I’m reading through the Acts of the Apostles. I didn’t title it, but if I did, it would more aptly be called the Acts of Jesus. But I digress …
“For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”
—Acts 4:22
Forty years.
That’s how long the man in Acts had been waiting—crippled from birth, carried daily to the temple gate to beg. Year after year, he sat just outside the place of worship, close to hope but never stepping into it. Until one day, everything changed.
With a simple declaration—“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”—Peter reached into his story, and God rewrote the ending.
Now wait a minute. Why does that matter?
As it turns out, the members of the high-priestly family didn’t have the excuse that he was young and just got better. But even more interesting to me is the number forty.
Why forty here and why forty in so many other places in the Bible?
The healing of the 40-year-old man carries deep symbolic resonance when seen in light of the broader biblical use of the number 40—especially as a number tied to testing, waiting, and preparation for divine intervention or transformation.
He had been waiting his whole life—begging at the temple—for healing or help.
Like Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness, this man experienced a long season of limitation and dependence before receiving freedom.
His healing signals a new beginning—a restored life, symbolizing the inauguration of the New Covenant through Jesus.
Just as Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness prepared Him to begin public ministry, the healed man becomes a public sign of God’s power at the start of the apostles’ ministry.
His testimony supports the apostles’ message of resurrection and restoration through Christ.
The man sat at the temple (symbol of the old covenant) but was healed in the name of Jesus (the new covenant).
This echoes the transition from the law to grace, from shadow to fulfillment—just as other 40s mark the end of one era and the start of another.
Similar to Moses’ 40 days on Sinai confirming his divine appointment, this miracle affirms that the apostles are now the Spirit-empowered messengers of God’s new work in Christ.
This man’s healing wasn’t just a personal breakthrough—it was a sign to everyone watching: God’s Kingdom had come. Grace was now flowing where religion had fallen short. Restoration was no longer a theory—it was walking, leaping, and praising God through the temple courts.
Maybe you’ve been waiting too—on healing, hope, or a breakthrough that feels overdue. Don’t lose heart. The God who sees you in your long wait is the same God who lifts, restores, and transforms.
And when He moves, everything changes.
And that’s the mid-week memo.
Steve
