耶穌受難為拯救世人出死入生
今天是「受難日」，乃紀念耶穌在2千年前為背負世人的罪釘身十字架，為所有相信主耶穌的人預備救恩。
主耶穌降生前700年，先知以賽亞(Isaiah)已經預言他要為世人受苦﹕
他無佳形美容、我們看見他的時候、也無美貌使我們羨慕他。
他被藐視、被人厭棄、多受痛苦、常經憂患。
他被藐視、好像被人掩面不看的一樣．我們也不尊重他。
他誠然擔當我們的憂患、背負我們的痛苦．我們卻以為他受責罰、被神擊打苦待了。
那知他為我們的過犯受害、為我們的罪孽壓傷．因他受的刑罰我們得平安．因他受的鞭傷我們得醫治。
我們都如羊走迷、各人偏行己路．耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在他身上。
他被欺壓、在受苦的時候卻不開口。
他像羊羔被牽到宰殺之地、又像羊在剪毛的人手下無聲、他也是這樣不開口。
因受欺壓和審判他被奪去．至於他同世的人、誰想他受鞭打、從活人之地被剪除、是因我百姓的罪過呢。 — 以賽亞書53章2-8節
可能您不知道，清朝康熙皇帝透過外國宣教士，對耶穌基督有深切和正確的認識，他親筆撰寫以下「十架頌」，將耶穌基督捨身救人的情景描述如下﹕
功成十架血成溪，百丈恩流分自西。
身列四衙(1)半夜路，徒方三背兩番雞(2)。
五千鞭韃寸膚裂，六尺懸垂二盜齊。
慘慟八埃驚九品(3)，七言(4)一畢萬靈啼。
註解：
(1)「四衙」指耶穌被捕後歷經四輪審訊
(2)「三背」指彼得在雞叫二次以前三次不認主
(3)「九品」九為陽數之最大數，皇帝多用以附會為自己的位稱，如「九五之尊」；在此乃康熙指著自己說的。
(4)「七言」指耶穌在十架上所說的七句話，即「十架七言」
4/3/2015
空的墳墓、活的盼望
耶穌基督的墳墓是空的，因為他已經從死裡復活了。這件空前絕後的歷史事實，不但是基督教信仰的關鍵，也是全人類的盼望。
他真的復活了嗎？當時耶穌是被羅馬人釘死在十字架(從來沒有一個人被釘十字架不死的)，羅馬人也知道耶穌曾經預言說他將會復活，他們不擔心這件不可能發生的事，但卻害怕耶穌的門徒偷走耶穌的屍體，然後虛構耶穌復活去煽動民眾，所以他們用大石頭堵塞墳墓的入口，並派遣兵士守衛。可是，耶穌卻真的復活了，所以至今他的墳墓都是空的。
如果他不是真的復活了，羅馬人只要拿出他的屍體，便可以輕易攻破這個千古謊言；耶穌復活後在世上四十天，向許多人顯現，包括他一個充滿懷疑的門徒「多馬」；多馬親眼與耶穌面對面，聖經記載當時耶穌對多馬說﹕伸過你的指頭來，摸我的手，伸出你的手來，探入我的肋旁，不要疑惑、總要信。多馬如此回應耶穌說﹕: 我的主、我的神。
耶穌復活的意義是極其深廣的，因為它證明永恒的存在，它告訴我們今生生命的結束並不是終結，而耶穌基督並非一般宗教的教主，只能幫助人去過一個有意義的今生。沒有一個偉人、君王或教主能夠從死復活，只有主耶穌能夠超越死亡，原因相當簡單﹕他就是那一位創造生命與賜予生命的主宰。
4/5/2015
THOUGHTS ON THE GOOD FRIDAY
A couple times a year I write a short daily “Thought of The Day" message for a week on the ProMinistry website. Below is what I wrote during the week leading to the Good Friday, 2001.
Monday, 4/9/2001
Our society celebrates Christmas much more so than Easter (which is this coming Sunday). Yet Jesus’ death and resurrection received wider coverage in the bible than His miraculous birth. In fact, His death and resurrection are central to Christianity. If Jesus had not died, there would be no Christianity. And if He just died but had not come back to life, Christianity is the biggest hoax the world has ever seen!
Long before Jesus’ birth, his death and resurrection had been predicted in writing. From the dawn of human history, God had revealed a plan in which a “sacrificial lamb" would one day bear the sins of the entire human race. As history unfolds, we see that the lamb turned out to be His own son, who came into the world to die for our sins. In doing so, Jesus had established the way to reconcile sinful man with the Holy God.
Friends, the upcoming “Good Friday" (the Friday before Easter Sunday) commemorates Jesus’ death. Even if you are not a Christian, please allow me to invite you during the next few days to consider some issues concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection .
Tuesday, 4/10/2001
Of all the major religions in the world, only Christianity claims the death and resurrection of its central character. Buddha died but never came back to life. Mohammed died in Medina on June 8, 632 A.D. at age 61, but was not resurrected. Confucius, the great teacher, died and never returned to life. In fact, not one single human being in history, except Jesus, had left behind an empty tomb.
The historical event of Jesus’ resurrection, therefore, forces us to consider Jesus’ claims about his deity. If the resurrection had never happened like the bible and the other history records said it had, then the whole Christian belief is a blatant fraud, and must be discarded and discredited.
Some scholars and historians had tried to prove this humanly impossible event had never happened. But they all failed miserably. A lawyer named Josh McDowell once set out to do just that, but ended up writing the book “Evidence that Demands A Verdict‥. He devoted an entire chapter on “Support of Deity: The Resurrection- Hoax or History‥. I invite any inquisitive person to order his book and read it carefully.
Wednesday, 4/11/2001
Often times we hear about things, but we don’t really believe them. This was true even when the greatest teacher in history was talking. Jesus had been telling his disciples that he will die and be resurrected in three days. These words fell on unbelieving ears. But at a later time, they suddenly saw the truth and believed. For John, that moment of truth came when he entered the empty tomb and saw what Jesus left behind.
The gospel of John recorded this event in vivid details. It described what Peter and John saw, which caused John to “immediately believe‥: they saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen‥. What they saw was that the burial cloth of Jesus was still wrapped in a human shape, so Jesus had resurrected (sort of “evaporated‥) right out of the wrapped cloth without disturbing it.
How could this happen except through a miraculous resurrection? For John, that did it. For other disciples, Jesus proved his resurrection to them in other ways as he lived among them for another 40 days, before ascending to heaven on the Mount of Olives right before their eyes. The disciples’ lives were forever changed as they came face-to-face with a resurrected savior.
I hope you, too, will meet our resurrected savior face-to-face.
Thursday, 4/12/2001
Jesus’ resurrection is critical to Christianity, but what is its significance to you and me?
His resurrection confirms the validity of his claim to have come from God. Likewise, Jesus’ other assertion that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life cannot be ignored. And His prediction that He will someday return must also be taken seriously. Josh McDowell wrote: “Jesus deserves an Oscar if he wasn’t God‥. Actually, he deserves to be the greatest con man in human history if even one of his claims is proven untrue.
Jesus’ resurrection gives us mortals the hope and the assurance of immortality. The chain of death is broken. His promise that we will have eternal life becomes credible. Death is no longer the end of life, but the beginning of an eternal companionship with our Creator.
Will you take some time to consider the significance of Jesus’ resurrection to you?
Friday, 4/13/2001
If Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection are facts, what do they have to do with me? How am I to respond? Why do I even need to respond at all?
Jesus’ death and resurrection mean nothing to me if I have not been presented with the facts and historical records. But once I know about these facts, I must somehow respond. In not responding, I have not only made a decision to ignore Him, but to reject Him. A risen Jesus, therefore, forces me to take a stand, and to make a decision to either accept or reject Him.
There are ample historical evidences, both inside and outside the bible, to prove His death and resurrection. Again, I would urge you to get Josh McDowell’s excellent book “The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict‥. But more than just knowing the historical facts, we must consider God’s great sacrificial love and grace that Jesus’ death has demonstrated. By accepting Him into your heart, you too will share in the great hope of eternal life that His resurrection has brought.
Will you make this Good Friday a time to encounter and accept the living Jesus as your personal savior?
林修榮談天說地 