Set Apart - Acts 3

As described in Mark 6:7-12, Jesus sends the twelve disciples out into neighboring towns.

⁷ And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. ⁸ He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

¹⁰ Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. ¹¹ And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

¹² So they went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

The disciples were called by Jesus and then sent by Jesus on their own with His power.  They took nothing of the world with them.  They were able to preach and cast out demons and heal the sick.  They had experience doing this when Jesus was still physically in the world.

In Acts 3, they find themselves without Jesus by with the Holy Spirit and one of the first things they do is heal someone who is lame.

3 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; ³ who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. ⁴ And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸ So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

How does Peter answer the people when they marvel at this miracle and stand in amazement and wonder at the healing?

Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 

He witnesses to Jesus, the source of the miracle, and testifies to His godliness.  Then preaches for them to repent from sin. 

I often consider, that if there was anyone who could be so focused on the greatness of God, knowing that nothing within them is save worthy, and who at every thought witnessed and testified to God, we might could see miracles like that again. 

Will anyone ever walk set apart from this physical world and committed completely to the communion of God again?  Who will that be?