A man who had been unable to walk his entire life was taken to the temple in Jerusalem each day so he could beg for money. He encountered Peter and John, who gave him a much greater gift than the money he asked for. Using priesthood authority and in the name of Jesus Christ, Peter healed the man. That experience gave Peter and the other Apostles many opportunities to testify of Jesus Christ. This lesson is intended to help you strengthen your faith that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are able to help you overcome the challenges you face.
Adapting lessons to meet students’ needs. Teaching by the Spirit involves diligent, thoughtful lesson preparation, which includes using the curriculum that has been provided. However, teaching by the Spirit also requires prayer, thought, and adaptation of lessons to ensure that the Spirit can meet students’ individual needs and help students apply principles to their individual situations. As you prepare to teach, seek for inspiration from the Holy Ghost concerning how to adapt a lesson to meet students’ needs.
Student preparation: Invite students to reflect on a challenge or affliction they personally face for which they would like to seek relief or the strength of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to overcome. Invite them to study Acts 3:1–8 with this challenge or affliction in mind and to look for truths that could help them.
Possible Learning Activities
Receiving God’s healing power
There are many different ways that the contents of Acts 3 can be taught. The following learning activities provide one way to teach this chapter. See the “Supplemental Learning Activities” section at the end of the lesson for other learning activities that could be used.
Write the words Challenges and Afflictions on the board. Consider also writing students’ responses to the question that follows.
What are some physical, spiritual, or emotional challenges or afflictions people experience in life?
Ensure that students have adequate physical space around them to complete the following activity in their study journal without others being able to see what they wrote. If this is not possible, consider inviting students to simply think about a challenge or affliction they are facing and to then write their answers to the three questions that follow.
Reflect on a challenge or affliction you personally face for which you would like to seek relief or the strength of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to overcome. Write it down in your study journal, and also include your responses to the following questions:
What actions have you taken to receive help for this challenge or affliction?
What do you already know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that gives you confidence that They will help you?
What questions or concerns do you have about overcoming this challenge or affliction?
Peter and John heal a crippled man
In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to learn some gospel truths from the account in Acts 3 of Peter and John healing a crippled man. As you study, pay attention to spiritual promptings you receive. Seek to strengthen your faith that Jesus Christ can help you with the challenges you face in mortality.
Read Acts 3:1–3, looking for some details about this man, who was over 40 years old (see Acts 4:22). It may be helpful to know that the “alms” mentioned in verses 2–3 were items people donated to the poor.
What are some words you might use to describe this man and his situation? Why?
What are some typical ways that people might respond to someone in this man’s situation?
Read Acts 3:4–8, looking for truths you can learn about overcoming our challenges or afflictions from this account. You may also watch “Peter and John Heal a Man Crippled since Birth” (3:21), located on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
What stands out to you from this account?
What does this experience help you to learn or feel about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
Invite students to share a variety of truths they discovered from this account. Ask them to share how they saw that truth in the scriptural account and why they think that truth is important.
Peter taught those who witnessed the miracle that it was done through faith in the name of Jesus Christ (see Acts 3:16). One truth we can learn from this account is that through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be healed.
What could you share from these verses that could help someone who is currently experiencing one of the physical, spiritual, or emotional challenges or afflictions you identified earlier in the lesson?
What can we do to receive the power of Heavenly Father and the Savior to help us with these challenges?
Watch “The Wounded Shall be Healed” (5:45), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Listen to the testimony of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and record any words or phrases that stand out to you or impressions that come to you as you watch the video.
What stood out to you from Elder Andersen’s teachings?
For the following question, consider sharing a personal example. However, help students who answer understand that they should not share with the class something too personal.
What experiences have you had or do you know about where the Savior was able to provide strength or healing?
What did you learn or feel about Jesus Christ today that you want to remember?
What have you felt inspired to do because of what you have studied today?
Commentary and Background Information
Why are there times when we do not receive the Savior’s healing when and how we desire it?
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
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President Russell M. Nelson
I recognize that, on occasion, some of our most fervent prayers may seem to go unanswered. We wonder, “Why?” I know that feeling! I know the fears and tears of such moments. But I also know that our prayers are never ignored. Our faith is never unappreciated. I know that an all-wise Heavenly Father’s perspective is much broader than is ours. While we know of our mortal problems and pain, He knows of our immortal progress and potential. If we pray to know His will and submit ourselves to it with patience and courage, heavenly healing can take place in His own way and time.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder David A. Bednar
Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in healing the sick, deaf, and lame—if such healing accomplishes God’s purposes and is in accordance with His will. Thus, even if we have strong faith, many mountains will not be moved. And not all of the sick and infirm will be healed. If all opposition were curtailed, if all maladies were removed, then the primary purposes of the Father’s plan would be frustrated.
How can I access the Savior’s healing power when I experience spiritual afflictions?
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
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President Russell M. Nelson
Afflictions can come from spiritual as well as physical causes. Alma the Younger remembered that his sin was so painful that he wished to “become extinct both soul and body, that [he] might not be brought to stand in the presence of … God, to be judged of [his] deeds” [Alma 36:15]. At such times, how can we be healed by Him?
We can more fully repent! We can become more fully converted! Then the “Son of Righteousness” can more fully bless us by His healing hand.
… Faith, repentance, baptism, a testimony, and enduring conversion lead to the healing power of the Lord.
After reading Acts 3:1–8, display the following pictures, and ask students to tell the story behind these pictures in their own words. This can help students retain the account in their minds.
(1)
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Men carry a friend set him on the steps
(2)
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Peter and John healing a man
(3)
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Peter reaches out his hand to a crippled man
(4)
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a man embraces Peter
The impact of this miracle on others
Help students understand that the healing that took place at the temple that day had a tremendous impact on many people. Study the following verses, looking for how this miracle impacted the people listed below.
Consider dividing students into three groups and assigning each group one of the following sets of verses to study (one group could be assigned the first two passages).
Explain that after Peter and John healed the lame man, news of the miracle spread quickly. Many people gathered together to listen to Peter and John, including some who had previously rejected Jesus Christ.
Invite a student to read Acts 3:19–21 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Apostle Peter instructed the people who were gathered there to do.
Explain that according to Acts 3:21, Peter prophesied that Jesus Christ would remain in heaven “until the times of restitution of all things.” Part of the “restitution of all things” includes the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days.
Consider discussing questions such as the following:
According to verse 21, who in addition to Peter prophesied that there would be a latter-day Restoration of the gospel?
What key events have taken place already that are associated with the fulfillment of this prophecy?
Share your testimony that the Lord’s prophets in many different eras prophesied of the time in which we live and looked forward to the Restoration of the gospel and the Second Coming of the Lord.