Exhortation: China, 1 April 2007

200741  劝勉词

Read: Luke 24

 

The tomb and the road to Emmaus

                                                                                          (耶稣)的坟墓及通向以马忤斯路上发生的故事

 

The disciples had been confident Jesus was the promised Messiah, the one who the prophets said would deliver Israel from oppression.  They believed the kingdom of G od would soon be re-established and all the glorious promises found in the prophets would be fulfilled.  This hope encouraged them during the hard times in the ministry of Jesus and as they came up to Jerusalem in the days leading up to Passover they expected something amazing to happen.  The response of the people towards Jesus as they came to Jerusalem only confirmed them in their beliefs and expectations

门徒们对于耶稣是神应许的弥赛亚非常有信心,耶稣就是那先知预言将要把以色列从苦难中拯救出来的人。他们相信神的国度将很快重建,先知们所描述的所有荣耀的应许都会实现。这样的盼望在耶稣传道历程中的艰难时期,以及他们上耶路撒冷过逾越节的路程上一直鼓励着他们,因为他们期待着奇妙的事情发生。当耶稣和门徒进入耶路撒冷的时候,人群对他们的态度再次确定了他们的信仰和期待。

 

Insert Matthew 21:8-11

马太福音218-11

The people cried out ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, quoting Psalm 118.  This is a Psalm about the work of Messiah, and the acknowledgement of Jesus as Son of David confirmed the belief of the people that it was Jesus who was the subject of the great promises to David.  Yes, the disciples at this time were full of expectation that Jesus was about to reveal himself as Israel’s Messiah and deliver the nation.

人群高兴的喊着说:“和撒那,大卫的子孙耶稣”,这是从诗篇118篇中引用的。这篇诗篇主要讲的是弥赛亚的工作,以及对耶稣是大卫的子孙的认可,确认了人们的信仰,即:耶稣是神对大卫伟大的应许的中心。的确,这个时候门徒们的心里充满了期待,他们期待耶稣将以以色列的弥赛亚的形象出现并拯救整个国家。

 

Their lively hope made the events which followed just a few days later even more traumatic for the disciples.  The one on whom they placed their trust, a man who they loved and who loved them, suddenly was wrenched from them.  He was arrested by men in the company of a traitor, he was the subject of a corrupt trial, he was beaten and abused by soldiers, and finally he was humiliated by being crucified between two convicted criminals.  The disciples had mostly fled when Jesus was arrested and their cowardice must have added to their anguish when their Master was executed.

他们的这种真切的盼望使的随后几天发生的事给门徒带来的很大的创伤。一个他们如此信靠的人,一个他们深爱也爱他们的人,突然之间就离开了他们。他被人逮捕,随同逮捕他的人的是那背叛他的人,他成为了整个磨难的中心,被兵丁侮辱鞭打,最后被钉十字架并被钉在两个罪犯中间,受尽了屈辱。耶稣被捕后,他的门徒大多数都逃走了,当他们的主被处死时,在他们的生气的同时又有了很多的怯懦。

 

We should not be surprised, therefore, that the disciples struggled to grasp the reality of the resurrection.  In our reading for today, Luke 24, we see how several of the disciples coped with the news of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  In the opening verse we find the women coming to the tomb to anoint the body for burial.

门徒们努力的去把握复活这个事实,我们对此不应感到奇怪。在我们今天的读经路加福音24章中,我们看到一些门徒还在努力的经历耶稣的死亡和复活的消息。在本章一开始的经节中,我们看到一些妇女来到坟墓前,为埋葬耶稣用油膏耶稣的身体。

Insert Luke 24:1

路加福音241

 

There is obviously no expectation on their part that out Lord would have risen from the dead.  In verse 2 they found the tomb open and in verse 3 they found it was empty.

对于他们而言,他们或许根本没有想到他们的主已经从死里复活了。在第2节中,他们发现坟墓开了,第3节,他们看到坟墓是空的。

Insert Luke 24:2-3

路加福音242-3

Three days before, it had seemed as if a door of hope had been slammed in their faces.  Now the door of the tomb was open.  The stone which would have blocked their way had been rolled away.  The seeming disaster of three days earlier was turning to joy.  But they did not fully understand what was happening at that moment.  Verse 4 says they were perplexed.  They did not assume Jesus had risen from the dead.  They must have assumed the body had been stolen.

Angels intervened to explain the situation, but imagine how remarkable these words must have seemed to these women on that particular day:

三天以前,他们觉得似乎希望的门在他们眼前重重的关上了。现在,坟墓的门又打开了。那挡住他们路的大石头已经被挪开了。三天前的灾难变成了喜乐。但他们并不完全理解眼前所发生的一切。圣经的第4节告诉我们他们当时是不知所措的,他们并没有想到耶稣会从死里复活。他们肯定是在想尸体被偷了。天使参与了对这件事情的解释,我们可以想象在那特别的一天天使的这些话语对于这些妇女来说是多么的奇妙啊!

Insert Luke 24:4-5

路加福音244-5

‘Why seek the living among the dead’.  It is a remarkable statement which reveals a universal truth.  In our walk we either choose life or death.  Most of the world chooses death, even when it is introduced to the gospel.  But as brothers and sisters of the risen Lord we have chosen life.  If that is our position, why do we sometimes seek the living among the dead?  Why do we allow the perishing things of this life, the dead works with which this world is obsessed, to take precedence over the eternal, lively things of the age to come?  Why do we allow roadblocks to stop us from rejoicing in our glorious hope of life?  The message to those faithful women has its relevance for us today.  We wish to be part of the living Jesus Christ when he reigns in Jerusalem, so let us not be associated too closely to the things that are soon to pass away.

“为什么要在活人里面寻找死人”,这个奇妙的宣告展示了一个宇宙的事实。在我们的生活中,我们要么选择了生命,要么选择了死亡。即便人们明白了福音,可世界上的大多数人仍然选择了死亡。但作为复活了的主内的弟兄姐妹,我们必须选择生命。如果这是我们的立场,那为什么有时候我们还会在死人中寻找活人?为什么我们会让那些在今生会毁灭的,迷惑世界的死亡的工作来掌控未来永恒,活泼的事物呢?我们为什么会让这些障碍阻止我们在生命荣美的盼望中喜乐呢?当年传达给这些有信心的妇人的消息对我们今天的人仍旧适用。我们也希望当耶稣在耶路撒冷掌权的时候,我们也能成为永活的耶稣基督的一部分。因此,希望我们大家不要太过于紧密的和那些转瞬即逝的东西联系在一起。

 

Later in Luke 24 we meet two disciples journeying along a road to Emmaus.  Perhaps they were travelling home in disappointment after the tumultuous days they had just witnessed.  Certainly these events were on their mind as they walked:

后来在路加福音24章,我们看到有两个门徒向通往以马忤斯的路走去。或许在亲历了这些喧嚣烦恼的日子后,他们失望的回家去。在他们行路的时,这些事情还历历在目。

Insert Luke 24:13-14

路加福音2413-14

 

A man joined them and asked them what they were talking about.  The men were amazed:

一个人加入到他们中间来,问他们所谈论的是什么。他们两人就感到惊奇。

Insert Luke 24:18

路加福音2418

 

In verse 19 they told the stranger about their friend Jesus and in verse 20 how he had been condemned to death.  They then gave voice to their expectations of Jesus:

19节中他们告诉这个陌生人他们的朋友耶稣,接着告诉他耶稣是怎么死的(20节),接着他们表达了他们对耶稣的期望:

Insert Luke 24:21

路加福音2421

 

Their hopes had been shattered by the crucifixion.  Even though verse 23 says they had heard reports that Jesus had risen from the dead they did not believe them.  Jesus showed them from the Old Testament how the crucifixion was not in fact a denial of the Messiahship of Jesus.  It was in fact the fulfilment of so many prophecies.

他们的希望因着十字架的刑罚破灭了。虽然第23节告诉我们他们已经听说了耶稣从死里复活的消息,可是他们并不相信。耶稣通过旧约圣经告诉他们十字架的刑罚事实上并没有否认耶稣作为弥赛亚的身份。事实上,这是很多预言的应验。

Our Lord was gentle with these disciples.  They were confused, perplexed and ill-informed but he loved them.  They were his friends and he had laid down his life for his friends.  So it is that the Lord did not just boldly state ‘I am the risen Lord’ and expect them to accept the fact.  What the Lord did was open the Scriptures and clarify its meaning.  They were still slow to recognise the full significance but they knew there was power in what Jesus said.  As they walked and listened their hearts burned within them as their appreciation grew.

我们的主对待这两个门徒是温柔的。他们被眼前的事情迷惑了,他们不知所措,被误导,但他们爱主。他们是耶稣的朋友,耶稣为他的朋友舍弃了自己的生命。所以主大胆的宣告:“我是复活的主”,这一点也不为过,主希望他们接受这个事实。主所做的只是打开圣经,并向他们解释圣经的意思。在完全理解圣经的意义上他们还是有些慢,但他们知道耶稣所说的话语使有力量的。他们一路走一路听,随着他们对圣经渐渐的理解,他们就变得火热了。

As with the women, there is a lesson here for disciples today.  We are all pilgrims on the highway of life.  We are walking towards the kingdom of God and often there are things about God’s plan and purpose we do not understand

从那些(去坟墓看耶稣的)妇女身上,今天的门徒也可以学到一个功课。在生命的道路上,我们都是朝圣者。我们都在朝神的国走去,而通常也会有很多关于神的计划和神的目的的事情是我们不明白的。

It is not uncommon during our walk in Christ for us to become downhearted.  We all have such a fervent desire to see the fulfilment of God’s plan when the Messiah is exalted and delivers us from the oppressor.  These hopes sometimes are tested by the seeming delay of our Lord.  When we start to feel downcast, when we start to think that our hopes have been in vain, we should remember we are not alone.  The Lord Jesus Christ walks with us to encourage us.  And if we turn to the Bible we can gain insights that help us better understand God’s plan for mankind and we can be reassured of the glory and certainty of our hope.

我们行在基督里的道路上,有时候失望灰心也并非不寻常。我们会怀着强烈的愿望希望弥赛亚升为高拯救我们脱离苦难的时候,看到神的计划的实现。当我们感到灰心的时候,当我们开始想我们的希望变得虚无的时候,我们应该记住我们并不孤独。我们有主耶稣基督与我们走在同一条道路上,他在鼓励我们。如果我们能回到圣经上去,我们就能洞悉更多的事情,让我们更好的理解神对人类的计划,这样我们就能够更加对未来的荣耀和我们的盼望抱有信心。

 

Although they were greatly encouraged by this stranger they met on the road it was not until they broke bread with the Lord that they realised it was Jesus himself:

虽然这两个门徒被眼前这个在路上遇到的陌生人深深地鼓励了,但直到他们与他掰饼的时候他们才认出这个陌生人就是耶稣。

 

 

Read Luke 24:30-31

阅读路加福音2430-31

 

As we break bread let us appreciate that the risen Lord is always with us, supporting and encouraging us in spite of our weaknesses and failings.  He whom we seek is not dead – he is risen indeed.

 

在我们掰饼的时候,让我们明白复活的主总是与我们同在,即便在我们软弱和跌倒的时候,他也在支持并鼓励我们。我们寻求的主并没有死——他是复活了的。

 

Exhortation: China, 1 April 2007 (SPEAKING NOTES)

(讲道笔记)

Read: Luke 24

阅读:路加福音24

The tomb and the road to Emmaus

坟墓和通向以马忤斯的路

 

The Lord’s disciples believed he was Messiah

主的门徒相信他是弥赛亚

They expected the Lord to establish the kingdom of God and end oppression

他们希望主能够建立神的国并结束外来入侵者对他们的压迫

It seemed the ordinary people recognised that Jesus was Messiah – Matthew 21:8-11

看来似乎普通人认出了耶稣是弥赛亚-马太福音218-11

They quoted Psalm 118 and identified Jesus as Son of David

他们引用诗篇118篇并认出耶稣是大卫的子孙

Only a few days later their hopes were shattered by the crucifixion

几天之后,他们的希望被十字架的刑罚粉碎了

Three days after crucifixion women came to prepare body for burial

十字架的刑罚三天之后,一些妇女来为埋葬耶稣预备他的尸体

They did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead

他们根本没有想到耶稣从死里复活

Surprised to find tomb open and empty – angels explain Jesus has risen

他们很惊讶的发现坟墓已经开了并空了——天使们解释说耶稣已经复活了。

Hard to believe the angels’ story

他们感到天使所讲的是难以置信的

‘Why seek the living among the dead’ – a message for us as well

“为什么在死人里面寻找活人”——这也是给我们每个人的信息。

Do not allow things of this life distract us from the things of the age to come

不要让今生的事情搅扰我们去追求未来时代的事情。

Two men on road to Emmaus – felt let down by death of Messiah

那两个走向以马忤斯的人——他们为弥赛亚的死感到失望。

A stranger joins them – amazed he seems to know nothing about the crucifixion

一个陌生人加入到了他们中间——令人惊讶的是这个陌生人似乎对耶稣被钉十字架的事一无所知。

The stranger helps to correct their misunderstanding by expounding the Bible

通过探求圣经,这个陌生人帮助他们改变了对圣经的误解。

The two disciples encouraged by the discussion from the Bible – hearts burned

两个门徒从对圣经的探讨中得到了鼓励——他们的心热切起来。

We can become down heartened

我们自己有时也会失望沮丧。

We sometimes begin to doubt when God seems to delay his plan

当神看起来是在延误他的计划时,我们又也会开始产生怀疑。

Remedy is to go the Bible and develop a clearer appreciation of God’s plan

最好的医治方式就是去圣经中,并寻求对神更好的理解。

We need never feel like we have been cut off from Messiah

我们根本不应感到我们脱离了弥撒亚。

Jesus is with us whenever we break bread

每当我们掰饼的时候,耶稣都与我们同在。

He is always available when we need him – he is not dead, he is risen indeed

每当我们需要他的时候,耶稣总是与我们同在——他并非死了,而是复活了。