, signs and wonders. In biblical tradition, a firstborn son received a double portion of the inheritance. Elisha was in effect asking to be Elijah’s firstborn, to be just like him. Elijah answered, “You have asked something that is not easy. Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.” As he was taken up in a flaming chariot, Elisha did indeed see him — the sign that his desire was granted. And he immediately did just what he had seen his master do: striking the water of the Jordan with Elijah’s mantle, he crossed over on dry ground (2 Kgs 2:14). He went on to perform many healings and miracles, calling Israel to conversion just as Elijah had done.
This biblical background helps us understand the gift that Jesus imparts to his apostles and to the whole Church. As he ascends into heaven, they see him — the sign that they will indeed receive a “double portion” of his Holy Spirit, empowering them to continue his mission. That promise is fulfilled at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit falls on the hundred and twenty disciples gathered in the upper room, with the rush of a mighty wind and “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:1–4). Like Joshua and Elisha, Jesus’ followers then go on to do just what they had seen their Master do: proclaim the good news with signs and wonders in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate
The first event after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as Luke reports it, is the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3). It is a dramatic demonstration of the power of the risen Jesus now at work in his disciples.
Peter and John were on their way into the temple at three o’ clock, the traditional hour of the evening sacrifice. Few knew it was an hour now made sacred by Christ’s death on the cross (Luke 23:44). The scene was probably similar to that of a city church today at the time just before Sunday Mass — a stream of worshipers moving toward the doors, a panhandler or two on the steps, noise, bustle, and distraction. The crippled man hardly glanced at Peter and John among the jostling crowd as he begged for a handout.
But Peter, newly filled with the Holy Spirit, must have been prompted by the Spirit to know that this was to be no ordinary encounter. He “gazed intently” at the man and said to him, “Look at us,” and the man “fixed his attention on them” (3:4–5). What was important about this intense look? On a natural level, it engaged the man’s full attention, establishing a relationship between him and the two apostles.
But Luke hints at more. The Greek verb for “gaze intently” is atenizo. It means “to keep one’s eyes fixed on,” and is used in Acts especially in supernatural contexts: the apostles gazing into heaven at Jesus’ ascension (1:10); the Jewish leaders gazing at Stephen as his face became like that of an angel (6:15); Stephen gazing into heaven (7:55); Cornelius gazing at an angel (10:4); Peter gazing at a heavenly vision (11:6). Strikingly, the word appears in a miracle story that closely parallels this one: Paul’s healing of a lame man at Lystra. “Paul, gazing intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he sprang up and walked” (14:9–10). Perhaps Luke wants to convey that the apostles’ gaze allowed the lame man to see their faith, which awakened his own. The miracle-producing power of the Holy Spirit can be imparted simply through a gaze of faith.
The first part of Peter’s response, “I’m broke,” shows his faithfulness to Jesus’ mission instructions: “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money” (Luke 9:3). On a human level, Peter had nothing to alleviate the man’s suffering, no capacity to help at all. Peter, the once-prosperous fisherman and now highest-ranking leader of the Church Jesus founded, is himself one of the poor. Miraculous healings take place most often by the poor and among the poor — those who have no access to the medical care that money and insurance can provide, no recourse but God alone.
Then Peter committed an act of astounding faith. In the midst of a crowd of people he said aloud, “I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (3:6). As if that were not enough, he grasped the crippled man’s hand and raised him up. There is no turning back from such an act. Either there will be a miracle or one will appear a complete fool. Peter had such confidence that the Lord would come through for him that he was willing to put his reputation on the line.
The legs of the man, who was more than forty years old and lame from birth (3:2; 4:22), would have been not only congenitally disabled but atrophied from a lifetime of disuse. It is not surprising that he needed a boost to be able to respond to Peter’s shocking command. But significantly, it was not before but after he stood up that “his feet and ankles were made strong.” He had to do the impossible (with Peter’s help), before the impossible became possible. As often happened in the ministry of Jesus, the act of faith opened the way for the miracle.
Luke describes the thrilling scene that ensued. “Leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (3:8–10). Tears must have flowed as people watched this man, whom they had known as a helpless cripple, now beside himself with joy. There must have been shouts of praise and thanksgiving to God.
