One day, Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray. At the Temple gate, there was a man who was lame from his birth. This man was carried every day to the gate so that he could beg for alms from those going into the Temple. So, when he saw Peter and John coming, the man asked them for an alms. The two Apostles gazed fervently at the man, and Peter answered simply “Look at us.” This the beggar did, hoping that he would receive something, but Peter continued. “I have no silver and gold, but what I have I give you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Then Peter took hold of the man’s right hand and helped him rise. Immediately, as Peter was pulling him up, the man’s feet were healed. He was so cured that he leapt up from the ground! And for the first time in his life, the lame man stood and walked. He happily went with the two apostles into the Temple, praising and blessing God.

Meanwhile, all the people were filled with amazement to see the lame man leaping and walking - for everyone knew the beggar quite well and had often seen him sitting at the beautiful gate of the Temple.

But Peter said to them: “You men of Israel, why do you wonder at this? Or why do you look at us as if we, by our own power, had made this man walk? The God of our fathers has glorified His Son Jesus, Whom you delivered up to death. Pilate judged that He should be released; but you denied the Holy and Just One, and you desired for a murderer to be given to you. But you killed the Author of life, Whom God has raised from the dead - we are witnesses of this. The faith which is given by Him has given this perfect health in the sight of you all. I know that you did it through ignorance. Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out!”

But while the apostles were speaking to the people, the priests and officers of the Temple came and seized them. They then cast them into prison until the following day, when they would be questioned by the ancients and rulers. But the bold testimony of Peter and John had had its effect on the people in the temple. Grace moved them, and many of those who heard Peter’s words were converted. They were not ignorant anymore; they realized the wrong they had done in condemning Jesus to death. And they now believed in Him.

The next day, Peter, John and the cured lame man were brought before the chief priests and the ancients for questioning. These enemies of Christ demanded the apostles to explain themselves and this incredible cure done to the beggar.

“By what power or in Whose Name have you done this?” they asked.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter answered: “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the Name of our Lord Jesus of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead - By Him does this man stand before you healed. For He is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the cornerstone. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other Name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.”

The leaders then, though angry at Peter’s words, said nothing to refute them. Instead, they sent the beggar and two apostles out of the room so as to talk amongst themselves. No one could deny that the lame man had been cured - for he was well known and had been a cripple for over forty years!

“What shall we do to these men?” they said to each other. “For indeed a known miracle has been done by them. It is clear to all and we cannot deny it.  But that it may be spread no farther among the people, let us threaten them to speak no more in this Name to any man.”

So, calling them back into the room, the leaders ordered them to neither speak of, nor teach in, the Name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them saying that it was better to obey God than man. Despite the insistence and threats of the elders, the apostles remained firm in their Faith in Jesus. At last, the leaders just sent the brave men away. The ancients were filled with both anger and frustrations, for they did not know how to punish the apostles. They feared that by doing so, they would arouse the wrath of the people - for already the inhabitants of Jerusalem were glorifying God for the miraculous cure that had been wrought in Jesus’ most Holy Name.