It’s never about our power or godliness that miracles occur. It is because of the power and authority of Jesus’ name that miracles happen. 

One day, when Peter and John went to the Temple, a man crippled from birth begged them for money. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6). The man was instantly healed, stood up, and began jumping around on completely healed legs, praising God. 

Because of the miracle, the crowd became excited by what they had witnessed. Peter saw this as an opportunity to preach. He began his message with these words, “People of Israel, what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?”  (vs.12). 

The miracle caused thousands of people to begin believing in Jesus. The reaction of the people concerned the religious leaders, who felt they were losing control.

Before the arrest of Peter and John, Peter clarified what was happening, “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes” (vs.16). It was faith in Jesus, not faith in religious system or tradition that caused the man to be healed and saved.

The religious leaders saw the miracle as a threat. “These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead“(Acts 4:2). They had Peter and John arrested and put in jail for the night. 

The next day, the Council met and asked Peter and John by what power they had performed the miracle. Peter responded, “Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” (vs. 9-10).

Peter’s words clarified what caused the miracle. It happened for a single reason – Jesus did it. It wasn’t because of anything Peter or John personally brought to the miracle. “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus” (vs. 13).

It’s never about some special status someone holds within the Church or how well we have been trained in Scripture. It was because Peter and John, two ordinary men, had been with Jesus. They simply did what the Lord had demonstrated for them as they followed Him for three years. 

The disciples relied only on the power of Jesus’ name and obeyed the Spirit’s voice on the Temple steps, and as a result, a crippled man was miraculously healed. That formula of faith still remains true today for those of us who are ordinary people who believe in the power of Jesus’ name.