First, ALL MEN ARE SPIRITUALLY IMPOTENT BY NATURE (v. 2). This man's impotence was not the result of an accident or a disease. It was a defect of birth. He was born in this helpless condition. This is our condition by nature, not physically, but spiritually. Our hearts are plagued with the incurable disease of sin. Spiritually, our legs are broken, our hands are withered, our eyes are blind, our ears are deaf. All men by nature are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1-4). So thorough is the natural man's spiritual impotence that he is altogether without ability to help himself. All the children of Adam are born totally depraved (Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19). Because his heart is evil, no man can or will come to Christ and be saved (John 5:40; 6:44). He has neither the desire nor the ability to do so (Jer. 13:23). God must do a work of grace in the heart before any sinner will ever come to Christ in faith. And if God does a work of grace in his heart, the sinner will come to Christ (John 6:45; Psa. 65:4; 110:3).

Because he was a cripple, he was unable to work for a living. He spent his days begging. That is our condition too! Before God we are poor, helpless beggars. We have no ability to earn anything from God, except death. We have no claim upon his mercy. All we can do is fall before him and beg for grace (Lk. 18:13). As Matthew Henry said, "Those that need, and cannot work, must not be ashamed to beg!"

This beggar was a chosen object of divine mercy. He was both poor and helpless, but there were many others in that condition around the temple. Luke tells us that this man was "a certain man". God had chosen him and was determined to be gracious to him (II Thess. 2:13-14). Providence had made him poor and helpless and put him in the place where grace would be found.

Secondly, we are here given A STARK REMINDER THAT RELIGION WITHOUT CHRIST IS A MOCKERY TO THE SOULS OF MEN. There stood the temple with its breath taking splendor. Josephus tells us that it was made of solid white, polished marble. This Beautiful Gate was made of fine Corinthian gold. With the mid-day sun shining upon it, it was almost blinding with brilliance. The Jews were very proud of their temple, but it was an empty, desolate place. God had left it! The glory of God had departed. There was nothing and no one connected with that temple that could be of any real benefit to that poor, helpless beggar. Its'splendor, riches, and beauty only mocked him! What a sad picture of modern religion! There is in religion much to impress the flesh: wealth, influence, talent, entertainment, and rituals and ceremonies to soothe the conscience, a form of godliness, but no power! No gospel! No grace! No Christ! No life! It is a mockery to God and to the souls of men!

Thirdly, WHEN GOD INTENDS TO SAVE A SINNER HE ALWAYS USES CERTAIN MEANS (vv. 1-5). Were he pleased to do so, the sovereign, almighty God could perform his works of mercy without the use of means. But that is not his pleasure. God condescends to honor us by allowing us to be instruments in his hands by which he performs his works of mercy toward his chosen. He who raised dead Lazarus could easily have removed the stone from the tomb; but he allowed and commanded men to do what they could do, saying, "Take ye away the stone" (John 11:39). Even so, this poor, lame beggar was healed by the power of God alone. Peter makes that abundantly clear (vv. 12-16). But three things had to be done by men before he could be healed.

1. Peter and John came to the temple to preach the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; I Cor. 1:21; James 1:18; I Pet. 1:23).

2. This man's friends brought him to the temple, the place where he was most hopeful of finding mercy (Lk. 5:18-20).

3. This man did what God's servants told him to do (vv. 4-6). We know that God's purpose will never fail. This man had to be healed on this occasion. God had purposed it. Yet, if Peter and John had not obeyed their Lord and gone to preach the gospel, if this man's friends had not brought him to the temple, or if the man himself had refused to obey the voice of God's servants, he would never have been healed.