And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms…But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. Acts 3:2-8
If you grew up in church like I did, this story from Acts 3 is very familiar. In fact, you were probably given a book or hand-out at some point with a photo that looked something like this… 
…Sunday School flashback anyone?
It’s a miraculous story about a man who had never taken a single step in his entire life (over 40 years) begging at the temple gate. He humbly asks Peter and John for a meager hand-out and instead, within minutes, is not just walking but is leaping towards the temple.
No pun intended but as I read these verses again a few days ago, the word “leaping” completely jumped out at me. Leaping means to jump quickly and forcefully. This man had been lame since birth. Can you imagine how shriveled his legs were, how completely devoid of any muscle or strength in the bones, tendons, and ligaments? Yet when God healed him, the man didn’t take a few tentative, shaky, unstable steps. He didn’t rise for a few moments on unsteady legs and then fall. He didn’t need a staff for support. He was immediately made strong and began to leap and praise God!
What a beautiful image of how God redeems us!
Before we know Jesus, we are all lame and shriveled and without hope…completely stuck in our sin, never able to reach the temple on our own. And one day we realize that we desperately need a Savior, so we reach out expecting alms and instead receive unfathomable perfect love, total forgiveness and healing, and joy that leaves us leaping!
Jesus’s death and resurrection didn’t just atone for some of our sin, but forever wiped out every past, present and future failure on our part. He doesn’t leave us shaky and stumbling–doomed to rely on our own limited, lame strength, but imparts to us the power of the Holy Spirit! Our justification is complete, whole, finished, done!
And we are lame no more but can jump and leap to the temple praising Him the entire way.