1665-II 司布貞悔改(第40頁頂上)

1665-II司布貞悔改(第40頁頂上)

     

The young man did look by faith , and that was how the great precher Charles Haddon was converted.

那年青人真的带着信心仰望, 这就是后来被主所重用的司布真牧师的得救过程.

 

The difference between perishing and living, and between condemnation and salvation, is faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus could well have come to this world as a judge and destroyed every rebellious sinner, but in love, He came to this world as our Savior, and He died for us on the cross! He became the “uplifted serpent.” The ser pent in Moses’ day brought physical life to dying Jews, but Jesus Christ gives eternal life to anyone who trusts Him. 

The fourth illustration Jesus used was light and darkness (John 3:19-21).  This is one of the major images used in this gospel (John 1:4–13). Why will sinners not come into the “light of life”? Because they love the darkness! They want to persist in their evil deeds, and this keeps them from coming to the light, for the closer the sinner gets to the light, the more his sins are exposed. It is not “intellectual problems” that keep people from trusting Christ; it is the moral and spiritual blindness that keeps them loving the darkness and hating the light. 

Please note that Nicodemus finally did “come to the light.” He was in the “midnight of confusion” (John 3:1–21), but eventually he came out into the “sunlight of confession” when he identified with Christ at Calvary (John 19:38–42). He realized that the uplifted Savior was indeed the Son of God. 

  

  

        

耶稣用的第四个例证, 是光明与黑暗(约 3:19-21).  这是约翰福音非常重要的画面(1:4 -13).  为什么罪人不喜欢来到“生命的光”面前?     因为他们喜爱黑暗! 他们愿意一直停留在罪恶行为里, 这是他们抵挡光的原因; 罪人逾接近光, 他的罪行就逾容易暴露.  不是“智慧的问题” 使人不信靠基督, 而是他们的道德沦丧和灵命的瞎眼使得他们爱黑暗而恨光.

   请留意, 尼哥底母最后终于“来到光前”.    那是在“惶惑的午夜”(约 3:1-21), 但 当他与死在骷髅山的基督认同时,     他终于来到“认罪的正午的阳光中”(19 : 38 - 42).  他了解挂在十字架上的耶稣,  真正是上帝的儿子.

2. Jesus the Bridegroom (3:22–30) 

Until John the Baptist was arrested by Herod and put into prison, his ministry overlapped that of the Lord Jesus. John did not want anyone to follow him; his ministry was to point to the Lamb of God and urge people to trust Him. But when two popular preachers are involved in similar work, it is easy for both friends and enemies to get caught up in competition and comparison. 

It appears that some of John’s disciples started the argument. It began on doctrinal grounds—the matter of purifying—but soon moved to personal grounds. In John 3:25, some manuscripts read “a Jew” instead of “the Jews.” Could this unnamed Jew have possibly been Nicodemus? We cannot say, but it is a possibility. 

The matter of purifying was important to the Jews (Mark 7:1–23). Under the Old Testament law, it was necessary for them to keep themselves ceremonially clean if they were to serve God and please Him. Unfortunately, the Pharisees added so many extra tra ditions to the law that the observing of it became a burden. 

Without realizing it, John’s disciples were putting him into a situation of competing against the Lord Jesus! “All men come to him!” (John 3:26) sounds like a wail of despair. It is interesting to note that four of the greatest men in the Bible faced this problem of comparison and competition: Moses (Num. 11:26–30), John the Baptist (John 3:26–30), Jesus (Luke 9:46–50), and Paul (Phil. 1:15–18). A leader often suffers more from his zealous disciples than from his critics! 

How did John the Baptist handle this controversy? To begin with, he stated a conviction: all ministry and blessing come from God, so there can be no competi tion (John 3:27). Paul would have agreed with this (1 Cor. 3:1–9; 4:1–7). Our gifts and opportunities come from God, and He alone must get the glory. 

Then John used a beautiful illustration. He com pared Jesus to the bridegroom and himself only to the best man (John 3:29). Once the bridegroom and bride had been brought together, the work of the best man was completed. What a foolish thing it would be for the best man to try to “upstage” the bridegroom and take his place. John’s joy was to hear the voice of the Bridegroom and know that He had claimed His bride. 

Even before his birth, John the Baptist rejoiced in the Lord (Luke 1:44). John was content to be the voice announcing Jesus to be the Word (John 1:23). Jesus was the Light, and John the Baptist was the witness pointing to the Light (John 1:6–8). 

Often press releases and book reviews cross my desk, along with conference folders, and at times I am perturbed by what I read. Very few speakers and writ ers are ordinary people. They are “world travelers” or  “noted lecturers” who have addressed “huge audi ences.” They are always in “great demand,” and their ministries are described in such ways that they make the apostle Paul a midget by comparison. 

A Presbyterian pastor in Melbourne, Australia introduced J. Hudson Taylor by using many superlatives, especially the word great. Taylor stepped to the pulpit and quietly said, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” If John the Baptist in heaven heard that statement, he must have shouted “Hallelujah!” 

The image of the Bridegroom would have been significant to the Jewish people, for Jehovah had a “marriage covenant” with the nation (Isa. 54:5; 62:4ff.; Jer. 2:2; 3:20; Ezek. 16:8; Hos. 2:19ff.). Alas, Israel had been unfaithful to her vows, and God had to put her away temporarily. Today, God is calling out a people for His name, the church, the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:1–3; Eph. 5:22–33). One day the Bridegroom will come to claim His bride and take her to her home in heaven (Rev. 19:6–9; 21:9ff.). 

The word must is used in three significant ways in this chapter. There is the “must” of the sinner (John 3:7), the “must” of the Savior (John 3:14), and the “must” of the servant (John 3:30). 

3. Jesus the Witness (3:31–36) 

Bible scholars do not agree as to who is speaking in John 3:31–36, John the apostle or John the Baptist. For that matter, some students believe that John 3:16–21 came from the apostle John and not the Lord Jesus. There were no quotation marks in early manu scripts, but since all Scripture is inspired, it really makes little difference who said the words. 

The emphasis in this paragraph is on witness (“tes timony”), one of the key subjects in John’s gospel. The Greek word translated “witness” or “testimony” is used forty-seven times. John bore witness to Jesus (John 1:7; 5:33), but Jesus was also a witness to the truth. Why should we heed His witness?  For several reasons. 

For one thing,  He came from heaven (v. 31). He was not simply called from heaven, or empowered by heaven; He came from heaven. It was this claim that the Jews disputed, because they knew it was His claim that He was God (John 6:38–42). John the Baptist certainly was not “from above,” nor did he claim to be. No earthly mes senger of God came “from above.” Only Jesus Christ can make that claim and prove it to be true. 

Since Jesus came from heaven, He represents the Father; and to reject His witness is to reject the Father (John 5:23). We know that His witness is true because He is the true God. We can trust it and rely on it. 

Another reason why we must receive Christ's witness is because it comes from Him firsthand (vv. 32–33). He shares what He has seen and heard from the Father (John 8:38). Those who receive His witness and act on it know by personal experience that His witness is true (John 7:17). Our Lord’s teachings are not to be studied intellectually, separated from everyday life. It is when we obey His Word and put it into practice that we see its truth and experience its power. 

A third reason we must receive  His witness is that the  The Father has authorized His Son (vv. 34–35). God sent Him (another key theme in John’s gospel); God gave Him the Word; God gave Him the Spirit; and God gave Him all things (John 13:3). What a commissioning! To reject the Son’s witness is to rebel against the highest authority in the universe. 

We usually think of God’s love for a lost world (John 3:16), but John reminds us of the Father’s love for His Son. Jesus is the Father’s “beloved Son” (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). Because the Father loves the Son, He has given Him all things, and He shows Him all things (John 5:20). It is a love that can hold nothing back. 

Therefore, when we receive His witness, we share in His love and His wealth. To reject Christ’s witness is to sin against love and light. No wonder our Lord wept over the city of Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37–39). They had rejected His witness—both His messages and His miracles—and their rejection led to judgment. 

The final reason given is that we might escape the wrath of God (v. 36). This is the only place in any of John’s epistles or his gospel that he uses the word wrath. (He uses it six times in the book of Revelation.) This verse parallels John 3:18 and makes it clear that there can be no neutrality when it comes to the witness of Jesus Christ: we either trust Him or we reject Him. 

“Everlasting life” does not simply mean eternity in heaven. The believer possesses that life right now! It is the life of God in the believer. The opposite of eternal life is eternal death, the wrath of God. A person does not have to die and go to hell to be under the wrath of God. “He that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:18). The verdict has already been given, but the sentence has not yet been executed. Why? Because God is patient and long suffering, and continues to call sinners to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 

As you review John 3, you can see that the apostle John is emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

It is a living relationship that begins with the new birth, the birth from above. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we share His very life and become children in the family of God. 

It is also a loving relationship, for He is the Bridegroom and we are a part of the bride. Like John the Baptist, we desire that Jesus Christ increase as we decrease. He must receive all the honor and glory. 

It is a learning relationship, for He is the faithful Witness who shares God’s truth with us. What a delight it is to receive His Word, meditate on it, and make it part of our very lives. 

But we must never forget the cost of these blessings. For us to be born into God’s family, Jesus Christ had to die. For us to enter into the loving relationship of salva tion, He had to endure the hatred and condemnation of men. He had to be lifted up on the cross so that we might experience forgiveness and eternal life. 

May we never take this for granted! 

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). 

 

1663英翻中(約第二章) 生命活書- 来得生命(二) 第一個神跡 變水為酒 13/08/2026

1663英翻中(約第二章)     LEARNING ABOUT JESU         第一個神跡 變水為酒                  13/08/2026

LEARNING ABOUT JESUS 

The six disciples who now trusted Jesus started on their lifelong walk with Him and from the beginning began to learn more about Him. We who read the gospel record in its entirety are prone to take these events for granted, but to the disciples, each day and each new event brought marvels that were difficult to understand. In this chapter alone, John recorded three wonderful revelations of Jesus Christ.  

He was accompanied by His mother and His six disciples. Perhaps it was the addition of seven more people that helped create the crisis, but it must have been a small wedding feast if this were the case. We have reason to believe that our Lord’s earthly family was not prosperous, and it is likely that their friends were not wealthy people. Perhaps the shortage of wine was related to a low-budget feast.                   耶稣与祂的母亲, 和祂的六位门徒一起参加.  可能是因这增添的七位的客人, 才造成酒的缺乏, 若是如此, 这必定是小型的婚宴, 因此肯定耶稣在世上的家庭人数不多, 祂的朋友并不很富有. 或许是因他们的结婚预算较低的关系, 才形成酒不够.

1. His Glory (2:1–12)                                                                                                                                  1.  耶稣的荣耀 (约 2:1-12)

  “The third day” means three days after the call of Nathanael (John 1:45–51). Since that was the fourth day of the week recorded in John (John 1:19, 29, 35, 43), the wedding took place on “the seventh day” of this “new creation week.” Throughout his gospel, John makes it clear that Jesus was on a divine schedule, obeying the will of the Father.                                                                                                 “第三天” 是说有关呼召拿但业后的第三天(1 : 45-51).  因为依照约翰福音的记载, 应该是 “新造周”的第四天(1 : 19, 29, 35, 43) , 结婚的喜筵在这“新造周”的“第七天”举行.  由整本圣经来看, 约翰很清楚的记载耶稣是依照属天神圣的次序,  遵照天父的旨意.

Jewish tradition required that virgins be married on a Wednesday, while widows were married on a Thursday. Being the “seventh day” of John’s special week, Jesus would be expected to rest, just as God rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1–3). But sin had interrupted God’s Sabbath rest, and it was necessary for both the Father and the Son to work (John 5:17; 9:4). In fact, John recorded two specific miracles that Jesus deliberately performed on Sabbath days (John 5; 9).                                                                        根据犹太人的传统, 处女应在星期三结婚, 而寡妇则在星期四.  依照约翰记载的“新造周”的“第七天” , 耶稣愿意休息, 正如上帝在创造天地万物后的第七天休息(创 2:1-3).  但是罪阻止上帝在安息日休息, 而父及子都必须工作 (约  5:17; 9:4). 事实上, 约翰所记载两个标记, 是耶稣有意都在安息日行的(约  5 和 9两章).

At this wedding, we see Jesus in three different roles: the Guest, the Son, and the Host.                            在喜筵中, 耶稣充当三种不同的身份:  客人, 儿子, 和主人.

Jesus the Guest (2:1–2). Our Lord was not a recluse, as was John the Baptist (Matt. 11:16–19). He accepted invitations to social events, even though His enemies used this practice to accuse Him (Luke 15:1–2). Our Lord entered into the normal experiences of life and sanctified them by His presence. Wise is that couple who invite Jesus to their wedding!                                                                                          耶稣是客人 (2:1-2).  我们的主不是隐士, 像施洗约翰一样 (太 11:16-19).  耶稣参与社会应酬, 甚至被祂敌人用来控告祂的邀请等 事项(路 15:1-2).  我们的主过正常人的生活, 并且因祂的参与, 使他们显为圣洁.  这对新人邀请耶稣参加他们的婚礼真有智能!

Were Jesus and His disciples invited because of Mary, or because of Nathanael (John 21:2)? Our Lord was not yet well known; He had performed no miracles as yet. It was not likely that He was invited because the people knew who He was. It was probably His relation ship with Mary that brought about the invitation.                                                                                                                                                是因为耶稣母亲的缘故, 祂和门徒才被邀请; 还是因为拿但业的关系? (约 21:2)  我们的主在那时还不出名; 祂还没有行任何神迹.  可能祂的被邀请并不是因为人知道祂是谁.     极可能祂的邀请是因为祂母亲马利亚的关系.

Jesus the Son (2:3-5)  Since Jewish wedding feasts lasted a week, it was necessary for the groom to have adequate provisions. For one thing, it would be embarrassing to run out of either food or wine, and a family guilty of such gaucherie could actually be fined! So, to run out of wine could be costly both financially and socially.

         因为犹太人要用一周来庆祝他们的婚宴, 新郎必须要预备足够的食物与酒.  若食物与酒不够, 可能会使婚宴尴尬;     这笨拙的错误可能会使举办婚宴的新郎家遭到讥讽和责罚! 因此, 酒不够可能会引起举办 婚宴的新郎家在经济和社会两方面遭受到责难.

       马利为什么要因这件事去找耶稣?  她是真祈望祂行神迹来解决这难题吗?  她肯定知道她儿子是谁, 虽然她没向任何人透露这奥密.  并且, 她与新郎或者新娘任何一方都有亲密的关系, 祈望婚礼办得完美;  甚至马利亚或者已知道酒供应不够;  或许她是喜筵的筹划和食物的预备者.

       马利亚没有指示耶稣如何去做; 只是简单的提出问题.  (试比较当拉撒路生病时, 马利亚与马大如何告诉耶稣这消息---11:3)  耶稣的回答似乎有点不合理, 并且甚至粗鲁; 但是实际并不是那么样.  耶稣那时称呼母亲为“妇人”是很礼貌  (19:26;  20:13),  并且祂所说的话是, “你为什么要把我带入这事?” 耶稣已经向祂母亲表明祂不再要她管束(可能那时约瑟已经过世),  但是自那时起, 耶稣要做天父要祂做的事. 在数年前已经隐含出来这事(路 2:40-52).

       约翰在此处, 引出关键词“这时间”的观念.  耶稣是依据“天上的时间表”而生活, 是天父为祂安排的. (约 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1; 和在 11:9-10 所记载有关耶稣的话.)  当你在研读约翰福音的过程中, 你会观察到“这时间”的观念是如何的发展开来.

       在马利亚对仆人的对话中显示, 要让她儿子耶稣依祂自己的意思去行, 并且她深信祂所做都对.  对我们来说, 应该聪明点顺从马利亚所说的!  值得留意的是耶稣而不是马利亚施放命令和解决问题;  并且马利亚所指的不是她自己, 而是耶稣.

       耶稣是主人(2:6-12).  我们的主所行的头一次的神迹, 并不是每个人都看见的壮举.  只有马利亚, 门徒, 和仆人知道事情是如何发生; 但是在喜筵中的其它人, 并不知道神迹是如何发生.  耶稣的首次神迹与祂在最后葬礼的公开的群众面前所行的相比 (11 章), 它是默默的行在婚宴中.

   Each of the six stone waterpots could contain about twenty gallons each. However, we are not told that all of the available water in the jars turned into wine. Only that which the servants drew out and served was trans formed into wine. The quality of this new wine was so superior that the man in charge of the banquet highly praised it, and, of course, the groom’s family basked in the glory of the compliments. 
六口石缸, 每口缸的容量是二十加仑.     然而约翰并未告诉我们所有缸里的水都变成酒.      只知道仆人所掏出来的才变成了酒.       酒的成色被管筵席的称为是上等的好酒, 当然新郎的家人也沾染了赞赏的荣耀.      倘若这“开始的神迹”在耶稣还是婴孩或是童年时所行, 自然说明了它是虚构的故事. 它应该没有意义, 只是神奇寓言, 为凡认定圣经是有权威性的人所拒绝.  
  
        To begin with, the word John used in his book is not dunamis, which emphasizes power, but sïmeion, which means “a sign.” What is a sign? Something that points beyond itself to something greater. It was not enough for people to believe in Jesus’ works; they had to believe in Him and in the Father who sent Him (John 5:14–24). This explains why Jesus often added a sermon to the miracle and in that sermon interpreted the sign. In John 5, the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath opened the way for a message on His deity, “the Lord of the Sabbath.” The feeding of the 5000 (John 6) led naturally into a sermon on the Bread of Life. 

If our Lord had preached a sermon after He turned the water into wine, what might He have said? For one thing, He likely would have told the people that the world’s joy always runs out and cannot be regained, but the joy He gives is ever new and ever satisfying. (In the Scriptures, wine is a symbol of joy. See Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15.) The world offers the best at the first, and then, once you are “hooked,” things start to get worse. But Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in the eternal king dom (Luke 22:18). 

But our Lord would certainly have a special message here for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is pictured as “married” to God and unfaithful to her marriage covenant (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 31:32; Hos. 2:2ff.). The wine ran out, and all Israel had left were six empty waterpots! They held water for external washings, but they could provide nothing for internal cleaning and joy. In this miracle, our Lord brought fullness where there was emptiness, joy where there was disappointment, and something internal for that which was only external (water for ceremonial washings). When John mentioned “the third day” (John 2:1), he may have been giving us a hint of our Lord’s resurrection. All of these blessings are possible because of His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead (John 2:19). 

神迹的确对耶稣的门徒有用. 它显明给他们看到祂的荣耀( 1 : 14) 和坚强他们对祂的信心的根基.  虽然单独的神迹是不能有效的启示耶稣是上帝的儿子 (提后 2:9-10),  但是, 当祂一个接一个的施行神迹, 就能说服祂的门徒, 祂是上帝的儿子.  门徒必须要有时间来开始, 或几个月后, 他们的信心必须要依靠后来更多的认识耶稣而的深入.

        这个神迹除了满足人的需要和使新郎家庭避免社会对他们的讥讽外, 必定还有其它的一些意义.  约翰福音不像其它的三本福音书, 只寻求分享其内在的意义 ---属灵的义思 --- 我们的主的工作,  因此每一个神迹都是“动作的讲道.”所以, 我们必须要留意不要只认为它们归属“属灵的”, 而失去了它们在历史上的锚钉意义; 但是我也不要被历史所束缚, 而对 “祂的故事‘His story’” 的意义弄瞎了眼 (如 皮耳生(A.T. Pierson) 常常所说).

        从头说起, 约翰用这个字, 不是 “dunamis”其意义是强调能力, 而是 “semeion,” 是表示 “标记”.  它是什么意思?  其意义是以某些事指向某些更伟大的事. 对人来说, 光相信耶稣的事工是不够的, 他们必须要认识耶稣和差祂来的天父 (约 5:14-24).  这显明为什么耶稣常常在祂显神迹后, 要加上讲道来解释这“标记”的真义.  在第五章, 耶稣在安息日医好瘫痪的病人, 展示了祂的神性 ---“祂是安息日的主.” 在喂饱五千人的神迹后 (第六章),  耶稣很自然的引进生命的粮的讲道.

        若主在将水变酒的标记后要讲道, 祂会讲些什么?  至少祂会告诉世人一件事 --- 世界上的快乐终久会有完了的一天, 不会再有.  但是祂赐给我们的喜乐却是日新又新和永远的满足 (在圣经中酒代表喜乐.  看士师记 9:13和诗篇 104:15).  世界先给你最好的, 然后, 当你“上钩”后,  事情就会越来越坏.  但是耶稣却继续不断的供给你最好的, 直至有一天我们与主在永远的国度里享更好的祝福 (路 22:18).

       我们的主肯定在这里对祂的子民 --- 以色列人有特别的信息. 在旧约里, 以色列国与上帝的关系“结婚”来预表, 但她们对这婚约不忠实 (赛 54:5; 耶 31:32; 何 2:2比照研读).  酒用尽了, 色列国与上帝的婚约只剩下六个空水缸!  他们存留水是为了外表的洁净, 但是他们无法使得他们内里洁净和喜乐.  所以, 我们的主在这神迹显明, 那里有缺乏, 便带来满足, 那里有失望, 便带来快乐, 和一些只为了外表的, 带来内里的充实(水是用在仪式上的洁净). 

       当约翰提到“第三天”(约 2:1), 他可能暗示我们主的复活. 因为祂在十字架上的舍命, 和祂从死里复活, 才使这些祝福都成为可能(2:19).

        摩西在法老面前行的第一神迹很有趣的灾难 --- 变水为血 (埃 7:19 比照研读), 是关于审判.  我们的主的首次神迹却是说到恩典. 

       这个神迹也显明对上帝事奉的实际的功课. 使水变成酒, 是因为仆人与耶稣合作和顺从祂的命令的结果. 在约翰福音中的有些神迹涉及到人和上帝的合作 : 喂饱五千人 (第六章), 医好生来瞎眼的人 (第九章),  和使拉撒路复活 (第十一章). 

       不管我们是在传递麫包, 洗去尘污, 或推开石头, 我们都是在帮耶稣来行神迹.  当仆人知道这好酒的来源, 是非常有意义的事(2:9). 当耶稣医好百夫长儿子的病 (4:46-54), 他的仆人是知道的.  我们不只是祂的仆人; 我们也是祂的朋友, 并且我们知道祂要做的事(15:15).

        在那时喝酒是很平常的事, 和我们断不可用这神迹来影射今日的饮酒问题. 有一次, 一个习惯饮酒的对我说,“终于, 耶稣把水变成酒!”

        我回答,“若你利用耶稣作你饮酒的榜样, 为什么你不在所有的事上都跟随祂的榜样?”然后我念“路 22:18”福音经节给他听. “我告诉你们, 从今以后, 我不再喝这葡萄汁, 直等神的国来到.”该金句很清楚的说明在天国, 耶稣不再喝酒.                             

   

       今日虔诚的基督信仰者, 在说喝酒是件聪明的事之前的错误结论之前, 要仔细思考哥林多前书 8章9节, 10章23节, 10章31节等经节所含的意义.  有位醉酒的矿工的故事曾警悟我. 他现在不喝酒, 为基督作见证.  他的朋友试着要讥的问他,“你相信耶稣将水变酒的神迹吗?”

        有基督信仰的他, 回答说,“当然, 我信! 耶稣将我要喝的酒变成了我家中桌椅, 孩子们漂亮的衣服, 和食物!”

        最后, 值得一提的是犹太人常常是以三份水和一份酒的比例用水充淡酒. 圣经上并没有这样记载来节制, 肯定是夸大和警告醉酒者.

2. 耶稣的热心 (约 2:12-23)

耶稣, 祂的家人, 和祂的门徒继续在加伯农待了几天, 然后祂到耶路撒冷去过逾越节. 凡是犹太人, 在一年内规定要去耶路撒冷朝圣三次: 逾越节, 五旬节及住棚节 (申 16:16). 在约翰福音中所提到的节期是逾越节(2:13; 6:4; 12:1), 住棚节 (7:2), 和修殿节(10:22). 没有名字的节期如 5章1节可能是普珥节(帖 9:26, 31).

        虽然耶稣定意要除去人所设的宗教传统的节期, 我们的主顺服律法和忠心的维护律法.  在祂的有生之年和祂的死, 耶稣都成全律法, 因此, 今日信徒不致被 "轭的束缚(yoke of bondage)" 所捆绑 (使 15:10).      

       耶稣在清理圣殿上最早显明祂的热心 (约 2:13-17).  祭司在圣殿建立不可告人的商业如变换银钱, 和贩卖献祭生物的买卖处所.  无可厚非的, 最先犹太人建立“宗教商场”是为了从远路来的犹太人的献祭的“方便”; 但是后来却变成陋规, 不是为了事奉的方便. 悲剧是该商场建立在圣殿外的外邦人院, 该地方是犹太人要接见外邦人的处所, 是告诉外邦人有关唯一真神的真理的地方. 任何来访的外邦人要求寻真理却不容易, 只能见到圣殿中的宗教商人.

    我们的主突然出现在圣殿里, 并发热心的要清洁圣殿!  祂很仔细的去作, 注意不要损害他们的祭品 (例如, 不放走鸽子); 但却很明白的显明, 祂有权这样做.  圣殿是祂天父的家, 并且祂不愿宗教领袖因交换银钱而污染了圣殿.

    圣殿的如此情况是活生生的显示国家的属灵的程度. 他们的宗教是迟滞的循环, 由属世的人在运作, 他们的目的是要权威和成为富有.  不仅仅酒用尽了, 而且上帝的荣耀也离开了圣殿.

    当耶稣的门徒看见祂火热的勇气, 便想起了诗篇 69篇9节,“因我为你的殿, 心里焦急, 如同火烧... ”诗篇肯定是弥赛亚的诗, 在新约中用了很多次:  4节 (约 15:25);  8节 (约 7:3-5);  9节 (约  2:17; 罗 15:3);  21节 (太 27:34, 48); 和22节 (罗11:9-10).

       被留下的以色列人, 他们爱上帝和崇敬圣殿 (路 1:5-22;2:25-38), 但是, 大多数的宗教领袖, 他们都剥削人民.  当耶稣洁净圣殿时, 祂向那假冒为善的宗教领袖“宣战” (太 23), 并且最终带来祂的死亡.  真实的, 耶稣对上帝的殿心里焦急, 导致祂的舍命!

       耶稣也显示祂的火热在贡献祂的生活上 (约 2:18-22).  因为在逻辑上, 宗教领袖要问祂凭什么有权柄做这些事.  总之, 他们是为了保障犹太人的宗教, 和他们有权要检验新出现的先知  “犹太人要标记‘神迹’” (林前 1:22).  在耶稣的讲道中, 常常这些领袖要求祂给他们标记; 耶稣也常常拒绝, 只提, 除了约拿的标记 (太 12:39 比照研读).“约拿的标记”是死, 埋葬, 和复活.

       “毁灭这圣殿‘我的身体’, 在三日之内我要再重新建立起来”耶稣用圣殿活画出这个真理 (约 2:19).  他们误解耶稣所说的话, 是因为他们属灵的眼瞎了.  整本约翰壹书, 都记载着人对属灵的真理的误解, 他们只用世俗的眼光来看事物, 只从物质和肉体的方面来解释 (3:4; 4:11; 6:52).  希律的圣殿从公元前20 年开始修建, 一直到公元后64年才完成.  一个人怎能在三天之内 "修复”?  

        这句话显然是预表耶稣自己的死和复活; 并且祂的门徒在祂复活升天后记中, 记起了这句话.  但是祂的敌人也记起了祂说的这句话, 并且在审问祂时也使用它(太 26:59-61); 还有些人在祂被钉在十字架上正要断气时, 也用这句话来羞辱祂 (太27:40).

   约翰在写他的福音书时, 他用了很多救主死的生动的的图画.  最先是被屠宰的羔羊约翰福音1章29节, 表示祂的受死如献祭的羔羊为了代替罪人去死.  毁灭圣殿是第二幅图画(2:19), 表示祂的残酷的受死, 将会以胜利的复活来终结.

  第三幅图画是悬挂的铜蛇 (3:14), 借用民数记21章5至9节.  救主可能因我们被钉罪

(彼前 2:24). 祂的受死是自愿的 (约 10:11-18): 牧羊人将要为祂的羊舍命.  最后, 一粒种子(12:20- 25) 教导祂的受死和埋葬看来像是失败, 但是最后上帝将要带来胜利.

      圣殿是犹太人信仰的重要部分, 因为上帝住在其中.  所有的仪式和祭祀全在圣殿举行.

当耶稣建议说这高贵重要的圣殿要被毁灭, 他们愤怒之情不难想象.  终之, 若耶稣的身体是上帝的殿,  那么犹太人的圣殿就不需要了.  耶稣用这含义深长的暗示, 我们的主是预表犹太人的宗教系统将要结束.

       但这只是约翰写他福音的一个目的: 法定系统将结束, “恩典和真理”都是由主耶稣基督带来的.  祂是新的献祭(1:29)和新的圣殿(2:19).  约翰后来将要告诉我们,  要从内心真诚正直的来敬拜, 而不是外在地理上的分别(4:19-24).

3. 耶稣的智慧 (约 2:23-25)

 3.     His Knowledge (2:23–25) 

While in Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus performed miracles that are not given in detail in any of the Gospels. It must have been these signs that especially attracted Nicodemus (John 3:2). Because of the mira cles, many people professed to believe in Him, but Jesus did not accept their profession. No matter what the people themselves said, or others said about them. He did not accept human testimony. Why? Because, being God, He knew what was in each person’s heart and mind.                                                 当耶稣在耶路撒冷过逾越节时, 任何的福音书中对耶稣所行的神迹都没有详细的记载. 它必须是那些特别吸引尼哥底母的 (3:2).  因为神迹, 很多人都承认归向耶稣;  但是耶稣并不接受他们的坦承相信.  不管他们自己怎么说, 或别人怎样说他们.  耶稣不接受他们的坦诚.  为什么?  因为耶稣是上帝, 祂知道万事, 祂知道他们的心.

 The words believed in John 2:23 and commit in John 2:24 are the same Greek word. These people believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them! They were “unsaved believers”! It was one thing to respond to a miracle but quite something else to commit oneself to Jesus Christ and continue in His Word (John 8:30–31).                                                                                                                                   在约翰福音2章23节的“ believed(相信)”和在24节的希腊字 “commit(委身)”是同一个字.  这些人相信耶稣, 但祂不信认他们!  他们是“没有得救的相信者”!  由于神迹而信靠耶稣是一回事, 但是委身自己信靠耶稣和常在祂的话语中又是另外一回事(8:30-31).

   约翰是注重耶稣的标记的重要性,  因为他写约翰福音是要记载这些标记和激动他的读者来信靠耶稣并得永生(20:30-31).  不论怎样, 整本福音书, 约翰清楚的显明很多是因看见神迹因信而得救的人.  看到标记而相信的人可能是了不起的开始; 实际上, 甚至门徒也是依这程序而增进他们的信心 (比较 2:11 和 2:22).

Throughout the gospel of John, you see the Jewish people divided over the meaning of these miracles (John 9:16; 11:45–46). The same miracles that attracted Nicodemus to Jesus caused some of the other religious leaders to want to kill Him! They even asserted that His miracles were done in the power of Satan! Our Lord’s miracles were testimonies (John 5:36), giving evidence of His divine sonship, but they were also tests, exposing the hearts of the people (John 12:37ff.). The same events that opened some eyes only made other eyes that much more blind (John 9:39–41).                                                   从整本约翰福音, 你可以看到犹太人对神迹的意义是不一致的 (9:16; 11:45-46). 同一样的神迹使尼哥底母来见耶稣, 却使另一些人要杀害耶稣!  甚至他们指控耶稣的神迹是受魔鬼的能力而行的.  我们的主的神迹是见证(5:36), 证明祂属天的儿子的神性, 但是他们仍要去检验, 显出他们的不信的心 (12:37 比照研读).  同一样的事件, 使一些人的眼睛得开, 而另一些人的眼更瞎 (9:39-41).

Our Lord’s accurate knowledge of the human heart is another evidence of His deity, for only God can see the inner person. This brief paragraph prepares us for the important interview with Nicodemus recorded in the next chapter. Note the repetition of the word man from John 2:25 to 3:1. Nicodemus wanted to learn more about Jesus, but he ended up learning more about himself!                                     耶稣使祂所行的神迹与祂所传的信息连在一起, 是必须要了解的重点.  祂知道人心是被奇事所吸引.  五千人得饱, 使得他们要逼使祂作王 ─ 直到祂讲道说明生命的粮, 然后他们纷纷的离开了祂！恩典和真理都是耶稣带来的 (1:17).  用恩典, 祂喂饱饥饿的人; 讲真理,道成肉身的“道’.  人却只要实质的食物, 但不要属灵的真理, 所以他们遗弃祂.

“He knew what was in man” is a statement that is proved several times in John’s gospel. Jesus knew the character of Simon (John 1:42). He knew what Nathanael was like (John 1:46ff.), and He told the Samaritan woman “all things” that she had ever done (John 4:29). He knew that the Jewish leaders did not have God’s love in their hearts (John 5:42), and that one of His disciples was not truly a believer (John 6:64). He saw the repentance in the heart of the adul teress (John 8:10–11) and the murder in the hearts of His enemies (John 8:40ff.). Several times in the Upper Room message, Jesus revealed to His disciples their own inner feelings and questions.                                                                                             在约翰福音里一再被证实的话, “祂知道人心” .  耶稣知道彼得的性格 (1:42). 祂知道拿但业的家世及性格 (1:46 比照研读), 并且祂说出撒玛利亚妇人的“底细”, 她所做的一切事.  祂知道犹太人的宗教领袖没有上帝的爱在他们心中(5:42),  和祂知道祂的门徒中有一个不是真信祂的(6:64).  祂看到犯奸淫的妇人心中的悔改(8:10-11) 和祂敌人心中的要谋杀祂的阴谋(8:40比照研读).  在角楼上多次的信息中, 祂对门徒明示他们内心的感觉和问题.

As you follow our Lord’s ministry in John’s gospel, you see Him moving gradually out of the bright light of popularity and into the dark shadows of rejection. At the beginning, it was easy for people to follow the crowd and watch His miracles. But then, His words began to penetrate hearts, with conviction following, and conviction leads either to conversion or opposi tion. It is impossible to be neutral. People had to decide, and most of them decided against Him.                                                     当你读着约翰福音, 会体认我们主的讲道, 会慢慢的看到祂由光明的大众前引退到黑暗和被拒绝.  在起始, 人很容易跟着群众一起看祂的神迹.  但是接着,  祂的话开始扎心,  跟着是悔改; 悔改可能引导至完全改变或反对.  中立是不可能的.  人必须要决定, 大多数的人都决定反对祂.

       Yes, Jesus knows the human heart. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). People who want His works but not His Word can never share His life. “Seeing is believing” is not the Christian approach (John 11:40; 20:29). First we believe; then we see. Miracles can only lead us to the Word (John 5:36–38), and the Word generates saving faith (Rom. 10:17). 

是的, 耶稣知道人心. “除非你们看到标记和奇事, 否则你们不会相信” (4:48).  只要耶稣的工作, 而不听祂话的人永远不能分享祂的生命. “看到才相信”不是基督徒的信心(11:40 和 20:29).  首先我们要信; 然后我们去看.  神迹只能引导我们到“道”那里去(5:36-38), 然后“道”创造得救的信心 (罗 10:17).

Our Lord’s accurate knowledge of the human heart is another evidence of His deity, for only God can see the inner person. This brief paragraph prepares us for the important interview with Nicodemus recorded in the next chapter. Note the repetition of the word man from John 2:25 to 3:1. Nicodemus wanted to learn more about Jesus, but he ended up learning more about himself!                                     我们的主深知人心是祂的神性另外的证明, 因为只有上帝能鉴查人心.  这个简要的一段是用来给我们预备在下章记载的尼哥底母重要的研究.  注意在约翰福音2章25节至3章1节多次提到 “人”.  尼哥底母希望多认识耶稣, 但是他终于多认识了自己!

[注]: 有位醉酒的矿工的故事曾警悟我. 他现在不喝酒, 成为基督信仰者, 他作见证.  有位他的朋友试着要下串套的问他,“你相信耶稣将水变酒的神迹吗?”他回答说,“当然, 我信! 耶稣将我要喝的酒变成了我家中桌椅, 孩子们漂亮的衣服, 和食物!”

(12年前读到约翰福音第二章 认识耶稣这段圣经时, 内心激动, 回忆1982年戒烟的痛苦, 也能体会戒酒的苦痛.     美国多少家庭因喝酒而遭毁灭.) 

                                 

                                                                                                                                    Jesus, His family, and His disciples remained in Capernaum a few days, and then He went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Each Jewish man was required to attend three annual feasts at the Holy City: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16). The feasts mentioned in the gospel of John are Passover (John 2:13; 6:4; 12:1), Tabernacles (John 7:2), and Dedication (John 10:22). The unnamed feast in John 5:1 may have been Purim (Est. 9:26, 31). 

Though He deliberately violated the man-made religious traditions of the Pharisees, our Lord obeyed the statutes of the law and was faithful to uphold the law. In His life and death, He fulfilled the law so that, today, believers are not burdened by that “yoke of bondage” (Acts 15:10). 

待續

B. The Jews—2:13—3:36 It is significant that the servants knew the source of this special wine (John 2:9). When Jesus healed the nobleman’s son (John 4:46–54), it was the servants who were in on the secret. We are not just His servants; we are also His friends, and we know what He is doing (John 15:15). Wine was the normal drink of the people in that day, and we must not use this miracle as an argument for the use of alcoholic beverages today. A man given to drink once said to me, “After all, Jesus turned water into wine!” My reply was, “If you use Jesus as your example for drinking, why don’t you follow His example in every thing else?” Then I read Luke 22:18 to him. This verse clearly states that, in heaven now, Jesus is a teetotaler! Sincere Christians of our day consider such verses as 1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:23, 31 before concluding that Jesus revealed His zeal for God first of all by cleans ing the temple (John 2:13–17). The priests had established a lucrative business of exchanging foreign money for Jewish currency, and also selling the animals needed for the sacrifices. No doubt, this “religious market” began as a convenience for the Jews who came long distances to worship in the temple, but in due time the “convenience” became a business, not a min istry. The tragedy is that this business was carried on in the court of the Gentiles in the temple, the place where the Jews should have been meeting the Gentiles and telling them about the one true God. Any Gentile searching for truth would not likely find it among the religious merchants in the temple. 

Our Lord suddenly appeared in the temple and cleaned house! He was careful not to destroy anyone’s property (He did not release the doves, for example), but He made it clear that He was in command. The temple was His Father’s house, and He would not have the religious leaders pollute it with their money-mak ing enterprises. 

The condition of the temple was a vivid indication of the spiritual condition of the nation. Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly minded men whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich. Not only had the wine run out at the wedding feast but the glory had departed from the temple. 

When they saw His courageous zeal, the disciples remembered Psalm 69:9 “The zeal of [for] thine house 234 John 2 hath eaten me up.” Psalm 69 is definitely a messianic psalm that is quoted several times in the New Testament: Psalm 69:4 (John 15:25); Psalm 69:8 (John 7:3–5); Psalm 69:9 (John 2:17; Rom. 15:3); Psalm 69:21 (Matt. 27:34, 48); and Psalm 69:22 (Rom. 11:9–10). 

There was still a godly remnant in Israel who loved God and revered His temple (Luke 1:5–22; 2:25–38), but most religious leaders were false shepherds who exploited the people. When Jesus cleansed the temple, He “declared war” on the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 23), and this ultimately led to His death. Indeed, His zeal for God’s house did eat Him up! 

He also revealed His zeal by giving His life (John 2:18–22). It was logical for the religious leaders to ask Him to show the source of His authority. After all, they were the guardians of the Jewish faith, and they had a right to test any new prophet who appeared. “The Jews require a sign” (1 Cor. 1:22). Often, during His ministry, the leaders asked Jesus to give them a sign, and He refused to do so, except for the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:39ff.). The “sign of Jonah” is death, burial, and resurrection. 

Jesus used the image of the temple to convey this truth. “Destroy this temple [My body], and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Being spiritually blind, those who heard misunderstood what He was saying. Throughout the gospel of John, you will find people misunderstanding spiritual truth and interpret ing in material or physical terms (John 3:4; 4:11; 6:52). Herod’s temple was started in 20 BC and not completed until AD 64. How could one man “raise it up” in three days? 

This statement was, of course, a prediction of His own death and resurrection, and His disciples remem bered it after He was raised from the dead. But His enemies also remembered it and used it at His trial (Matt. 26:59–61), and some of the people mocked Him with it when He was dying on the cross (Matt. 27:40). 

In writing this gospel, John included a number of vivid pictures of the death of the Savior. The first is the slaying of the Lamb in John 1:29, indicating that His death would be that of a substitute for sinners. The destroying of the temple is the second picture (John 2:19), suggesting a violent death that would end in vic torious resurrection. 

The third picture is that of the serpent lifted up (John 3:14), a reference to Numbers 21:5–9. The Savior would be made sin for us (1 Peter 2:24). His death would be voluntary (John 10:11–18): the Shepherd would lay down His life for the sheep. Finally, the planting of the seed (John 12:20–25) teaches that His death would produce fruit to the glory of God. His death and burial would look like failure, but in the end, God would bring victory. 

The temple was an important element of the Jewish faith, for in it God was supposed to dwell. All of the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Jewish religion cen tered in the temple. When Jesus suggested that their precious building would be destroyed, their angry reac tion was predictable. After all, if His body is the temple, then the Jewish temple would be needed no more. In this cryptic statement, our Lord actually pre dicted the end of the Jewish religious system. 

But that was one of the purposes John had in mind when he wrote his gospel: the legal system has ended, and “grace and truth” have come through Jesus Christ. He is the new sacrifice (John 1:29) and the new temple (John 2:19). John will tell us later that the new worship will depend on inward integrity, not outward geogra phy (John 4:19–24).