約翰福音11:45-57

 

11:45 那些來看馬利亞的猶太人見了耶穌所做的事，就多有信他的；
11:46 但其中也有去見法利賽人的，將耶穌所做的事告訴他們。
11:47 祭司長和法利賽人聚集公會，說：「這人行好些神蹟，我們怎麼辦呢？
11:48 若這樣由著他，人人都要信他，羅馬人也要來奪我們的地土和我們的百姓。」
11:49 內中有一個人，名叫該亞法，本年作大祭司，對他們說：「你們不知道甚麼。
11:50 獨不想一個人替百姓死，免得通國滅亡，就是你們的益處。」
11:51 他這話不是出於自己，是因他本年作大祭司，所以預言耶穌將要替這一國死；
11:52 也不但替這一國死，並要將上帝四散的子民都聚集歸一。
11:53 從那日起，他們就商議要殺耶穌。
11:54 所以，耶穌不再顯然行在猶太人中間，就離開那裡往靠近曠野的地方去，到了一座城，名叫以法蓮，就在那裡和門徒同住。
11:55 猶太人的逾越節近了，有許多人從鄉下上耶路撒冷去，要在節前潔淨自己。
11:56 他們就尋找耶穌，站在殿裡彼此說：「你們的意思如何，他不來過節嗎？」
11:57 那時，祭司長和法利賽人早已吩咐說，若有人知道耶穌在哪裡，就要報明，好去拿他。

 

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

 

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    讀到這一段感覺十分的「政治」，因為牽扯到羅馬政府和猶太人的關係。當然這中間的角色就是「公會」。這裡記載到祭司長和法利賽人聚集公會，說：「這人行好些神蹟，我們怎麼辦呢？若這樣由著他，人人都要信他，羅馬人也要來奪我們的地土和我們的百姓。」

 

    因為他們害怕基督的出現，引起猶太的獨立戰爭，造成羅馬大軍進入，就失去現有的和平狀態。他們的想法就是：維持現狀，讓和平假象繼續延續！

 

    而大祭司該亞法更是有奸詐的盤算，對他們說：「你們不知道甚麼。獨不想一個人替百姓死，免得通國滅亡，就是你們的益處。」

 

    這也是為甚麼他們在逾越節前，鼓動百姓讓主耶穌上十字架的原因。利用主耶穌來換取猶太人能繼續在羅馬政府統治下，繼續過安定的生活，讓他們的既得利益不致失去！

 

    這樣的「政治」手法，對我們來說好像很熟悉，這也是人的陰險和政治的黑暗之處：犧牲別人成就自己！

 

    也因為如此保羅會說：「我勸你，第一要為萬人懇求、禱告、代求、祝謝；為君王和一切在位的，也該如此，使我們可以敬虔、端正、平安無事地度日。這是好的，在上帝我們救主面前可蒙悅納。」(提摩太前書2:1-3)

 

 

約翰福音11:38-44

 

11:38 耶穌又心裡悲歎，來到墳墓前；那墳墓是個洞，有一塊石頭擋著。
11:39 耶穌說：「你們把石頭挪開。」那死人的姊姊馬大對他說：「主啊，他現在必是臭了，因為他死了已經四天了。」
11:40 耶穌說：「我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見上帝的榮耀嗎？」
11:41 他們就把石頭挪開。耶穌舉目望天，說：「父啊，我感謝你，因為你已經聽我。
11:42 我也知道你常聽我，但我說這話是為周圍站著的眾人，叫他們信是你差了我來。」
11:43 說了這話，就大聲呼叫說：「拉撒路出來！」
11:44 那死人就出來了，手腳裹著布，臉上包著手巾。耶穌對他們說：「解開，叫他走！」

 

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

 

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    馬大還對主耶穌說：「主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是上帝的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。」

 

    但是耶穌說：「你們把石頭挪開。」那死人的姊姊馬大來阻擋主耶穌並對祂說：「主啊，他現在必是臭了，因為他死了已經四天了。」

 

    耶穌只好對她說：「我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見上帝的榮耀嗎？」

 

    的確，我們對主的確信有許多時候是口號，真正面對事情的時候，就像馬大一般的反應，以為主耶穌真的會這樣做嗎？事情會這樣成就嗎？也因為這樣讓我們沒有勇氣來面對上帝要成就的大事！當然，上帝要成就的大事，不會因為我們的反應而受限制，正如主耶穌讓拉撒路復活，不會因為馬大的表現而不實行！

 

    同樣上帝國的實現，不會因為基督徒努力求而早日實現，也不會因為基督徒不信和懶惰而延遲！沒有準備好，虧損的是人不是上帝，上帝時間到了就實現，就完成了！

 

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，人沒有準備好，虧損的是人不是上帝！也因此，當求聖靈幫助我們準備好。因為只有聖靈，可以將耶穌基督的救贖實現與應用在我們身上，使我們可以面對主耶穌的再來、上帝國完全的實現！

 

 

 

約翰福音11:17-37

 

11:17 耶穌到了，就知道拉撒路在墳墓裡已經四天了。
11:18 伯大尼離耶路撒冷不遠，約有六里路。
11:19 有好些猶太人來看馬大和馬利亞，要為她們的兄弟安慰她們。
11:20 馬大聽見耶穌來了，就出去迎接他；馬利亞卻仍然坐在家裡。
11:21 馬大對耶穌說：「主啊，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。
11:22 就是現在，我也知道，你無論向上帝求甚麼，上帝也必賜給你。」
11:23 耶穌說：「你兄弟必然復活。」
11:24 馬大說：「我知道在末日復活的時候，他必復活。」
11:25 耶穌對她說：「復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人雖然死了，也必復活；
11:26 凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。你信這話嗎？」
11:27 馬大說：「主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是上帝的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。」
11:28 馬大說了這話，就回去暗暗地叫她妹子馬利亞，說：「夫子來了，叫你。」
11:29 馬利亞聽見了，就急忙起來，到耶穌那裡去。
11:30 那時，耶穌還沒有進村子，仍在馬大迎接他的地方。
11:31 那些同馬利亞在家裡安慰她的猶太人，見她急忙起來出去，就跟著她，以為她要往墳墓那裡去哭。
11:32 馬利亞到了耶穌那裡，看見他，就俯伏在他腳前，說：「主啊，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。」
11:33 耶穌看見她哭，並看見與她同來的猶太人也哭，就心裡悲歎，又甚憂愁，
11:34 便說：「你們把他安放在哪裡？」他們回答說：「請主來看。」
11:35 耶穌哭了。
11:36 猶太人就說：「你看他愛這人是何等懇切。」
11:37 其中有人說：「他既然開了瞎子的眼睛，豈不能叫這人不死嗎？」

 

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

 

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    主耶穌來到伯大尼時，就知道拉撒路在墳墓裡已經四天了，可見已經斷氣了一段時間了。然而這時候碰見姊姊馬大，她對耶穌說：「主啊，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。就是現在，我也知道，你無論向上帝求甚麼，上帝也必賜給你。」

 

    主耶穌馬上回答說：「你兄弟必然復活。」

 

    但是，馬大卻腦筋轉不過來，以為是信仰上的復活，她說：「我知道在末日復活的時候，他必復活。」

 

    主耶穌要讓她知道現在就是末日，就直接向她說：「復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人雖然死了，也必復活；凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。你信這話嗎？」

 

    馬大可能拗不過主耶穌，只好說：「主啊，是的，我信你是基督，是上帝的兒子，就是那要臨到世界的。」

 

    主耶穌接著看見拉撒路的另一位姊妹馬利亞，俯伏在祂腳前，說：「主啊，你若早在這裡，我兄弟必不死。」

 

    大家的心還是沉浸在拉撒路死了，以後再也回不來的心態中，將希望寄託在渺茫的末世中 (當然我們對末世不是渺茫是實在的）！

    主耶穌在此感到人的悲嘆，因為人對末世之上帝國的實現看為渺茫，甚至不可能感到悲傷，所以「耶穌哭了」！

 

    其實今日，不管基督徒或是非基督徒，都是看上帝國的實現微渺茫不可確定，這也是非常可悲之處！