約翰福音19:1-16

 

19:1 當下彼拉多將耶穌鞭打了。
19:2 兵丁用荊棘編做冠冕戴在他頭上，給他穿上紫袍，
19:3 又挨近他，說：「恭喜，猶太人的王啊！」他們就用手掌打他。
19:4 彼拉多又出來對眾人說：「我帶他出來見你們，叫你們知道我查不出他有甚麼罪來。」
19:5 耶穌出來，戴著荊棘冠冕，穿著紫袍。彼拉多對他們說：「你們看這個人！」
19:6 祭司長和差役看見他，就喊著說：「釘他十字架！釘他十字架！」彼拉多說：「你們自己把他釘十字架吧！我查不出他有甚麼罪來。」
19:7 猶太人回答說：「我們有律法，按那律法，他是該死的，因他以自己為上帝的兒子。」
19:8 彼拉多聽見這話，越發害怕，
19:9 又進衙門，對耶穌說：「你是哪裡來的？」耶穌卻不回答。
19:10 彼拉多說：「你不對我說話嗎？你豈不知我有權柄釋放你，也有權柄把你釘十字架嗎？」
19:11 耶穌回答說：「若不是從上頭賜給你的，你就毫無權柄辦我。所以，把我交給你的那人罪更重了。」
19:12 從此，彼拉多想要釋放耶穌，無奈猶太人喊著說：「你若釋放這個人，就不是凱撒的忠臣（原文是朋友）。凡以自己為王的，就是背叛凱撒了。」
19:13 彼拉多聽見這話，就帶耶穌出來，到了一個地方，名叫「鋪華石處」，希伯來話叫厄巴大，就在那裡坐堂。
19:14 那日是預備逾越節的日子，約有午正。彼拉多對猶太人說：「看哪，這是你們的王！」
19:15 他們喊著說：「除掉他！除掉他！釘他在十字架上！」彼拉多說：「我可以把你們的王釘十字架嗎？」祭司長回答說：「除了凱撒，我們沒有王。」
19:16 於是彼拉多將耶穌交給他們去釘十字架。

 

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

 

**************

 

    主耶穌被釘十字架的事件，表面看來像是一位無能的總督被百姓所駕馭一般。這是一種假民主的現象，是一群盲目的民眾被他們的大祭司煽動，來壓迫主耶穌。這簡直像中國「文化大革命」之紅衛兵的行動一般，利用群眾之力量來壓迫無辜的人。這是一種非常可怕的結構性犯罪，甚至把壓迫合法化！

 

    當然就主耶穌是全能的上帝，祂可以抵抗這種壓迫，可以改變這種狀態。但是祂沒有，祂甚至不為自己辯白。祂只是向比拉多說：「若不是從上頭賜給你的，你就毫無權柄辦我。所以，把我交給你的那人罪更重了。」

 

    比拉多雖然不願讓主耶穌受刑罰，但是他敵不過民眾，民眾反過來要脅他：「你若釋放這個人，就不是凱撒的忠臣（原文是朋友）。凡以自己為王的，就是背叛凱撒了。」

 

    上帝為了彰顯示人的罪惡，就透過完全不抵抗的主耶穌，讓祂被釘十字架，使不會死亡的竟遭受死亡，好讓會死亡的變成不會死亡，這是超越我們的小腦袋可以理解的大能，有人稱這大能為「無能者的大能」！

 

 

 

歷代志下27章

      歷代志下27:1-9 ,

歷代志下27:1-9

 

27:1 約坦登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王十六年，他母親名叫耶路沙，是撒督的女兒。
27:2 約坦行耶和華眼中看為正的事，效法他父烏西雅一切所行的，只是不入耶和華的殿。百姓還行邪僻的事。
27:3 約坦建立耶和華殿的上門，在俄斐勒城上多有建造，
27:4 又在猶大山地建造城邑，在樹林中建築營寨和高樓。
27:5 約坦與亞捫人的王打仗勝了他們，當年他們進貢銀一百他連得，小麥一萬歌珥，大麥一萬歌珥；第二年、第三年也是這樣。
27:6 約坦在耶和華─他上帝面前行正道，以致日漸強盛。
27:7 約坦其餘的事和一切爭戰，並他的行為，都寫在以色列和猶大列王記上。
27:8 他登基的時候年二十五歲，在耶路撒冷作王十六年。
27:9 約坦與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裡。他兒子亞哈斯接續他作王。

 

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. ³ Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. ⁴ He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

⁵ Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents^[a] of silver, ten thousand cors^[b] of wheat and ten thousand cors^[c] of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

⁶ Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.

⁷ The other events in Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. ⁸ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. ⁹ Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

 

**********

 

    約坦是接續烏利亞做王，因為敬畏耶和華，所以國家繼續強盛。可見猶大國的蒙福之關鍵在於王是否敬畏上帝！這是君王重要之責任；今日教會的興盛與否更是如此！

 

 

 

約翰福音18:28-40

 

18:28 眾人將耶穌從該亞法那裡往衙門內解去，那時天還早。他們自己卻不進衙門，恐怕染了污穢，不能吃逾越節的筵席。
18:29 彼拉多就出來，到他們那裡，說：「你們告這人是為甚麼事呢？」
18:30 他們回答說：「這人若不是作惡的，我們就不把他交給你。」
18:31 彼拉多說：「你們自己帶他去，按著你們的律法審問他吧。」猶太人說：「我們沒有殺人的權柄。」
18:32 這要應驗耶穌所說自己將要怎樣死的話了。
18:33 彼拉多又進了衙門，叫耶穌來，對他說：「你是猶太人的王嗎？」
18:34 耶穌回答說：「這話是你自己說的，還是別人論我對你說的呢？」
18:35 彼拉多說：「我豈是猶太人呢？你本國的人和祭司長把你交給我。你做了甚麼事呢？」
18:36 耶穌回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要爭戰，使我不至於被交給猶太人。只是我的國不屬這世界。」
18:37 彼拉多就對他說：「這樣，你是王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「你說我是王。我為此而生，也為此來到世間，特為給真理作見證。凡屬真理的人就聽我的話。」
18:38 彼拉多說：「真理是甚麼呢？」說了這話，又出來到猶太人那裡，對他們說：「我查不出他有甚麼罪來。
18:39 但你們有個規矩，在逾越節要我給你們釋放一個人，你們要我給你們釋放猶太人的王嗎？」
18:40 他們又喊著說：「不要這人，要巴拉巴！」這巴拉巴是個強盜。

 

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

 

 

**************

 

     彼拉多說：「真理是甚麼呢？」

 

    這是多麼諷刺的話！因為彼拉多知道這是一種不符合真理的場合，是一個荒謬的審判，簡直是借刀殺人！因為猶太人說：「我們沒有殺人的權柄。」

 

    然而彼拉多卻是身不由己，不得不審判，所以他意識到必須順應猶太人的需求，不然他這個總督的官是做不下去。他只好不負責任地說：「我查不出他有甚麼罪來。但你們有個規矩，在逾越節要我給你們釋放一個人，你們要我給你們釋放猶太人的王嗎？」

 

    他們又喊著說：「不要這人，要巴拉巴！」

 

    這是讓彼拉多無奈卻又必須面對的答案！然而這卻完成了上帝的心意，因為上帝本要透過主耶穌的死拯救萬民！也要向世人宣告：有死亡，才會有復活！甚至用腦筋急轉彎的說法：「怎樣才能復活？就是必須死！」

 

    您有這樣的認識嗎？