129 (約20章) The power of His resrrection 祂復活的大能 08/08/2025
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE 第二十三課 John 20:19-31 約翰福音 20:19-31 THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION 祂復活的大能
The news that Jesus was alive began to spread among His followers, at first with hesitation, but then with enthusiasm. Even His disciples did not believe the first reports, and Thomas demanded proof. But wherever people were confronted with the reality of His resurrection, their lives were transformed. In fact, that same transforming experience can be yours today. As you see in John 20:19–31 the changes that took place in the lives of people, ask yourself, “Have I personally met the risen Christ? Has He changed my life?” 耶穌復活的消息開始在祂的跟隨者之間傳播，起初人們有些猶豫，但後來卻熱情高漲。連祂的門徒也不相信最初的傳聞，多馬也要求他們提供證據。但無論人們在哪裡，只要他們親眼見證祂復活的事實，他們的生命就改變了。事實上，今天你也可以擁有同樣的轉變經驗。正如你在約翰福音 20:19-31 中看到人們生命中發生的改變一樣，問問自己：“我親自見過復活的基督嗎？祂改變了我的生命嗎？”
From Fear to Courage (20:19–25) 從恐懼到勇氣（20:19-25） Our Lord rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and arose from the dead on the first day of the week. Many peo ple sincerely call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath,” but Sunday is not the Sabbath day. The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, commemorates God’s finished work of creation (Gen. 2:1–3). The Lord’s Day com memorates Christ’s finished work of redemption, the “new creation.” God the Father worked for six days and then rested. God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours and then rested. 我們的主在安息日安息在墳墓裡，並在七日的第一天從死裡復活。許多人誠懇地稱星期日為“基督徒的安息日”，但星期日並非安息日。一週的第七日，即安息日，是為了紀念上帝完成的創造之工（創2:1-3）。主日是為了紀念基督完成的救贖之工，即「新創造」。聖父工作了六天，然後安息了。聖子在十字架上受難六小時，然後安息了。
God gave the Sabbath to Israel as a special “sign” that they belonged to Him (Ex. 20:8–11; 31:13–17; Neh. 9:14). The nation was to use that day for physi cal rest and refreshment both for man and beast, but for Israel, it was not commanded as a special day of assembly and worship. Unfortunately, the scribes and Pharisees added all kinds of restrictions to the Sabbath observance until it became a day of bondage instead of a day of blessing. Jesus deliberately violated the Sabbath traditions, though He honored the Sabbath day. 上帝將安息日賜給以色列人，作為他們屬於祂的特殊「記號」（出埃及記20:8-11；31:13-17；尼希米記9:14）。以色列人要利用這一天來休息，讓人類和牲畜都得到恢復，但對以色列人來說，這一天並沒有被吩咐為特別的聚會和敬拜的日子。不幸的是，文士和法利賽人對安息日的遵守增添了各種限制，直到它變成了捆綁的日子，而不是蒙福的日子。耶穌雖然尊重安息日，卻故意違背了安息日的傳統。
There were at least five resurrection appearances of our Lord on that first day of the week: to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18), the other women (Matt. 28:9–10), Peter (1 Cor. 15:5; Luke 24:34), the two Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13–32), and the disciples minus Thomas (John 20:19–25). The next Sunday, the disciples met again and Thomas was with them (John 20:26–31). It would appear that the believers from the very first met together on Sunday evening, which came to be called “the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10). It appears that the early church met on the first day of the week to worship the Lord and commemorate His death and resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1–2). 在七日的第一天，我們的主至少復活後顯現了五次：向抹大拉的馬利亞顯現（約翰福音 20:11-18），向其他婦女顯現（馬太福音 28:9-10），向彼得顯現（哥林多前書 15:5；路加福音 24:34），向彼得顯現的路加福音（哥林多前書 15:5；路加福音 24:34），向以馬所顯現的路（兩個路加福音、兩個路加福音。 24:13-32），以及除多馬之外的門徒顯現（約翰福音 20:19-25）。下一個星期天，門徒們再次相聚，多馬也和他們在一起（約翰福音 20:26-31）。看來，從一開始，信徒們就在星期天晚上聚集，後來這一天被稱為「主日」（啟示錄 1:10）。早期教會似乎在一週的第一天聚會敬拜主，紀念祂的死亡和復活（使徒行傳20:7；哥林多前書16:1-2）。
The Sabbath was over when Jesus arose from the dead (Mark 16:1). He arose on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). The change from the seventh day to the first day was not effected by some church decree; it was brought about from the beginning by the faith and witness of the first believers. For centuries, the Jewish Sabbath had been associated with law: six days of work, and then you rest. But the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, is associated with grace: first there is faith in the living Christ, then there will be works. 當耶穌從死裡復活時，安息日就結束了（可16:1）。祂在一週的第一天復活（太28:1；路加福音24:1；約翰福音20:1）。從第七天到第一天的改變並非由教會的某些法令決定，而是由第一批信徒的信心和見證從一開始就帶來的。幾個世紀以來，猶太人的安息日一直與律法連結在一起：工作六天，然後休息。但主日，也就是一週的第一天，與恩典連結在一起：首先要相信活著的基督，然後才會有行為。
There is no evidence in Scripture that God ever gave the original Sabbath command to the Gentiles, or that it was repeated for the church to obey. Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the church epis tles, but the Sabbath commandment is not repeated. However, Paul makes it clear that believers must not make “special days” a test of fellowship or spirituality (Rom. 14:5ff.; Col. 2:16–23). 聖經中沒有證據顯示上帝曾經將安息日的原始誡命賜給外邦人，也沒有證據顯示上帝曾重複這條誡命，讓教會遵守。十誡中有九條在教會書信中重複出現，但安息日的誡命卻沒有重複出現。然而，保羅明確指出，信徒不可將「特殊的日子」作為團契或靈性的考驗（羅馬書14:5及後；歌羅西書2:16-23）。
How did our Lord transform His disciples’ fear into courage? For one thing, He came to them. We do not know where these ten frightened men met behind locked doors, but Jesus came to them and reassured them. In His resurrection body, He was able to enter the room without opening the doors! It was a solid body, for He asked them to touch Him—and He even ate some fish (Luke 24:41–43). But it was a different kind of body, one that was not limited by what we call “the laws of nature.” 我們的主是如何將門徒的恐懼轉化為勇氣的？首先，他來到他們中間。我們不知道這十個驚恐的人在哪裡鎖著門後相遇，但耶穌來到他們中間，安慰了他們。他復活的身體，使他無需開門就能進入房間！那是一個堅實的身體，因為他要求他們觸摸他——他甚至吃了一些魚（路加福音24:41-43）。但那是一種不同的身體，不受我們所謂的「自然法則」的限制。
It is remarkable that these men were actually afraid. The women had reported to them that Jesus was alive, and the two Emmaus disciples had added their per sonal witness (Luke 24:33–35). It is likely that Jesus had appeared personally to Peter sometime that after noon (Mark 16:7; Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5), though Peter’s public restoration would not take place until later (John 21). No wonder Jesus reproached them at that time “with their unbelief and hardness of heart” (Mark 16:14). 這些人竟然真的害怕，真是令人驚訝。婦女們告訴他們耶穌還活著，兩位以馬忤斯的門徒也親自作見證（路加福音24:33-35）。耶穌很可能在那天下午某個時候親自向彼得顯現（馬可福音16:7；路加福音24:34；哥林多前書15:5），儘管彼得的公開復職要到後來（約翰福音21章）。難怪耶穌當時責怪他們「不信，心裡剛硬」（可16:14）。
But His first word to them was the traditional greeting, “Shalom—peace!” He could have rebuked them for their unfaithfulness and cowardice the previ ous weekend, but He did not. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniq uities” (Ps. 103:10). The work of the cross is peace (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14–17), and the message they would carry would be the gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). Man had declared war on God (Ps. 2; Acts 4:23–30), but God would declare “Peace!” to those who would believe. 但他對他們說的第一句話卻是傳統的問候：「Shalom－－平安！」他本來可以斥責他們上個週末的不忠和懦弱，但他沒有。 「祂沒有按我們的罪過待我們，也沒有照我們的罪報應我們」（詩篇103:10）。十字架的功績是和平（羅馬書5:1；弗2:14-17），他們所要傳遞的信息是和平的福音（羅馬書10:15）。人類曾向上帝宣戰（詩篇2篇；使徒行傳4:23-30），但上帝會向那些相信的人宣告「平安！」。
Not only did Jesus come to them, but He reassured them. He showed them His wounded hands and side and gave them opportunity to discover that it was indeed their Master, and that He was not a phantom. (The Gospels do not record wounds in His feet, but Psalm 22:16 indicates that His feet were also nailed to the cross.) 耶穌不只來到他們中間，也安慰他們。他向他們展示自己受傷的雙手和肋旁，讓他們有機會發現那確實是他們的主，而不是幽靈。 （福音書沒有記載他腳上的傷口，但詩篇22:16表明他的腳也被釘在十字架上。）
But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.” The basis for all our peace is found in the per son and work of Jesus Christ. He died for us, He arose from the dead in victory, and now He lives for us. In our fears, we cannot lock Him out! He comes to us in grace and reassures us through His Word. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6). 但這些傷口的意義遠不止於身份識別；它們也證明救贖的代價已經付出，人類確實可以「與上帝和好」。我們一切平安的根基都在耶穌基督的位格和工作中。祂為我們死，祂從死裡得勝復活，如今祂為我們而活。即使我們心存恐懼，也無法將祂拒於門外！祂以恩典臨到我們，並透過祂的話語安慰我們。 「朋友加的傷痕出於忠誠」（箴言27:6）。
When Jesus saw that the disciples’ fear had now turned to jo,.he commissioned them: “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). Keep in mind that the original disciples were not the only ones present; others, including the Emmaus disciples, were also in the room. This commission was not the “formal ordination” of a church order; rather, it was the dedica tion of His followers to the task of world evangelism. We are to take His place in this world (John 17:18). What a tremendous privilege and what a great respon sibility! It is humbling to realize that Jesus loves us as the Father loves Him (John 15:9; 17:26), and that we are in the Father just as He is (John 17:21–22). It is equally as humbling to realize that He has sent us into the world just as the Father sent Him. As He was about to ascend to heaven, He again reminded them of their commission to take the message to the whole world (Matt. 28:18–20). 當耶穌看見門徒的恐懼化為喜悅時，祂便差遣他們：「父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們」（約翰福音20:21）。請記住，在場的並非只有最初的門徒，還有其他人，包括以馬忤斯的門徒。這項差遣並非教會的“正式任命”，而是祂的追隨者獻身於世界福音傳道的使命。我們要在這世上取代祂的位置（約17:18）。這是多麼巨大的特權，又是多麼重大的責任啊！認識到耶穌愛我們如同父愛祂一樣（約翰福音15:9；17:26），並且我們在父裡面，如同祂一樣（約翰福音17:21-22），這令人謙卑。認識祂差遣我們來到世上，正如父差遣祂一樣，也同樣令人謙卑。祂即將升天時，再次提醒他們，他們的使命是將福音傳遍全世界（太28:18-20）。 It must have given the men great joy to realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrust ing them with His Word and His work. They had forsaken Him and fled, but now He was sending them out to represent Him. Peter had denied Him three times, and yet in a few days, Peter would preach the Word (and accuse the Jews of denying Him—Acts 3:13–14!) and thousands would be saved. Jesus came to them and reassured them, but He also enabled them through the Holy Spirit. John 20:22 reminds us of Genesis 2:7, when God breathed life into the first man. In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “breath” also means “spirit.” The breath of God in the first creation meant physical life, and the breath of Jesus Christ in the new creation meant spiritual life. The believers would receive the baptism of the Spirit at Pentecost and be empowered for ministry (Acts 1:4–5; 2:1–4). Apart from the filling of the Spirit, they could not go forth to witness effectively. The Spirit had dwelt with them in the person of Christ, but now the Spirit would be in them (John 14:17). John 20:23 must not be interpreted to mean that Jesus gave to a select body of people the right to forgive sins and let people into heaven. Jesus had spoken sim ilar words before (Matt. 16:19), but He was not setting aside the disciples (and their successors) as a “spiritual elite” to deal with the sins of the world. Remember, there were others in the room besides the disciples, and Thomas was missing! A correct understanding of the Greek text helps us here. Some years ago, I corresponded with the eminent Greek scholar Dr. Julius R. Mantey (now deceased) about this verse, and he assured me that the correct translation both here and in Matthew 16:19 should be: “Whosoever sins you remit [forgive] shall have already been forgiven them, and whosoever sins you retain [do not forgive] shall have already not been forgiven them.” In other words, the disciples did not provide forgive ness; they proclaimed forgiveness on the basis of the message of the gospel. Another Greek scholar, Dr. Kenneth Wuest, translates it “they have been previously forgiven them.” As the early believers went forth into the world, they announced the good news of salvation. If sinners would repent and believe on Jesus Christ, their sins would be forgiven them! “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7). All that the Christian can do is announce the message of forgiveness; God performs the miracle of forgiveness. If sinners will believe on Jesus Christ, we can authoritatively declare to them that their sins have been forgiven, but we are not the ones who provide the forgiveness. By now, their fears had vanished. They were sure that the Lord was alive and that He was caring for them. They had both “peace with God” and the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:6–7). They had a high and holy com mission and the power provided to accomplish it. And they had been given the great privilege of bearing the good news of forgiveness to the whole world. All they now had to do was tarry in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would be given.
From Unbelief to Confidence (20:26–28) Why was Thomas not with the other disciples when they met on the evening of resurrection day? Was he so disappointed that he did not want to be with his friends? But when we are discouraged and defeated, we need our friends all the more! Solitude only feeds dis couragement and helps it grow into self-pity, which is even worse. Perhaps Thomas was afraid. But John 11:16 seems to indicate that he was basically a courageous man, willing to go to Judea and die with the Lord! John 14:5 reveals that Thomas was a spiritually minded man who wanted to know the truth and was not ashamed to ask questions. There seems to have been a “pessimistic” outlook in Thomas. We call him “Doubting Thomas,” but Jesus did not rebuke him for his doubts. He rebuked him for unbelief: “Be not faithless, but believ ing.” Doubt is often an intellectual problem: we want to believe, but the faith is overwhelmed by problems and questions. Unbelief is a moral problem; we simply will not believe. What was it that Thomas would not believe? The reports of the other Christians that Jesus Christ was alive. The verb said in John 20:25 means that the dis ciples “kept saying to him” that they had seen the Lord Jesus Christ alive. No doubt the women and the Emmaus pilgrims also added their witness to this testi mony. On the one hand, we admire Thomas for wanting personal experience, but on the other hand, we must fault him for laying down conditions for the Lord to meet. Like most people in that day, he had two names: “Thomas” is Aramaic, “Didymus” is Greek, and they both mean “twin.” Who was Thomas’s twin? We do not know—but sometimes you and I feel as if we might be his twins! How often we have refused to believe and have insisted that God prove Himself to us! Thomas is a good warning to all of us not to miss meeting with God’s people on the Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:22–25). Because Thomas was not there, he missed seeing Jesus Christ, hearing His words of peace, and receiving His commission and gift of spiritual life. He had to endure a week of fear and unbelief when he could have been experiencing joy and peace! Remember Thomas when you are tempted to stay home from church. You never know what special bless ing you might miss! But let’s give him credit for showing up the next week. The other ten men had told Thomas that they had seen the Lord’s hands and side (John 20:20), so Thomas made that the test. Thomas had been there when Jesus raised Lazarus, so why should he question our Lord’s own resurrection? But, he still wanted proof; “seeing is believing.” Thomas’s words help us to understand the differ ence between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says, “I cannot believe! There are too many problems!” Unbelief says, “I will not believe unless you give me the evidence I ask for!” In fact, in the Greek text, there is a double nega tive: “I positively will not believe!” Jesus had heard Thomas’s words; nobody had to report them to Him. So, the next Lord’s Day, the Lord appeared in the room (again, the doors were locked) and dealt personally with Thomas and his unbelief. He still greeted them with “Shalom—peace!” Even Thomas’s unbelief could not rob the other disciples of their peace and joy in the Lord. How gracious our Lord is to stoop to our level of experience in order to lift us where we ought to be. The Lord granted Gideon the “tests of faith” that he requested (Judg. 6:36–40), and He granted Thomas his request as well. There is no record that Thomas ever accepted the Lord’s invitation. When the time came to prove his faith, Thomas needed no more proof! Our Lord’s words translate literally, “Stop becom ing faithless but become a believer.” Jesus saw a dangerous process at work in Thomas’s heart, and He wanted to put a stop to it. The best commentary on this is Hebrews 3, where God warns against “an evil heart of unbelief” (Heb. 3:12). It is not easy to understand the psychology of doubt and unbelief. Perhaps it is linked to personality traits; some people are more trustful than others. Perhaps Thomas was so depressed that he was ready to quit, so he “threw out a challenge” and never really expected Jesus to accept it. At any rate, Thomas was faced with his own words, and he had to make a decision. John 20:29 indicates that Thomas’s testimony did not come from his touching Jesus, but from his seeing Jesus. “My Lord and my God!” is the last of the testi monies that John records to the deity of Jesus Christ. The others are John the Baptist (John 1:34); Nathanael (John 1:49); Jesus Himself (John 5:25; 10:36); Peter (John 6:69); the healed blind man (John 9:35); Martha (John 11:27); and, of course, John himself (John 20:30–31). It is an encouragement to us to know that the Lord had a personal interest in and concern for “Doubting Thomas.” He wanted to strengthen his faith and include him in the blessings that lay in store for His followers. Thomas reminds us that unbelief robs us of blessings and opportunities. It may sound sophisticated and intellectual to question what Jesus did, but such questions are usually evidence of hard hearts, not of searching minds. Thomas represents the “scientific approach” to life—and it did not work! After all, when a skeptic says, “I will not believe unless—” he is already admitting that he does believe! He believes in the valid ity of the test or experiment that he has devised! If he can have faith in his own “scientific approach,” why can he not have faith in what God has revealed? We need to remind ourselves that everybody lives by faith. The difference is in the object of that faith. Christians put their faith in God and His Word, while unsaved people put their faith in themselves.
From Death to Life (20:29–31) John could not end his book without bringing the res urrection miracle to his own readers. We must not look at Thomas and the other disciples and envy them, as though the power of Christ’s resurrection could never be experienced in our lives today. That was why John wrote this gospel—so that people in every age could know that Jesus is God and that faith in Him brings everlasting life. It is not necessary to “see” Jesus Christ in order to believe. Yes, it was a blessing for the early Christians to see their Lord and know that He was alive; but that is not what saved them. They were saved, not by seeing, but by believing. The emphasis throughout the gospel of John is on believing. There are nearly one hundred references in this gospel to believing on Jesus Christ. You and I today cannot see Christ, nor can we see Him perform the miracles (signs) that John wrote about in this book. But the record is there, and that is all that we need. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17; and note 1 John 5:9–13). As you read John’s record, you come face to face with Jesus Christ, how He lived, what He said, and what He did. All of the evidence points to the con clusion that He is indeed God come in the flesh, the Savior of the world. The signs that John selected and described in this book are proof of the deity of Christ. They are impor tant. But sinners are not saved by believing in miracles; they are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. Many of the Jews in Jerusalem believed on Jesus because of His miracles, but He did not believe in them (John 2:23–25)! Great crowds followed Him because of His miracles (John 6:2), but in the end, most of them left Him for good (John 6:66). Even the religious leaders who plotted His death believed that He did miracles, but this “faith” did not save them (John 11:47ff.). Faith in His miracles should lead to faith in His Word, and to personal faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus Himself pointed out that faith in His works (mir acles) was but the first step toward faith in the Word of God (John 5:36–40). The sinner must “hear” the Word if he is to be saved (John 5:24). There was no need for John to decribe every mira cle that our Lord performed; in fact, he supposed that a complete record could never be written (John 21:25). The life and ministry of Jesus Christ were simply too rich and full for any writer, even an inspired one, to give a complete record. But a complete record is not necessary. All of the basic facts are here for us to read and consider. There is sufficient truth for any sinner to believe and be saved! The subject of John’s gospel is “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” He presented a threefold proof of this thesis: our Lord’s works, our Lord’s walk, and our Lord’s words. In this gospel, you see Jesus performing miracles; you watch Him living a perfect life in the midst of His enemies; and you hear Him speaking words that nobody else could speak. Either Jesus was a madman, or He was deluded, or He was all that He claimed to be. While some of His enemies did call Him deranged and deluded, the majority of people who watched Him and listened to Him concluded that He was unique, unlike anyone else they had ever known. How could a madman or a deluded man accomplish what Jesus accomplished? When people trusted Him, their lives were transformed! That does not happen when you trust a madman or a deceiver. He claimed to be God come in the flesh, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. That is what He is! John was not content simply to explain a subject. He was an evangelist who wanted to achieve an object. He wanted his readers to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved! He was not writing a biography to entertain or a history to enlighten. He was writing an evangel to change men’s lives. “Life” is one of John’s key words; he uses it at least thirty-six times. Jesus offers sinners abundant life and eternal life, and the only way they can get it is through personal faith in Him. If sinners need life, then the implication is that they are dead. “And you hath he quickened [made alive, res urrected] who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Salvation is not resuscitation; it is resurrection (John 5:24). The lost sinner is not sick or weak; he is dead. This life comes “through his name.” What is his name? In John’s gospel, the emphasis is on his name “I am.” Jesus makes seven great “I am” statements in this gospel, offering the lost sinner all that he needs. Eternal life is not “endless time,” for even lost peo ple are going to live forever in hell. “Eternal life” means the very life of God experienced today. It is a quality of life, not a quantity of time. It is the spiritual experience of “heaven on earth” today. The Christian does not have to die to have this eternal life; he possesses it in Christ today. The ten disciples were changed from fear to courage, and Thomas was changed from unbelief to confidence. Now, John invites you to trust Jesus Christ and be changed from death to eternal life. If you have already made this life-changing deci sion, give thanks to God for the precious gift of eternal life. If you have never made this decision, do so right now. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
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