Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Comment: Christmas falls on the 25th – five days hence. You might wonder why I’m not writing from the beginning of the gospel stories about the coming birth of Jesus. The above passage gives us good cause to think about miracles. Without names and specific examples we are told that in this period of the church‘s history miracles were ‘a dime a dozen’. That isn’t to belittle their significance as many people were joined to the church. But when faced with the question I must confess that I think it better that people seriously consider the truths involved and make their decision to be a Christian on the basis of the historicity of the Jesus story rather than on the excitement of seeing someone miraculously healed. But considering the birth of Jesus we have both an historical fact and what is probably the greatest of all miracles. A virgin birth, with the infinite God the father and Mary (without a man involved) the mother. What a miracle – the perfect God-man steps into the pages of history to achieve the salvation of men and women from the lostness of being the enemies of God. He/She is a very brave person who claim that they are sinless and thus not at enmity with God. Not only brave but stupid because we are all sinners and dead to God without the intervention of this same Jesus!
Prayer: This Christmas Season amazes me afresh with this amazing event, O my God.
As I read it! 