Wednesday, July 23, 2025

 119 (約12章)

CHAPTER TWELVE                                                                                                                                   John 12                                                                                                                                                    CHRIST AND THE CRISIS                                     

John 12 records the second major crisis in the ministry of our Lord as seen by John the apostle. The first occurred when many of His disciples would no longer walk with Him (John 6:66), even though He is “the way” (John 14:6). In this chapter, John tells us that many would not believe in Him (John 12:37ff.), even though He is “the truth.” The third crisis will come in John 19: even though He is “the life,” the lead ers crucified Him. John opened his book by telling us that Jesus “came unto his own [world], and his own [people] received him not” (John 1:11). In the first twelve chapters, John presented one witness after another, and one proof after another, to convince us that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. All of this evidence was seen firsthand by the leaders of the nation, and yet they rejected His claims. Having been rejected by “His own” nation, Jesus then retired with “his own” disciples (John 13:1), whom he loved to the uttermost. We see in John 12 the Lord Jesus Christ as He relates to four different groups of people, and there are lessons that we can learn as we study this section. Jesus and His Friends (John 12:1–11) Our Lord knew that the Jewish leaders were out to arrest Him and kill Him (John 11:53, 57), but He still returned to Bethany, only two miles from the very citadel of His enemies. Why? So that He might spend a quiet time with His dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. True to their personalities, Martha busily served and Mary worshipped at the feet of Jesus (see Luke 10:38–42). The account of Mary’s anointing of her Lord is found also in Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9. But it must not be confused with the account given in Luke 7:36–50, where a former harlot anointed Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Mary was a virtuous woman, and she anointed Jesus in the house of Simon the (former) leper (Mark 14:3). The Luke 7 event took place in Galilee, while the account we are now consid ering occurred in Judea. The fact that there are two “Simons” involved should not surprise us, for Simon was a common name in that day. When you combine all three accounts, you learn that Mary anointed both His head and His feet. It was an act of pure love on her part, for she knew her Lord was about to endure suffering and death. Because she sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him speak, she knew what He was going to do. It is significant that Mary of Bethany was not one of the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1). In a sense, Mary was showing her devotion to Jesus before it was too late. She was “giving the roses” while He was yet alive, and not bringing them to the funeral! Her act of love and worship was public, spontaneous, sacrificial, lavish, personal, and unembarrassed. Jesus called it “a good work” (Matt. 26:10; Mark 14:6) and both commended her and defended her. It would have required a year’s wages from a com mon laborer to purchase that ointment. Like David, Mary would not give to the Lord that which cost her nothing (2 Sam. 24:24). Her beautiful act of worship brought a fragrance to the very house in which they were dining, and the blessing of her deed has spread around the world (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9). Little did Mary realize that night that her love for Christ would be a blessing to believers around the world for centuries to come! When she came to the feet of Jesus, Mary took the place of a slave. When she undid her hair (something Jewish women did not do in public), she humbled her self and laid her glory at His feet (see 1 Cor. 11:15). Of course, she was misunderstood and criticized, but that is what usually happens when somebody gives his or her best to the Lord. It was Judas who started the criticism, and, sad to say, the other disciples took it up. They did not know that Judas was a devil (John 6:70), and they admired him for his concern for the poor. After all, he was the treasurer, and especially at Passover season, he would want to share with those who were less fortunate (see John 13:21–30). Until the very end, the disciples believed that Judas was a devoted follower of the Lord. John 12:4 records Judas’s first words found any where in the four gospels. His last words are found in Matthew 27:4. Judas was a thief and was in the habit of stealing money from the money box that he carried. (The Greek word translated “bag” meant originally a small case in which mouthpieces were kept for wind instruments. Then it came to mean any small box, and especially a money box. The Greek version of the Old Testament uses this word in 2 Chron. 24:8–10 for King Joash’s money chest.) No doubt Judas had already decided to abandon Jesus, and he wanted to get what he could out of what he considered a bad situation. 271 John 12 Jesus and the Passover Pilgrims (12:12–19) Perhaps he had hoped that Jesus would defeat Rome and set up the kingdom; in which case, Judas would have been treasurer of the kingdom! What Mary did was a blessing to Jesus and a bless ing to her own life. She was also a blessing to the home, filling it with fragrance (see Phil. 4:18), and today, she is a blessing to the church around the world. Her one act of devotion in the little village of Bethany still sends “ripples of blessing.” But not so Judas! We call our daughters “Mary,” but no parent would call a son “Judas.” His very name is listed in the dictionary as a synonym for treachery. Mary and Judas are seen in contrast in Proverbs 10:7— “The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.” “A good name is better than precious ointment,” says Ecclesiastes 7:1, and Mary had both. Matthew 26:14 gives the impression that immedi ately after this rebuke, Judas went to the priests and bargained to deliver Jesus into their hands. But it is likely that the events recorded in Matthew 21—25 took place first. No doubt the Lord’s rebuke of Judas at Bethany played an important part in his decision actu ally to betray Jesus. Also, the fact that Jesus once again openly announced His death would motivate Judas to escape while the opportunity was there. As we look at this event, we see some “representa tive people” who are examples to us. Martha represents work as she served the dinner she had prepared for the Lord. This was just as much a “fragrant offering” as was Mary’s ointment (see Heb. 13:16). Mary represents worship, and Lazarus represents witness (John 11:9–11). People went to Bethany just to be able to see this man who had been raised from the dead! As mentioned we have no recorded words from Lazarus in the New Testament, but his miraculous life was an effective witness for Jesus Christ. (In contrast, John the Baptist did no miracles, yet his words brought people to Jesus. See John 10:40–42.) We today ought to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) because we have been “raised from the dead” (Eph. 2:1–10; Col. 3:1ff.). Actually, the Christian life ought to be a beautiful bal ance of worship, work, and witness. But the fact that Lazarus was a walking miracle put him into a place of danger: the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him as well as Jesus! Our Lord was right when He called them children of the devil, for they were murderers indeed (John 8:42–44). They threw the healed blind man out of the synagogue rather than per mit him to bear witness to Christ every Sabbath, and they tried to put Lazarus back into the tomb because he was leading people to faith in Christ. If you will not accept the evidence, you must try to get rid of it! This quiet evening of fellowship—in spite of the cruel way the disciples treated Mary—must have brought special encouragement and strength to the Savior’s heart as He faced the demands of that last week before the cross. We should examine our own hearts and homes to ask whether we are bringing joy to His heart by our worship, work, and witness. John shifted the scene from a quiet dinner in Bethany to a noisy public parade in Jerusalem. All four gospels record this event, and their accounts should be com pared. This was the only “public demonstration” that our Lord allowed while He was ministering on earth. His purpose was to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy (Zech. 9:9). The result was a growing animosity on the part of the religious leaders, leading eventually to the crucifixion of the Savior. There were three different groups in the crowd that day: (1) the Passover visitors from outside Judea (John 12:12, 18); (2) the local people who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus (John 12:17); and (3) the religious leaders who were greatly concerned about what Jesus might do at the feast (John 12:19). At each of the dif ferent feasts, the people were in keen expectation, wondering if Jesus would be there and what He would do. It looked as though Jesus was actually seeking to incite a revolution and establish Himself as king, but that was not what He had in mind. What did this event mean to Jesus? For one thing, it was a part of His obedience to the Father’s will. The prophet Zechariah (Zech. 9:9) prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in that manner, and He fulfilled the prophecy. “Daughter of Zion” is another name for the city of Jerusalem (Jer. 4:31; Lam. 2:4, 8, 10). Certainly Jesus was openly announcing to the peo ple that He indeed is the King of Israel (John 1:49), the promised Messiah. No doubt many of the pilgrims hoped that now He would defeat the Romans and set the nation of Israel free. What did this demonstration mean to the Romans? Nothing is recorded about the Roman viewpoint, but it is certain that they kept a close watch that day. During the annual Passover feast, it was not uncom mon for some of the Jewish nationalists to try to arouse the people, and perhaps they thought this parade was that kind of an event. I imagine that some of the Roman soldiers must have smiled at the “triumphal entry,” because it was nothing like their own “Roman triumph” celebrations in the city of Rome. Whenever a Roman general was victorious on for eign soil, killing at least five thousand of the enemy, and gaining new territory, he was given a “Roman tri umph” when he returned to the city. It was the Roman equivalent of the American “ticker-tape parade,” only with much more splendor. The victor would be permit ted to display the trophies he had won and the enemy leaders he had captured. The parade ended at the arena, where some of the captives entertained the people by fighting wild beasts. Compared to a “Roman triumph,” our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem was nothing. What did the “triumphal entry” mean to the people of Israel? The pilgrims welcomed Jesus, spread their garments before Him, and waved palm branches as symbols of peace and victory (Rev. 7:9). They quoted from Psalm 118:26, which is a messianic psalm, and they proclaimed Him the “King of Israel.” But while 272 John 12 they were doing this, Jesus was weeping (Luke 19:37–44)! The name Jerusalem means “city of peace” or “foun dation of peace,” and the people were hoping that Jesus would bring them the peace that they needed. However, He wept because He saw what lay ahead of the nation—war, suffering, destruction, and a scattered people. At His birth, the angels announced “peace on earth” (Luke 2:13–14), but in His ministry Jesus announced “war on earth” (Luke 12:51ff.). It is signif icant that the crowds shouted “peace in heaven” (Luke 19:38), because that is the only place where there is peace today! The nation had wasted its opportunities; their lead ers did not know the time of God’s visitation. They were ignorant of their own Scriptures. The next time Israel sees the King, the scene will be radically different (Rev. 19:11ff.)! He will come in glory, not in humility, and the armies of heaven will accompany Him. It will be a scene of victory as He comes to defeat His enemies and establish His kingdom. It is a repeated theme in Scripture that there can be no glory unless first there is suffering. Jesus knew that He must die on the cross before He could enter into His glory (Luke 24:26). The Jewish theologians were not clear in their minds concerning the sufferings of the Messiah and the glorious kingdom that the prophets announced. Some teachers held that there were two Messiahs, one who would suffer and one who would reign. Even our Lord’s own disciples were not clear as to what was going on (see John 11:16). How did the Jewish leaders respond to the “Triumphal Entry” of the Lord? As they watched the great crowd gather and honor Jesus, the Pharisees were quite sure that Jesus had won the day. They were antic ipating some kind of general revolt during the Passover season. Perhaps Jesus would perform a great miracle and in that way capture the minds and hearts of the restless people. How little they really understood the mind and heart of the Master! What they did not real ize was that Jesus was “forcing their hand” so that the Sanhedrin would act during the feast. The Lamb of God had to give His life when the Passover lambs were being slain. The statement, “Behold, the world is gone after him!” (John 12:19) was both an exaggeration and a prophecy. In the next section, we meet some visitors from outside Israel. Jesus and the Gentile Visitors (12:20–36) Following His entry into Jerusalem, our Lord cleansed the temple for the second time. He quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11: “Is it not written, my house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17). Perhaps these Greeks heard that word and were encouraged by it. One of John’s major themes is that Jesus is the Savior of the world, not simply the Redeemer of Israel. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). The Samaritans rightly identified Him as “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). He gave His life for the world and He gives life to the world (John 6:33). He is the Light of the World (John 8:12). The universal emphasis of John’s gospel is too obvious to miss. Jesus will bring the “other sheep” who are outside the Jewish fold (John 10:16; and see 11:51–52). The original text indicates that these Greeks “were accustomed to come and worship at the feast.” They were not curious visitors or one-time investigators. No doubt they were “God-fearers,” Gentiles who attended the Jewish synagogue and sought the truth, but who had not yet become proselytes. Gentiles came to see Jesus when He was a young child (Matt. 2), and now Gentiles came to see Him just before His death. These men “kept asking” Philip for the privilege of an interview with Jesus. Philip finally told Andrew (who was often bringing people to Jesus), and Andrew gave the request to the Lord. No doubt there were many people who wanted private interviews with the Lord, but they were afraid of the Pharisees (John 9:22). Being from out of the country, the Gentile visitors either did not know about the danger, or did not fear the consequences. We can commend these Greeks for wanting to see Jesus. The Jews would say, “We would see a sign!” (Matt. 12:38; 1 Cor. 1:22) but these men said, “We would see [have an interview with] Jesus.” There is no record that Jesus did talk with these men, but the mes sage that He gave in response contains truths that all of us need. The central theme of this message is the glory of God (John 12:23, 28). We would have expected Jesus to say, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be crucified.” But Jesus saw beyond the cross to the glory that would follow (see Luke 24:26; Heb. 12:2). In fact, the glory of God is an important theme in the remaining chapters of John’s gospel (see John 13:31–32; 14:13; 17:1, 4–5, 22, 24). Jesus used the image of a seed to illustrate the great spiritual truth that there can be no glory without suf fering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender. Of itself, a seed is weak and useless, but when it is planted, it “dies” and becomes fruitful. There is both beauty and bounty when a seed “dies” and fulfills its purpose. If a seed could talk, it would no doubt complain about being put into the cold, dark earth. But the only way it can achieve its goal is by being planted. God’s children are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but they have life in them, God’s life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to “plant us.” We must die to self so that we may live unto God (Rom. 6; Gal. 2:20). The only way to have a fruitful life is to fol low Jesus Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. 273 John 12 In these words, Jesus challenges us today to surren der our lives to Him. Note the contrasts: loneliness or fruitfulness; losing your life or keeping your life; serv ing self or serving Christ; pleasing self or receiving God’s honor. I read about some Christians who visited a remote mission station to see how the ministry was going. As they watched the dedicated missionary team at work, they were impressed with their ministry, but admitted that they missed “civilization.” “You certainly have buried yourself out here!” one of the visitors exclaimed. “We haven’t buried ourselves,” the missionary replied. “We were planted!” Our Lord knew that He was facing suffering and death, and His humanity responded to this ordeal. His soul was troubled, not because He was questioning the Father’s will, but because He was fully conscious of all that the cross involved. Note that Jesus did not say, “What shall I do?” because He knew what He was ordained to do. He said, “What shall I say?” In the hour of suffering and surrender, there are only two prayers we can pray, either “Father, save me!” or “Father, glorify Thy name!” In one of my radio messages, I made the statement, “God does not expect us to be comfortable, but He does expect us to be conformable.” No sooner had the program ended than my office phone rang and an anonymous listener wanted to argue with me about that statement. “Conformable to what?” the voice thundered. “Haven’t you read Romans 12:2—‘Be not conformed to this world’?” “Sure I’ve read Romans 12:2,” I replied. “Have you read Romans 8:29? God has predestined us ‘to be con formed to the image of his Son.’” After a long pause (I was glad he was paying the phone bill), he grunted and said, “OK.” Comfortable or conformable: that is the question. If we are looking for comfortable lives, then we will pro tect our plans and desires, save our lives, and never be planted. But if we yield our lives and let God plant us, we will never be alone but will have the joy of being fruitful to the glory of God. “If any man [Jew or Greek] serve me, let him follow me.” This is the equiv alent of Matthew 10:39 and Mark 8:36. The prayer, “Father, glorify thy name!” received a reply from heaven! God the Father spoke to His Son and gave Him a double assurance: the Son’s past life and ministry had glorified the Father, and the Son’s future suffering and death would glorify the Father. It is significant that the Father spoke to the Son at the beginning of the Son’s ministry (Matt. 3:17), as the Son began His journey to Jerusalem (Matt. 17:5), and now as the Son entered the last days before the cross. God always gives that word of assurance to those who willingly suffer for His sake. for their sakes and they could not understand it, what good was it? In that the voice assured Jesus, who was to die for their sakes, the voice was for their good. They heard Him pray and they heard a sound from heaven in response to that prayer. That should have convinced them that Jesus was in touch with the Father. We might translate John 12:30, “That voice came more for your sake than for Mine.” Jesus then openly spoke about the cross. It was an hour of judgment for the world and for Satan, the prince of the world. The death of Jesus Christ would seem like a victory for the wicked world, but it would really be a judgment of the world. On the cross, Jesus would defeat Satan and his world system (Gal. 6:14). Even though he is permitted to go to and fro on the earth, Satan is a defeated enemy. As we serve the Lord, we overcome the wicked one (Luke 10:17–19). One day Satan shall be cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:10), and eventually he will be judged and imprisoned forever (Rev. 20:10). We have met the phrase “lifted up” before (John 3:14; 8:28). Its basic meaning is crucifixion (note John 12:33), but it also carries the idea of glorification. “Behold, My servant will prosper. He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted” (Isa. 52:13 nasb). The Son of Man was glorified by being crucified! The phrase “all men” does not suggest universal sal vation. It means “all people without distinction,” that is, Jews and Gentiles. He does not force them; He draws them (see John 6:44–45). He was “lifted up” that men might find the way (John 12:32), know the truth (John 8:28), and receive the life (John 3:14). The cross reminds us that God loves a whole world and that the task of the church is to take the gospel to the whole world. The people did not understand what He was teach ing. They knew that “Son of man” was a title for Messiah, but they could not understand why Messiah would be crucified! Did not the Old Testament teach that the Messiah would live forever? (See Ps. 72:17; 89:36; 110:4; Isa. 9:7.) But that was no time to be discussing the fine points of theology! It was an hour of crisis (see John 12:31, where the Greek word krisis means judgment) and an hour of opportunity. The light was shining and they had better take advantage of their opportunity to be saved! We have met this image of light and darkness before (John 1:4–9; 3:17–20; 8:12; 9:39–41). By a simple step of faith, these people could have passed out of spiritual darkness and into the light of salvation. This marked the end of our Lord’s public ministry as far as John’s record is concerned. Jesus departed and hid Himself. It was judgment on the nation that saw His miracles, heard His messages, and scrutinized His ministry, and yet refused to believe on Him. E.They would not believe on Him—12:37–50 Jesus and Unbelieving Jews (12:37–49) The people heard a sound but did not know the message that had been conveyed. Yet if the voice was The key word in this section is believe; it is used eight times. First, John explained the unbelief of the people. 274 John 12—13 They would not believe (John 12:37–38, with a quota tion from Isa. 53:1); they could not believe (John 12:39); and they should not believe (John 12:40–41, with a quotation from Isa. 6:9–10). In spite of all the clear evidence that was presented to them, the nation would not believe. The “arm of the Lord” had been revealed to them in great power, yet they closed their eyes to the truth. They had heard the message (“report”) and seen the miracles, and yet would not believe. His ministry, His miracles, His message, and His desire to save lost sinners. You have considered the evidence. Have you come to the conviction that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, the Savior of the world? Have you trusted Him and received everlasting life? “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:36 nkjv). III. OUTCOME (13—21) A.The faith of the disciples—13—17 When a person starts to resist the light, something begins to change within him, and he comes to the place where he cannot believe. There is “judicial blindness” that God permits to come over the eyes of people who do not take the truth seriously. (This quotation is found in a number of places in the New Testament. See Matt. 13:14–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:25–27; Rom. 11:8.) It is a serious thing to treat God’s truth lightly, for a person could well miss his opportunity to be saved. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55:6). There were those who would not believe, and there were those who would not openly confess Christ even though they had believed (John 12:42–43). Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea belonged to this group initially, but eventually came out openly in their confession of Christ (John 19:38ff.). In the early church, there were numbers of Pharisees (Acts 15:5) and even priests (Acts 6:7). It was the old struggle between the glory of God and the praise of men (John 12:25–26). It was a costly thing to be excommunicated (John 9:22), and these “secret believers” wanted the best of both worlds. Note John 5:44 in this regard. In John 12:44–50 we have our Lord’s last message before He “hid himself” from the people. Again, the emphasis was on faith. A number of the basic themes in John’s gospel run through this message: God sent the Son; to see the Son means to see the Father; Jesus is the Light of the World; His words are the very words of God; faith in Him brings salvation; to reject Him is to face eternal judgment. In fact, the very Word that He spoke will judge those who have rejected it and Him! It is an awesome thought that the unbeliever will face at the judgment every bit of Scripture he has ever read or heard. The very Word that he rejects becomes his judge! Why? Because the written Word points to the Living Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Many people reject the truth simply because of the fear of man (John 12:42–43). Among those who will be in hell are “the fearful” (Rev. 21:8). Better to fear God and go to heaven than to fear men and go to hell! The word judge is repeated four times in the closing words of this message, and a solemn word it is. Jesus did not come to judge; He came to save (John 3:18; 8:15). But if the sinner will not trust the Savior, the Savior must become the Judge. The sinner is actually passing judgment on himself, not on the Lord! As you have studied these twelve chapters of the gospel of John, you have seen Jesus Christ in His life, CHAPTER THIRTEEN John 13:1–35 THE SOVEREIGN SERVANT Three times in m

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

118 (約第11章) The last miracle — the last enemy 最後的神蹟—最後的敵人 7/22/2025

118 (約第11章)     The last miracle  the last enemy   最後的神蹟—最後的敵人      7/22/2025 

CHAPTER ELEVEN         第11課                                                                                                            John 11                               約翰福音第11章                                                                                                THE LAST MIRACLE—THE LAST ENEMY   最後的神蹟—最後的敵人

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was not our Lord’s last miracle before the cross, but it was              certainly His greatest and the one that aroused the most response both from His friends and His enemies. John selected this miracle as the seventh in the series recorded in his book because it was really the climactic miracle of our Lord’s earthly ministry. He had raised others from the dead, but Lazarus had been in the grave four days. It was a miracle that could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders.                                                                                                                                                使拉撒路從死裡復活並非主耶穌在十字架前所行的最後一個神蹟,但卻無疑是祂最偉大的神蹟,也引起了祂的朋友和敵人最強烈的反響。約翰選擇這個神蹟作為他所記載的一系列神蹟中的第七個,因為它實際上是主耶穌在世事奉的巔峰之作。祂曾經使其他人從死裡復活,但拉撒路在墳墓裡已經四天了。這是一個猶太領袖無法否認或迴避的神蹟。

         If Jesus Christ can do nothing about death, then whatever else He can do amounts to nothing. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19). Death is man’s last enemy (1 Cor. 15:26), but Jesus Christ has defeated this horrible enemy totally and permanently.                                                                                                                                                          如果耶穌基督對死亡無能為力,那麼祂所能做的一切也毫無意義。 「我們若靠基督,只在今生有指望,就算比眾人更可憐」(哥林多前書 15:19)。死亡是人類最後的敵人(哥林多前書 15:26),但耶穌基督已經徹底且永久地戰勝了這個可怕的敵人。

          The emphasis in John 11 is on faith; you find some form of the word believe at least eight times in this account. Another theme is “the glory of God” (John 11:4, 40). In what Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of three groups of people  The raising of Lazarus from the dead was not our Lord’s last miracle before the cross, but it was certainly His greatest and the one that aroused the most response both from His friends and His enemies. John selected this miracle as the seventh in the series recorded in his book because it was really the climactic miracle of our Lord’s earthly ministry. He had raised others from the dead, but Lazarus had been in the grave four days. It was a miracle that could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders.                                                                                                     約翰福音第11章強調的是信心;你會在這段記述中至少八次發現「相信」這個字。另一個主題是「神的榮耀」(約翰福音 11:4, 40)。耶穌的言行旨在堅固三類人的信心。使拉撒路從死裡復活並非主耶穌在十字架前所行的最後一個神蹟,但卻無疑是祂最偉大的神蹟,也引起了祂的朋友和敵人最強烈的反響。約翰選擇這個神蹟作為他所記載的一系列神蹟中的第七個,因為它實際上是主耶穌在世事奉的巔峰之作。祂曾經使其他人從死裡復活,但拉撒路在墳墓裡已經四天了。這是一個猶太領袖無法否認或迴避的神蹟。

         If Jesus Christ can do nothing about death, then whatever else He can do amounts to nothing. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19). Death is man’s last enemy (1 Cor. 15:26), but Jesus Christ has defeated this horrible enemy totally and permanently.                                                                                                                                                           如果耶穌基督對死亡無能為力,那麼祂所能做的一切也毫無意義。 「我們若靠基督,只在今生有指望,就算比眾人更可憐」(哥林多前書 15:19)。死亡是人類最後的敵人(哥林多前書 15:26),但耶穌基督已經徹底且永久地戰勝了這個可怕的敵人。

           The emphasis in John 11 is on faith; you find some form of the word believe at least eight times in this account. Another theme is “the glory of God” (John 11:4, 40). In what Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of three groups of people                                                                                        約翰福音第11章強調的是信心;你會在這段記述中至少八次發現「相信」這個字。另一個主題是「神的榮耀」(約翰福音 11:4, 40)。耶穌的言行旨在堅固三類人的信心。

The Disciples (11:1–16)                                                                                                                            門徒(11:1-16)                                                                                                                                      We sometimes think of the disciples as “supersaints,” but such was not the case. They often failed their Lord, and He was constantly seeking to increase their faith. After all, one day He would leave them and they would have the responsibility of carrying on the ministry. If their faith was weak, their work could never be strong.                                                                                                                                            我們有時認為門徒是“超級聖徒”,但事實並非如此。他們常常辜負他們的主,而祂一直在努力增強他們的信心。畢竟,總有一天祂會離開他們,而他們將肩負繼續事奉的責任。如果他們的信心軟弱,他們的事工就永遠不會堅固。

        Jesus was at Bethabara, about twenty miles from Bethany (John 1:28; 10:40). One day, a messenger arrived with the sad news that our Lord’s dear friend Lazarus was sick. If the man had traveled quickly, with out any delay, he could have made the trip in one day. Jesus sent him back the next day with the encouraging message recorded in John 11:4. Then Jesus waited two more days before He left for Bethany, and by the time Heand His disciples arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. This means that Lazarus had died the very day the messenger left to contact Jesus!                                            耶穌當時在伯大尼,離伯大尼約二十英里(約翰福音 1:28;10:40)。有一天,一位信差帶來一個不幸的消息,說我們主親愛的朋友拉撒路病了。如果這個人趕快出發,不耽擱,他一天就能趕到。第二天,耶穌就讓他帶著約翰福音 11:4 記載的令人鼓舞的信息回去。耶穌又等了兩天才動身前往伯大尼。當他和門徒到達時,拉撒路已經死了四天了。這意味著,就在使者去聯絡耶穌的那天,拉撒路已經死了!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The Disciples (11:1–16)                                                                                                                                We sometimes think of the disciples as “supersaints,” but such was not the case. They often failed their Lord, and He was constantly seeking to increase their faith. After all, one day He would leave them and they would have the responsibility of carrying on the ministry. If their faith was weak, their work could never be strong.                                                                                                                                          門徒(11:1-16)                                                                                                                                        我們有時認為門徒是“超級聖徒”,但事實並非如此。他們常常辜負他們的主,而祂一直在努力加增他們的信心。畢竟,總有一天祂會離開他們,而他們要肩負繼續傳道的責任。如果他們的信心軟弱,他們的工作就永遠不會有力。

        Jesus was at Bethabara, about twenty miles from Bethany (John 1:28; 10:40). One day, a messenger arrived with the sad news that our Lord’s dear friend Lazarus was sick. If the man had traveled quickly, with out any delay, he could have made the trip in one day. Jesus sent him back the next day with the encouraging message recorded in John 11:4. Then Jesus waited two more days before He left for Bethany, and by the time Heand His disciples arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. This means that Lazarus had died the very day the messenger left to contact Jesus!                                            耶穌當時在伯大尼,離伯大尼大約二十英里(約翰福音1:28;10:40)。有一天,一個信差帶來一個壞消息,說我們主親愛的朋友拉撒路生病了。如果這個人趕快出發,不耽擱,他一天就能趕到。第二天,耶穌要他帶著約翰福音11:4所記載的鼓舞人心的信息回去。耶穌又等了兩天才動身前往伯大尼。當他和門徒到達時,拉撒路已經死了四天了。這意味著拉撒路正是在信差出發去見耶穌的那天去世的!                                                                                            

         The schedule of events would look something like this, allowing one day for travel:                                 事件的安排大致如下,預留一天時間出遊:

                  Day 1—The messenger comes to Jesus (Lazarus dies).                                                                                第一天-使者來到耶穌那裡(拉撒路死了)。

                  Day 2—The messenger returns to Bethany.                                                                                                  第二天-使者返回伯大尼。

                  Day 3—Jesus waits another day, then departs.                                                                                              第三天——耶穌又等了一天,然後離開。

                  Day 4—Jesus arrives in Bethany.                                                                                                                  第四天-耶穌到達伯大尼。 

        When the messenger arrived back home, he would find Lazarus already dead. What would his message convey to the grieving sisters now that their brother was already dead and buried? Jesus was urging them to believe His word no matter how discouraging the cir cumstances might appear.                        當使者回到家時,他發現拉撒路已經死了。既然她們的兄弟已經死了並埋葬了,他的訊息會向悲傷的姊妹傳達什麼呢?耶穌敦促她們,無論情況看起來多麼令人沮喪,都要相信祂的話。

         No doubt the disciples were perplexed about several matters. First of all, if Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He permit him to get sick? Even more, why did He delay to go to the sisters? For that matter, could He not have healed Lazarus at a distance, as He did the nobleman’s son (John 4:43–54)? The record makes it clear that there was a strong love relationship between Jesus and this family (John 11:3, 5, 36), and yet our Lord’s behavior seems to contradict this love.                                                              毫無疑問,門徒們對幾個問題感到困惑。首先,如果耶穌如此愛拉撒路,為什麼祂允許他生病?更重要的是,為什麼祂遲遲不去探望她們?再說,祂難道不能像醫治大臣的兒子那樣,遠遠地醫治拉撒路嗎(約翰福音4:43-54)?聖經記載清楚地表明,耶穌和這個家庭之間有著深厚的愛(約翰福音11:3, 5, 36),然而我們主的行為似乎與這份愛相悖。

       God’s love for His own is not a pampering love; it is a perfecting love. The fact that He loves us and we love Him is no guarantee that we will be sheltered from the problems and pains of life. After all, the Father loves His Son: and yet the Father permitted His beloved Son to drink the cup of sorrow and experience the shame and pain of the cross. We must never think that love and suffering are incompatible. Certainly they unite in Jesus Christ.                                                                                                上帝對祂子民的愛並非溺愛,而是一種完全的愛。祂愛我們,我們愛祂,但這並不能保證我們免於生活中的困境和痛苦。畢竟,父愛祂的兒子:然而,父卻允許祂的愛子喝下憂愁的杯,經歷十字架的羞辱和痛苦。我們絕不能認為愛與苦難是互不相容的。它們無疑在耶穌基督裡合而為一。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ sickness or even healed it from where He was, but He chose not to. He saw in this sickness an opportunity to glorify the Father. It is not important that we Christians are com fortable, but it is important that we glorify God in all that we do.                                                          耶穌本可以阻止拉撒路的疾病,甚至在祂所在的地方治愈他,但祂選擇不這樣做。祂認為這疾病是榮耀天父的機會。我們基督徒過得舒服並不重要,重要的是我們要在我們所做的一切事上榮耀上帝。

        In their “prayer” to Jesus, the two sisters did not tell Him what to do. They simply informed Him that there was a need, and they reminded Him of His love for Lazarus. They knew that it was dangerous for Jesus to return to Judea because the Jewish leaders were out to destroy Him. Perhaps they hoped that He would “speak the word” and their brother would be restored to health. Our Lord’s message to the sisters did not say that their brother would not die. It promised only that death would not be the ultimate result, for the ultimate result would be the glory of God. (Note that once again, Jesus called Himself “the Son of God.”) He wanted them to lay hold of this promise; in fact, He reminded Martha of this message when she balked at having the tomb opened (John 11:40).                                                                    在她們對耶穌的「禱告」中,兩個姊妹並沒有告訴祂該做什麼。她們只是告訴祂有需要,並提醒祂對拉撒路的愛。她們知道耶穌回到猶大是危險的,因為猶太領袖想要除滅祂。也許她們希望祂能“說一句話”,讓她們的兄弟恢復健康。我們的主給姊妹們的訊息並沒有說她們的兄弟不會死。它只應許死亡不會是最終的結果,因為最終的結果將是上帝的榮耀。 (請注意,耶穌再次稱自己為「上帝的兒子」。)祂希望她們抓住這個承諾;事實上,當馬大拒絕開墳墓時,祂就提醒她這個信息(約翰福音 11:40)。

       When we find ourselves confronted by disease, dis appointment, delay, and even death, our only encouragement is the Word of God. We must live by faith and not by sight. Their situation seemed hopeless, yet the sisters knew that Jesus was the Master of every situation. The promise in Psalm 50:15 finds a parallel here: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” What about our Lord’s delay? He was not waiting for Lazarus to die, for he was already dead. Jesus lived on a divine timetable (John 11:9), and He was waiting for the Father to tell Him when to go to Bethany. The fact that the man had been dead four days gave greater authenticity to the miracle and greater opportunity for people to believe, including His own disciples (see John 11:15).                                     當我們發現自己面臨疾病、失望、延遲甚至死亡時,我們唯一的鼓勵就是上帝的話語。我們必 須憑信心而活,而不是憑眼見。她們的處境似乎毫無希望,但姊妹倆知道耶穌是一切狀況的主宰。詩篇 50:15 的承諾與此相似:「並要在患難之日求告我,我必搭救你,你也要榮耀我。」那我們主的拖延呢?祂不是在等拉撒路死,因為他已經死了。耶穌按照神聖的時間表生活(約翰福音 11:9),祂正在等待天父告訴祂何時要去伯大尼。這個人已經死了四天,這一事實使這個奇蹟更具真實性,也讓人們,包括祂自己的門徒,有更大的機會相信(參考約翰福音 11:15)。

        When our Lord announced that He was returning to Judea, His disciples were alarmed, because they knew how dangerous it would be. (Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem.) But Jesus was willing to lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13). He knew that His return to Judea and the miracle of rais ing Lazarus would precipitate His own arrest and death.                                                              當我們的主宣布他要返回猶大時,他的門徒們驚慌失措,因為他們知道那裡有多危險。 (伯大尼距離耶路撒冷只有大約兩英里。)但耶穌願意為他的朋友獻出生命(約翰福音15:13)。他知道他返回猶大並行使拉撒路復活的奇蹟會導致他自己被捕和死亡。

        The Lord calmed their fears by reminding them that He was on the Father’s schedule, and that nothing could harm them. As we have seen, this is an important theme in the gospel of John (John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). But the disciples not only misun derstood the schedule, they also misunderstood the reason for the visit. They thought that, if Lazarus was sleeping, he was getting better! It was another example of their inability to grasp spiritual truth. “If he is sleep ing, he must be improving—so let’s not bother to go to Bethany!”                                                                                                主提醒他們,祂按照天父的計劃行事,沒有任何事物可以傷害他們,以此平息他們的恐懼。如我們所見,這是約翰福音的一個重要主題(約翰福音2:4;7:6、8、30;8:20;12:23;13:1;17:1)。但門徒們不僅誤解了計劃,也誤解了他們來訪的原因。他們以為,如果拉撒路睡著了,就表示他正在好轉!這是他們無法掌握屬靈真理的另一個例子。 「如果他睡著了,那他肯定好轉了——所以我們就別去伯大尼了!」

        Then He told them openly that Lazarus was dead. (Death for the believer is compared to sleep. See Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13–18.) He did not say He was glad that His friend died, but that He was glad He had not been there, for now He could reveal to His disciples His mighty power. The result would be glory to God and the strengthening of their faith.                                                                                  然後他公開告訴他們拉撒路死了。 (對信徒來說,死亡就像睡覺。參考使徒行傳7:60;哥林多前書15:51;帖撒羅尼迦前書4:13-18。)他並沒有說他很高興他的朋友死了,而是說他很高興他沒在那裡,因為現在他可以向門徒彰顯他的大能。結果就是榮耀歸於上帝,堅固他們的信心。

        If Thomas’s attitude was any indication, the faith of the disciples certainly needed strengthening! The name Thomas means “twin” in the Aramaic language; the Greek equivalent is Didymus. We do not know whose twin he was, but there are times when all of us seem to be his twin when we consider our unbelief and depressed feelings! It was Thomas who demanded evi dence before he would accept the truth of our Lord’s resurrection (John 20:24–28). Thomas was a doubting man, but we must confess that he was a devoted man: he was willing to go with Jesus into danger and risk his own life. We may not admire his faith, but we can certainly applaud his loy alty and courage.                                                              如果多馬的態度能說明什麼問題的話,那就是門徒的信心確實需要堅固!多馬這個名字在亞蘭語中是「雙胞胎」的意思;希臘文對應的是狄迪莫斯。我們不知道他是誰的雙胞胎,但有時當我們考慮到自己的不信和沮喪情緒時,我們所有人似乎都像是他的雙胞胎!多馬要求證據,才接受我們主復活的真理(約 20:24-28)。多馬是個多疑的人,但我們必須承認他是個虔誠的人:他願意跟隨耶穌,冒著生命危險。我們或許不欽佩他的信仰,但我們絕對可以讚揚他的忠誠和勇氣。                     

The Sisters (11:17–40)                                                                                                                                Jesus was concerned not only about the faith of His own disciples, but also about the faith of Mary and Martha (John 11:26, 40). Each experience of suffering and trial ought to increase our faith, but this kind of spiritual growth is not automatic. We must respond positively to the ministry of the Word and the Spirit of God. Jesus had sent a promise to the two sisters (John 11:4), and now He would discover how they had received it.                                                                                                                                      姊妹(11:17-40)                                                                                                                                      耶穌不只關心祂門徒的信心,也關心馬利亞和馬大的信心(約翰福音11:26, 40)。每一次苦難和試煉的經驗都應該增強我們的信心,但這種靈性的成長並非自動而來。我們必須積極地回應上帝聖言和聖靈的服事。耶穌已將應許賜給兩位姊妹(約翰福音11:4),現在祂要知道她們是如何領受的。

        The event recorded in Luke 10:38–42 makes it clear that Mary and Martha were quite different in their personalities. Martha was the worker, the active one, while Mary was the contemplative one who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His words. Jesus did not condemn Martha’s service, but He did rebuke her for being “torn apart” by so many things. She needed to have priorities and center her activities on the things that God would approve. As an old Wesley hymn puts it, we need to have a balanced life:                                                                                                                                                         路加福音10:38-42所記載的事件清楚地表明,馬利亞和馬大的性格截然不同。馬大是做工的,是積極的;而馬利亞是默想的,坐在耶穌腳前聆聽祂的話語。耶穌並沒有譴責馬大的服事,但他責備她被這麼多事情「心煩意亂」。她需要分清輕重緩急,並將自己的活動集中在上帝所悅納的事上。正如一首古老的衛斯理聖詩所說,我們需要平衡的人生:

                Faithful to my Lord’s commands,      忠於主的誡命,                                                                                I still would choose the better part:    我仍願選擇更好的:                                                                        Serve with careful Martha’s hands     用馬大細心的手服侍,                                                                    And loving Mary’s heart.                   用馬利亞愛人的心。

         We would expect Martha to rush out to meet Jesus while Mary sat in the house, weeping with her friends. Since Mary later echoed Martha’s words of greeting (John 11:32), it is likely that the sisters often said these words to each other as they waited for Jesus to arrive. While there may have been a tinge of disappointment in the statement, there was also evidence of faith, for nobody ever died in the presence of Jesus Christ. “If” is such a big word! How futile it is to imagine what might have been, if— !                                                                                                                                                                        我們以為馬大會衝出去迎接耶穌,而馬利亞則坐在屋裡,與朋友們一起哭泣。由於馬利亞後來也重複了馬大的問候(約翰福音11:32),所以姊妹倆很可能在等待耶穌到來時經常這樣說。雖然這句話中可能帶著一絲失望,但也體現了信心,因為在耶穌基督面前,從來沒有人死去。 「如果」這個字意義重大!想像如果…會發生什麼,是多麼徒勞!

         Martha was quick to affirm her faith in Jesus Christ (John 11:22), and Jesus responded to that faith by promising her that her brother would rise again. He was thinking of the immediate situation, but she inter preted His words to mean the future resurrection in the last day (Dan. 12:2–3; John 5:28–29). Here is another instance in John’s gospel of people lacking spiritual per ception and being unable to understand the words of Jesus.                                                                                                                              馬大很快就確認了她對耶穌基督的信仰(約翰福音11:22),耶穌也回應了她的信仰,並承諾她的兄弟會復活。他考慮的是眼前的處境,但她卻將他的話解讀為末日的復活(但以理書12:2-3;約翰福音5:28-29)。這是約翰福音中另一個例子,人們缺乏屬靈的感知力,無法理解耶穌的話。

        Our Lord’s reply is the fifth of the “I am” state ments. It is important to note that Jesus did not deny what Martha said about the future resurrection. The resurrection of the human body is a cardinal doctrine in the orthodox Jewish faith. But in His great “I am” statement, our Lord completely transformed the doc trine of the resurrection and, in so doing, brought great comfort to Martha’s heart.            我們主的回答是第五個「我是」的陳述。值得注意的是,耶穌並沒有否認馬大關於未來復活的說法。人體復活是正統猶太教信仰中的一個基本教義。但是,在祂偉大的「我是」的陳述中,我們的主徹底改變了復活的教義,並因此給馬大的心靈帶來了極大的安慰。

       To begin with, He brought the doctrine of the resurrection out of the shadows and into the light. The Old Testament revelation about death and resur rection is not clear or complete; it is, as it were, “in the shadows.” In fact, there are some passages in Psalms and Ecclesiastes that almost make one believe that death is the end and there is no hope beyond the grave. False teachers like to use these passages to sup port their heretical teachings, but they ignore (or misinterpret) the clear teachings found in the New Testament. After all, it was not David or Solomon who “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10), but Jesus Christ!                                                                                                          首先,祂把復活的教義從陰影中帶到了光明中。舊約中關於死亡和復活的啟示並不清晰或完整;它就像「在陰影裡」一樣。事實上,詩篇和傳道書中的某些經文幾乎讓人相信死亡就是終結,死後別無希望。假教師喜歡用這些經文來支持他們的異端教義,卻忽略(或曲解)新約聖經中清晰的教導。畢竟,「藉著福音,將不能壞的生命彰顯出來」(提摩太後書1:10)的,不是大衛或所羅門,而是耶穌基督!                                      

        By His teaching, His miracles, and His own resur rection, Jesus clearly taught the resurrection of the human body. He has declared once for all that death is real, that there is life after death, and that the body will one day be raised by the power of God. He transformed this doctrine in a second way: He took it out of a book and put it into a person, Himself. “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)!         耶穌透過祂的教導、祂的神蹟和祂自身的復活,清楚地教導了人體的復活。他一勞永逸地宣告了死亡是真實的,死後還有生命,並且身體終有一天會因上帝的大能而復活。他以另一種方式改變了這一教義:他將其從一本書中取出,並賦予了他自己。 「復活在我,生命也在我」(約翰福音11:25)!    

          While we thank God for what the Bible teaches (and all Martha had was the Old Testament), we realize that we are saved by the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and not by a doctrine written in a book. When we know Him by faith, we need not fear the shadow of death.                                                                             我們感謝上帝賜給我們聖經的教導(而馬大隻有舊約),但我們也意識到,我們得救是靠救贖主耶穌基督,而不是靠書本上的教義。當我們憑著信心認識祂時,就無需懼怕死亡的陰影。

         When you are sick, you want a doctor and not a medical book or a formula.  When you are being sued, you want a lawyer and not a law book. Likewise, when you face your last enemy, death, you want the Savior and not a doctrine written in a book. In Jesus Christ, every doctrine is made personal (1 Cor. 1:30). When you belong to Him, you have all that you ever will need in life, death, time, or eternity!              當你生病時,你需要的是醫生,而不是醫書或處方。當你被起訴時,你需要的是律師,而不是法律書。同樣,當你面對最後的敵人——死亡——時,你需要的是救主,而不是書本上的教義。在耶穌基督裡,每一項教義都變得切合個人需要(哥林多前書 1:30)。當你屬於祂時,你就擁有了在生、死、今生或永恆中所需的一切!

         But perhaps the greatest transformation Jesus per formed was to move the doctrine of the resurrection out of the future and into the present. Martha was looking to the future, knowing that Lazarus would rise again and she would see him. Her friends were looking to the past and saying, “He could have prevented Lazarus from dying” (John 11:37)! But Jesus tried to center their attention on the present: wherever He is, God’s resurrection power is available now (Rom. 6:4; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:10).              但或許耶穌所成就的最大轉變,是將復活的教義從未來帶到了現在。馬大著眼於未來,知道拉撒路會復活,她會見到他。她的朋友回想過去,說:「他本來可以救拉撒路不死」(約翰福音11:37)!但耶穌試圖將他們的注意力集中在當下:無論他在哪裡,神復活的大能現在就在那裡(羅馬書6:4;加拉太書2:20;腓立比書3:10)。

         Jesus affirmed that believers would one day be raised from the dead (John 11:25). Then He immedi ately revealed the added truth that some believers would never die (and it is a double negative, “never never die!”) (John 11:26). How is this possible? The answer is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 18. When Jesus Christ returns in the air to take His people home, those who are alive at His coming shall never die. They shall be changed and caught up to meet Him in the air!                                                      耶穌肯定信徒終有一天會從死裡復活(約翰福音11:25)。然後他立即揭示了一個額外的真理,有些信徒永遠不會死(這是一個雙重否定,「永遠不會死!」)(約翰福音11:26)。這怎麼可能?答案在帖撒羅尼迦前書4:13, 18。當耶穌基督在空中再來接祂的子民回家時,那些在祂來臨時還活著的人將永遠不死。他們將被改變,被提到空中與他相遇!

        Martha did not hesitate to affirm her faith. She used three different titles for Jesus: Lord, Christ (Messiah), and Son of God. The words “I believe” are in the perfect tense, indicating a fixed and settled faith. “I have believed and I will continue to believe!”                                                                                  馬大毫不猶豫地肯定了她的信仰。她用三個不同的稱謂來稱呼耶穌:主、基督(彌賽亞)和神的兒子。 「我信」這幾個字是完成時態,表示堅定不移的信心。 「我已經信了,還要信!」

         Our Lord dealt with Martha’s faith; now He had to help Mary. Why did Martha call Mary “secretly”? Possibly because of the danger involved: they knew that the Jewish leaders were out to arrest Jesus. When Mary arose to go to meet Jesus, her friends misunderstood her actions and thought she was going to the tomb to weep. They wanted to weep with her, so they followed along. Imagine their surprise when they met Jesus!                                                                                                                       我們的主處理了馬大的信心問題;現在他必須幫助馬利亞。馬大為什麼「偷偷地」叫馬利亞呢?可能是因為危險:他們知道猶太領袖要逮捕耶穌。當馬利亞起身去迎接耶穌時,她的朋友誤解了她的行為,以為她要去墳墓哭。他們想跟她哭,就跟著哭了。想像一下,當他們見到耶穌時,他們有多驚訝!

        Mary is found three times in the gospel record, and each time she is at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:39; John 11:32; 12:3). She sat at His feet and listened to His word; she fell at His feet and poured out her sorrow, and she came to His feet to give Him her praise and worship. Mary’s only recorded words in the Gospels are given in John 11:32, and they echo what Martha had already said (John 11:21).                         福音書中三次提到馬利亞,每次她都在耶穌腳前(路加福音10:39;約翰福音11:32;12:3)。她坐在耶穌腳前聆聽祂的話語;她俯伏在祂腳前傾訴她的憂愁;她來到祂腳前讚美和敬拜祂。福音書中唯一記錄馬利亞的話語是在約翰福音11:32,這些話語與馬大之前所說的話相呼應(約翰福音11:21)。

        Mary did not say much because she was overcome with sorrow and began to weep. Her friends joined in the weeping, as Jewish people are accustomed to do. The word used means “a loud weeping, a lamentation.” Our Lord’s response was to groan within and “be moved with indignation.” At what was He indignant? At the ravages of sin in the world that He had created. Death is an enemy, and Satan uses the fear of death as a terrible weapon (Heb. 2:14–18). No wonder Jesus was indignant!                                    馬利亞沒有說太多,因為她悲傷過度,開始哭泣。她的朋友也加入了哭泣,就像猶太人習慣做的那樣。 「放聲大哭,哀號」這個字的意思是「放聲大哭,哀嘆」。我們的主對此的反應是內心呻吟,並且「動搖」。他為何而憤慨?因為祂所創造的世界中罪惡的肆虐。死亡是敵人,撒旦利用對死亡的恐懼作為可怕的武器(希伯來書2:14-18)。難怪耶穌會憤慨!

        The mystery of our Lord’s incarnation is seen by His question in John 11:34. Jesus knew that Lazarus had died (John 11:11), but He had to ask where he was buried. Our Lord never used His divine powers when normal human means would suffice.                                                                                               我們主道成肉身的奧秘可以從祂在約翰福音11:34中所提出的問題中看出。耶穌知道拉撒路已經死了(約翰福音11:11),但他必須問他被埋葬在哪裡。當正常的人類手段就足夠時,我們的主從不使用祂的神力。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            “Jesus wept” is the shortest and yet the deepest verse in Scripture. His was a silent weeping (the Greek word is used nowhere else in the New Testament) and not the loud lamentation of the mourners. But why did He weep at all? After all, He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:11).                                                                                                                                                                    「耶穌哭了」是聖經中最短卻最深刻的經文。祂是無聲的哭泣(希臘文在新約聖經中其他地方沒有使用過),而不是像哀悼者那樣大聲哀號。但祂為何哭泣呢?畢竟,祂知道祂會使拉撒路從死裡復活(約翰福音11:11)。

        Our Lord’s weeping reveals the humanity of the Savior. He has entered into all of our experiences and knows how we feel. In fact, being the perfect God Man, Jesus experienced these things in a deeper way than we do. His tears also assure us of His sympathy; He is indeed “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). Today, He is our merciful and faith ful High Priest, and we may come to the throne of grace and find all the gracious help that we need (Heb. 4:14–16).                                              我們主的哭泣揭示了救主的人性。祂體會到我們所有的經歷,知道我們的感受。事實上,身為完美的神人,耶穌比我們更深刻地體會這些事。祂的眼淚也向我們保證祂的同情;祂確實「多受痛苦,常經憂患」(以賽亞書53:3)。今天,祂是我們慈悲信實的大祭司,我們可以來到施恩的寶座前,得到我們所需要的一切恩典的幫助(希伯來書4:14-16)。                                                                                                                                                                                                                     We see in His tears the tragedy of sin but also the glory of heaven. Perhaps Jesus was weeping for Lazarus, as well as with the sisters, because He knew He was calling His friend from heaven and back into a wicked world where he would one day have to die again. Jesus had come down from heaven; He knew what Lazarus was leaving behind.                                                                                                                我們從祂的眼淚中,看到了罪的悲劇,也看見了天國的榮耀。耶穌或許在為拉撒路哭泣,也為拉撒路的姊妹們哭泣,因為祂知道祂正在呼喚祂的朋友離開天國,回到這個邪惡的世界,在那裡,他終有一天會再次死去。耶穌已經從天上降下來;祂知道拉撒路留下了什麼。

        The spectators saw in His tears an evidence of His love. But some of them said, “If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He not prevent his death?” Perhaps they were thinking, “Jesus is weeping because He was unable to do anything. They are tears of deep regret.” In other words, nobody present really expected a miracle! For this reason, nobody could accuse Jesus of “plotting” this event and being in collusion with the two sisters and their friends. Even the disciples did not believe that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead!                                                                                                                                  旁觀者從祂的眼淚中看到了祂愛的證據。但有些人說:「如果耶穌如此愛拉撒路,為什麼不阻止他死去呢?」或許他們在想:「耶穌哭泣是因為他無能為力。這是深深悔恨的淚水。」換句話說,在場的所有人都沒有真正期待奇蹟發生!因此,沒有人可以指責耶穌「策劃」了這件事,並與兩姊妹及其朋友串通一氣。即使是門徒也不相信耶穌會讓拉撒路從死裡復活!

        The one person who declared her faith was Martha (John 11:27), and she failed at the last minute. “Open the tomb? By now he smells!” Jesus gently reminded her of the message He had sent at least three days before (John 11:4), and He urged her to believe it. True faith relies on God’s promises and thereby releases God’s power. Martha relented, and the stone was rolled away.                                                  唯一一個表明自己信仰的人是馬大(約翰福音11:27),但她在最後一刻失敗了。 「開墳墓?他現在臭了!」耶穌溫柔地提醒她,祂至少三天前就傳達了祂的信息(約翰福音11:4),並鼓勵她相信。真正的信心依賴神的應許,並因此釋放神的能力。馬大心軟了,石頭就滾開了。

The Jews (11:41–57)                                                                                                                                 猶太人(11:41-57)                                                                                                                                  The emphasis from this point on was on the faith of the spectators, the people who had come to comfort Mary and Martha. Jesus paused to pray (John 11:41; see also 6:11) and thanked the Father that the prayer had already been heard. When had He prayed? Probably when He received the message that His friend was sick (John 11:4). The Father then told Him what the plan was, and Jesus obeyed the Father’s will. His prayer now was for the sake of the unbelieving specta tors, that they might know that God had sent Him.                                                                                                                                                                從此時起,重點放在旁觀者的信心上,這些人前來安慰馬利亞和馬大。耶穌停下來禱告(約翰福音11:41;另參6:11),並感謝天父已經垂聽了祂的禱告。祂是什麼時候禱告的?很可能是在祂得知朋友生病了的消息時(約翰福音11:4)。天父隨後告訴祂計畫是什麼,耶穌順服了天父的旨意。祂現在的禱告是為了那些不信的旁觀者,好讓他們知道是神差遣了祂。

        A quaint Puritan writer said that if Jesus had not named Lazarus when He shouted, He would have emp tied the whole cemetery! Jesus called Lazarus and raised him from the dead. Since Lazarus was bound, he could not walk to the door of the tomb, so God’s power must have carried him along. It was an unquestioned miracle that even the most hostile spectator could not deny.                                                      一位古怪的清教徒作家寫道,如果耶穌呼喊時沒有說出拉撒路的名字,祂就會把整個墓地都清空!耶穌呼喚拉撒路,使他從死裡復活。拉撒路被綁著,無法走到墓門,所以一定是神的能力帶動了他。這是一個毋庸置疑的奇蹟,即使是最有敵意的旁觀者也無法否認。                                                                                                                                                                                                        The experience of Lazarus is a good illustration of what happens to a sinner when he trusts the Savior (Eph. 2:1–10). Lazarus was dead, and all sinners are dead. He was decayed, because death and decay go together. All lost people are spiritually dead, but some are more “decayed” than others. No one can be “more dead” than another.                                                                                                                          拉撒路的經驗很好地說明了罪人信靠救主後會發生什麼事(弗 2:1-10)。拉撒路死了,所有罪人也都死了。他腐爛了,因為死亡和腐爛是相伴而生的。所有迷失的人在靈裡都是死的,但有些人比其他人更「腐爛」。沒有人會比別人「死得更徹底」。                                             

        Lazarus was raised from the dead by the power of God, and all who trust Christ have been given new life and lifted out of the graveyard of sin (see John 5:24). Lazarus was set free from the graveclothes (see Col. 3:1ff.) and given new liberty. You find him seated with Christ at the table (John 12:2), and all believers are “seated with Christ” in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), enjoying spiritual food and fellowship.                                                                                                                                                      拉撒路藉著神的大能從死裡復活,所有信靠基督的人都被賦予了新生命,被帶離了罪惡的墳墓(參考約翰福音 5:24)。拉撒路從裹屍布中被釋放(參考歌羅西書 3:1 及後),獲得了新的自由。你會發現祂與基督一同坐在桌旁(約翰福音 12:2),所有信徒都「與基督一同坐在」天上(弗 2:6),享受屬靈的食糧和團契。

         Because of the great change in Lazarus, many peo ple desired to see him, and his “living witness” was used by God to bring people to salvation (John 12:9–11). There are no recorded words of Lazarus in the Gospels, but his daily walk is enough to convince people that Jesus is the Son of God. Because of his effective witness, Lazarus was persecuted by the religious leaders who wanted to kill him and get rid of the evidence.                                                                                                                                                由於拉撒路的巨大變化,許多人渴望見到他,而他「活生生的見證」也被神用來拯救人們(約翰福音12:9-11)。福音書中沒有關於拉撒路的記載,但他日常生活足以使人們相信耶穌是神的兒子。由於他有效的見證,拉撒路遭到宗教領袖的迫害,他們想殺死他並消滅證據。

        As with the previous miracles, the people were divided in their response. Some did believe and on “Palm Sunday” gave witness of the miracle Jesus had performed (John 12:17–18). But others immediately went to the religious leaders and reported what had happened in Bethany. These “informers” were so near the kingdom, yet there is no evidence that they believed. If the heart  will not yield to truth, then the grace of God cannot bring salvation. These people could have experienced a spiritual resurrection in their own lives!                                                                                                                與之前的奇蹟一樣,人們的反應也存在分歧。有些人相信了,並在「棕櫚主日」見證了耶穌所行的奇蹟(約翰福音12:17-18)。但其他人立即去找宗教領袖,報告在伯大尼發生的事情。這些「告密者」離天國這麼近,卻沒有證據顯示他們相信。如果人心不屈服於真理,那麼神的恩典就無法帶來救贖。這些人本來可以在自己的生命中經歷靈性的復活!

         It was necessary that the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) meet and discuss what to do with Jesus. They were not seeking after truth; they were seeking for ways to pro tect their own selfish interests. If He gathered too many followers, He might get the attention of the Roman authorities, and this could hurt the Jewish cause.                                                                                                                                                    猶太公會(Sanhedrin)有必要開會討論如何處置耶穌。他們並非尋求真理,而是在尋求維護自身私利的途徑。如果耶穌聚集了太多追隨者,可能會引起羅馬當局的注意,這可能會損害猶太人的事業。

        The high priest, Caiaphas, was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee (Acts 23:6–10), but the two factions could always get together to fight a common enemy. Unknown to himself and to the council, Caiaphas uttered a divine prophecy: Jesus would die for the nation so that the nation would not perish. “For the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isa. 53:8). True to his vision of a worldwide family of God, John added his inspired explanation: Jesus would die not only for the Jews, but for all of God’s children who would be gathered together in one heavenly family. (Note John 4:42; 10:16.)                              大祭司該亞法是撒都該人,而非法利賽人(使徒行傳23:6-10),但這兩個派系總是可以聯合起來對抗共同的敵人。該亞法在自己和公會都不知道的情況下,說出了一個神聖的預言:耶穌將為這個國家而死,使這個國家不致滅亡。 「祂受責罰是因我百姓的罪」(以賽亞書53:8)。約翰秉承他對上帝普世大家庭的願景,並補充了他受神啟發的解釋:耶穌不僅為猶太人而死,也為所有聚集在一個天上大家庭的上帝兒女而死。 (注意約翰福音 4:42;10:16。)

        The official decision that day was that Jesus must die (see Matt. 12:14; Luke 19:47; John 5:18; 7:1, 19–20, 25). The leaders thought that they were in con trol of the situation, but it was God who was working out His predetermined plan (Acts 2:23). Originally, they wanted to wait until after the Passover, but God had decreed otherwise.                                                                                                             當天官方的決定是耶穌必須死(參考馬太福音 12:14;路加福音 19:47;約翰福音 5:18;7:1、19-20、25)。領袖們認為他們能控制局面,但這是上帝在執行祂預定的計劃(使徒行傳 2:23)。起初,他們想等到逾越節之後,但上帝另有安排。

         Jesus withdrew to Ephraim, about fifteen miles north of Jerusalem, and there He remained in quiet retirement with His disciples. The crowd was gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and the pilgrims were wondering if Jesus would attend the feast even though He was in danger. He was now on the “wanted” list, because the council had made it known that any one who knew where Jesus was must report it to the officials.                                                                                                                                          耶穌退到耶路撒冷以北約十五英里的以法蓮,在那裡與祂的門徒安靜地隱居。人群聚集在耶路撒冷過逾越節,朝聖者們想知道耶穌是否會參加節日,即使祂處於危險之中。他現在上了「通緝」名單,因為公會已經宣布,任何知道耶穌下落的人都必須向官員報告。                         

        John 11 reveals the deity of Jesus Christ and the utter depravity of the human heart. The rich man in hades had argued, “If one went unto them from the dead, they will repent” (Luke 16:30). Lazarus came back from the dead, and the officials wanted to kill him! Miracles certainly reveal the power of God, but of themselves they cannot communicate the grace of God.                                                                    約翰福音11章揭示了耶穌基督的神性和人心的徹底墮落。陰間的財主曾爭辯說:「若有一個從死裡復活的,到他們那裡去,他們必要悔改。」(路加福音16:30)拉撒路死而復活,官長們卻想殺他!神蹟固然彰顯了神的大能,但神蹟本身卻無法傳達神的恩典。

        The stage had been set for the greatest drama in history, during which man would do his worst and God would give His best.                                                                                                                                      人類史上最偉大的戲劇舞台已經搭好,在這舞台上,人將展現最壞的一面,而神將展現祂最好的一面。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Monday, July 21, 2025

117 (約10章) The good shepherd and his sheep 耶穌是好牧人 21/07/2025

117 (約10章)             The good shepherd and his sheep         耶穌是好牧人            21/07/2025

CHAPTER TEN               第十課                                                                                                                  John 10                             約翰福音10章                                                                                                      THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP   耶穌是好牧人

Perhaps you remember the episode of Candid Camera that took place at an exclusive prep school where all of the students were well above average. The Candid Camera people posed as career consultants who were going to advise these brilliant young men concerning the careers that would be best suited to them, on the basis of “tests” and “interviews” that seemed (to the students) quite authentic.                                你或許還記得《偷拍》裡發生在一所精英預科學校的片段,那裡的學生成績都遠高於平均。 《偷拍》裡的人假扮成職業顧問,準備根據學生們覺得相當逼真的“考試”和“面試”,為這些才華橫溢的年輕人推薦最適合他們的職業。

       One young man eagerly awaited the “counselor’s” verdict. Surely the adviser would tell the boy to be a college president or a bank president, or perhaps a research scientist. But, no, the “counselor” had other ideas. You should have seen the look on the boy’s face when the “counselor” said: “Son, after evaluating your tests and interview, I’ve decided that the best job for you is—a shepherd.”                             一位年輕人焦急地等待著「輔導員」的答案。輔導員一定會建議他當大學校長、銀行行長,或是研究科學家。然而,這位「輔導員」卻另有打算。你真應該看看當「輔導員」說「孩子,評估了你的考試和麵試後,我決定最適合你的工作是——牧羊人」時,男孩臉上的表情。

        The student did not know whether to laugh or cry. After all, who in his right mind would want to be a shepherd? Why devote your life to “stupid sheep” who do not seem to have sense enough to find their way home?                                                                                                                                                            這位學生哭笑不得。畢竟,哪個腦子正常的人會想當牧羊人呢?為什麼要把你的生命奉獻給那些似乎找不到回家路的「愚昧的羊」呢?

        John 10 focuses on the image of sheep, sheepfolds, and shepherds. It is a rural and Eastern image, to be sure, but it is an image that can say a great deal to us today, even in our urban industrialized world. Paul used this image when admonishing the spiritual leaders in the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:28ff.). The truths that cluster around the image of the shepherd and the sheep are found throughout the Bible, and they are important to us today. The symbols that Jesus used help us understand who He is and what He wants to do for us.                                                                                                                                            約翰福音第十章聚焦在羊、羊圈和牧羊人的形象。誠然,這是一個充滿鄉村氣息的東方形象,但它對今天的我們,即使在我們這個城市工業化的世界,也具有深遠的意義。保羅在勸誡以弗所教會的屬靈領袖時,也運用了這個形象(使徒行傳20:28比照研讀)。圍繞牧羊人和羊的形象的真理貫穿整本聖經,對今天的我們來說也同樣重要。耶穌所使用的象徵幫助我們理解祂是誰,以及祂想為我們做什麼。

        Perhaps the easiest way to approach this somewhat complex chapter of John’s gospel is to note the three declarations that Jesus made about Himself.                                                                                                或許,理解約翰福音這章略顯複雜的經文,最簡單的方法就是留意耶穌關於自己的三個宣告。

“I Am the Door” (10:1–10)                                                                                                                    「我就是門」(10:1-10)                                                                                                                        This sermon grew out of our Lord’s confrontation with Jewish leaders, following the excommunication of the beggar (John 9). He had briefly spoken to them about light and darkness, but now He changed the image to that of the shepherd and the sheep. Why? Because to the Jewish mind, a “shepherd” was any kind of leader, spiritual or political. People looked on the king and prophets as shepherds. Israel was privileged to be “the flock of the Lord” (Ps. 100:3). For background, read Isaiah 56:9–12; Jeremiah 23:1–4; 25:32–38; Ezekiel 34; and Zechariah 11.                                                                                          這篇講道源自於我們的主在將乞丐逐出教會後與猶太領袖的對峙(約翰福音第九章)。他曾簡短地向他們講述光明與黑暗,但現在他把這個比喻變成了牧羊人和羊。為什麼?因為在猶太人的心目中,「牧羊人」指的是任何一種領袖,無論是屬靈的還是政治的。人們把君王和先知視為牧羊人。以色列有幸成為「耶和華的羊群」(詩篇100:3)。有關背景,請讀以賽亞書56:9-12;耶利米書23:1-4;25:32-38;以西結書34章;以及撒迦利亞書11章。    

        Jesus opened His sermon with a familiar illustration (John 10:1–6), one that every listener would under stand. The sheepfold was usually an enclosure made of rocks, with an opening for the door. The shepherd (or a porter) would guard the flock, or flocks, at night by lying across the opening. It was not unusual for several flocks to be sheltered together in the same fold. In the morning, the shepherds would come, call their sheep, and assemble their own flocks. Each sheep recognized his own master’s voice.            耶穌以一個耳熟能詳的例子(約翰福音10:1-6)開始了他的講道,每個聽眾都能理解。羊圈通常是用石頭砌成的,有一個門洞。牧羊人(或看門人)會在夜間趴在洞口守護羊群。幾群羊聚在一起躲在同一個羊圈裡是很常見的。到了早上,牧羊人會來,呼喚他們的羊,並召集各自的羊群。每隻羊都能認出自己主人的聲音。

       The true shepherd comes in through the door, and the porter recognizes him. The thieves and robbers could never enter through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through decep tion. But even if they did get in, they would never get the sheep to follow them, for the sheep follow only the voice of their own shepherd. The false shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away.                                                                                                                                    真正的牧羊人從門進來,看門人也能認出他。盜賊和強盜永遠無法從門進來,所以他們不得不翻牆,並透過欺騙進入羊圈。但即使他們真的進去了,也永遠無法讓羊跟隨他們,因為羊隻聽從自己牧羊人的聲音。假牧羊人永遠無法引導羊,所以他們必須偷走羊。

        It is clear that the listeners did not understand what Jesus said or why He said it. (The word translated “parable” means “a dark saying, a proverb.” Our Lord’s teaching in John 10 is not like the parables recorded in the other Gospels.) The occasion for this lesson was the excommunication of the beggar from the synagogue (John 9:34). The false shepherds did not care for this man; instead, they mistreated him and threw him out. But Jesus, the Shepherd, came to him and took him in (John 9:35–38).                                                                                                                                                                        顯然,聽眾不明白耶穌說了什麼,也不明白祂為什麼這麼說。 (「比喻」的意思是「隱晦的話語,箴言」。主在約翰福音第10章的教導與其他福音書中記載的比喻不同。)這堂課的起因是乞丐被逐出會堂(約翰福音9:34)。假牧人不理會這個人,反而虐待他,把他趕了出去。但牧羊人耶穌來到他那裡,收留了他(約翰福音9:35-38)。

        It is unfortunate that John 10:1 is often used to teach that the sheepfold is heaven, and that those who try to get in by any way other than Christ are destined to fail. While the teaching is true (Acts 4:12), it is not based on this verse. Jesus made it clear that the fold is the nation of Israel (John 10:16). The Gentiles are the “other sheep” not of the fold of Israel.                                                                                  不幸的是,約翰福音10:1經常被用來教導說,羊圈就是天堂,那些試圖透過基督以外的任何方式進入天堂的人注定要失敗。雖然這個教導是正確的(使徒行傳4:12),但它並非基於這節經文。耶穌明確表示,羊圈指的是以色列國(約10:16)。外邦人是不屬於以色列羊圈的「另外的羊」。

        When Jesus came to the nation of Israel, He came the appointed way, just as the Scriptures promised. Every true shepherd must be called of God and sent by God. If he truly speaks God’s Word, the sheep will “hear his voice” and not be afraid to follow him. The true shepherd will love the sheep and care for them.                                                                                                                                                  當耶穌來到以色列國時,他按照聖經的承諾走了指定的道路。每個真正的牧羊人都必須是上帝召喚和差遣的。如果祂真正講上帝的話語,羊就會「聽祂的聲音」並且不會害怕跟隨祂。真正的牧羊人會愛羊並照顧它們。

         Since the people did not understand His symbolic language, Jesus followed the illustration with an appli cation (John 10:7–10). Twice He said, “I am the door.” He is the Door of the sheepfold and makes it possible for the sheep to leave the fold (the religion of Judaism) and to enter His flock. The Pharisees threw the beggar out of the synagogue, but Jesus led him out of Judaism and into the flock of God!                  由於人們不明白祂的象徵性語言,耶穌在這個例子之後又應用了一個應用(約翰福音 10:7-10)。他兩次說「我就是門」。他是羊圈的門,使羊可以離開羊圈(猶太教的宗教)並進入他的羊群。法利賽人把乞丐趕出會堂,但耶穌帶他離開猶太教,進入上帝的羊群!

        But the Shepherd does not stop with leading the sheep out; He also leads them in. They become a part of the “one flock” (not “fold”), which is His church. He is the Door of salvation (John 10:9). Those who trust Him enter into the Lord’s flock and fold, and they have the wonderful privilege of going “in and out” and find ing pasture. When you keep in mind that the shepherd actually was the “door” of the fold, this image becomes very real.                                                                                                                         但牧羊人並不止步於把羊帶出去;他也帶領他們進去。他們成為「一群」(不是「羊圈」)的一部分,也就是他的教會。祂是救恩的門(約翰福音10:9)。信靠祂的人進入主的羊群和羊圈,他們享有「進出」並找到草場的奇妙特權。當你記得牧羊人其實就是羊圈的「門」時,這個形象就變得非常真實。

        As the Door, Jesus delivers sinners from bondage and leads them into freedom. They have salvation! This word saved means “delivered safe and sound.” It was used to say that a person had recovered from severe ill ness, come through a bad storm, survived a war, or was acquitted at court. Some modern preachers want to do away with an “old-fashioned” word like “saved,” but Jesus used it!          作為門,耶穌將罪人從捆綁中解救出來,帶領他們進入自由。他們得到了救恩! 「得救」這個字的意思是「平安無事地被拯救」。它被用來描述一個人從重病中康復,經歷一場暴風雨,在戰爭中倖存,或在法庭上被宣判無罪。有些現代傳道人想要廢除「得救」這樣的「老式」詞,但耶穌卻使用了它!        

        Jesus was referring primarily to the religious leaders of that day (John 10:8). He was not condemning every prophet or servant of God who ever ministered before He came to earth. The statement “are thieves and rob bers” (not “were”) makes it clear that He had the present religious leaders in mind. They were not true shepherds nor did they have the approval of God on their ministry. They did not love the sheep, but instead exploited them and abused them. The beggar was a good example of what the “thieves and robbers” could do.                                                                                            耶穌主要指的是當時的宗教領袖(約翰福音10:8)。他並非譴責在他降世之前事奉過的每一位先知或神的僕人。 「是賊,是強盜」(而不是「曾經是」)這句話清楚地表明,他指的是當時的宗教領袖。他們並非真正的牧羊人,他們的事奉也未蒙神認可。他們不愛羊,反而剝削、虐待羊。乞丐就是「賊,和強盜」的典型例子。

        It is clear in the gospel record that the religious rulers of Israel were interested only in providing for themselves and protecting themselves. The Pharisees were coveteous (Luke 16:14) and even took advantage of the poor widows (Mark 12:40). They turned God’s temple into a den of thieves (Matt. 21:13), and they plotted to kill Jesus so that Rome would not take away their privileges (John 11:49–53).                                                                                                                                                                        福音書清楚記載,以色列的宗教領袖只關心自給自足和保護自己。法利賽人貪婪(路16:14),甚至利用貧窮的寡婦(可12:40)。他們把神的殿變成了賊窩(太21:13),並且密謀殺害耶穌,以免羅馬剝奪他們的特權(約翰福音11:49-53)。

        The True Shepherd came to save the sheep, but the false shepherds take advantage of the sheep and exploit them. Behind these false shepherds is “the thief” (John 10:10), probably a reference to Satan. The thief wants to steal the sheep from the fold, slaughter them, and destroy them. We shall see later that the sheep are safe in the hands of the Shepherd and the Father (John 10:27–29).                                           真牧人來拯救羊,但假牧人利用羊來剝削它們。這些假牧人的背後是「賊」(約翰福音10:10),可能是指撒但。賊想從羊圈裡偷羊,宰殺牠們,毀滅它們。我們稍後會看到,羊在牧人和天父的手中是安全的(約翰福音10:27-29)。

        When you go through “the Door,” you receive life and you are saved. As you go “in and out,” you enjoy abundant life in the rich pastures of the Lord. His sheep enjoy fullness and freedom. Jesus not only gave His life for us, but He gives His life to us right now! The emphasis in this first section is on “the door.” Our Lord then shifted the emphasis to “the shepherd” and made a second declaration.                    當你穿過「門」時,你就得到了生命,你就得救了。當你「進出」時,你就在主豐盛的草場上享受豐盛的生命。他的羊享受著豐盛和自由。耶穌不只為我們捨命,而且他現在就將他的生命賜給了我們!第一部分的重點是「門」。隨後,我們的主將重點轉移到「牧人」身上,並作了第二次宣告。

“I Am the Good Shepherd” (10:11–21)                                                                                                  「我是好牧人」(10:11-21)                                                                                                                    This is the fourth of our Lord’s “I am” statements in John’s gospel (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9). Certainly in mak ing this statement. He is contrasting Himself to the false shepherds who were in charge of the Jewish religion of that day. He had already called them “thieves and rob bers,” and now He would describe them as “hirelings.”                                                                                                                      這是我們主在約翰福音中第四次提到「我是」的陳述(約翰福音 6:35;8:12;10:9)。當然,在作這番陳述時,他是在將自己與當時掌管猶太教的假牧人進行對比。他已經稱他們為 “賊和強盜”,現在他要形容他們為“僱工”。

        The word translated “good” means “intrinsically good, beautiful, fair.” It describes that which is the ideal, the model that others may safely imitate. Our Lord’s goodness was inherent in His nature. To call Him “good” is the same as calling Him “God” (Mark 10:17–18).                                                                譯為「好」的字意為「內在的善、美麗、公平」。它描述的是理想的、他人可以安全效法的榜樣。我們主的良善是祂與生俱來的本性。稱他為「好」就等於稱他為「神」(可 10:17-18)。

        Some of the greatest people named in the Bible were shepherds by occupation: Abel, the patriarchs, Moses, and David, to name a few. Even today in the Holy Land, you may see shepherds leading flocks and revealing how intimately they know each sheep, its individual traits, and its special needs. Keep in mind that Jewish shepherds did not tend the sheep in order to slaughter them, unless they were used for sacrifice. Shepherds tended them that the sheep might give wool, milk, and lambs.                     聖經中提到的一些最偉大的人物的職業都是牧羊人:亞伯、族長、摩西和大衛,僅舉幾例。即使在今天的聖地,你仍可以看到牧羊人帶領著羊群,展示他們如何熟悉每隻羊、羊的個性特徵和特殊需求。請記住,猶太牧羊人照顧羊群並不是為了宰殺牠們,除非它們是用來獻祭的。牧羊人照顧它們是為了讓羊產下羊毛、牛奶和羔羊。

       Jesus pointed out four special ministries that He performs as the Good Shepherd.                                     耶穌指出了他作為好牧人所履行的四項特殊職責。

He dies for the sheep (vv. 11–13). Under the old dispensation, the sheep died for the shepherd, but now the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep! Five times in this sermon, Jesus clearly affirmed the sacrificial nature of His death (John 10:11, 15, 17–18). He did not die as a martyr, killed by men; He died as a substitute, will ingly laying down His life for us.                                                                                      祂為羊而死(第 11-13 節)。在舊的製度下,羊為牧羊人而死,但現在好牧人為羊而死!在這篇講道中,耶穌五次清楚地肯定了祂死亡的犧牲性質(約翰福音 10:11、15、17-18)。他不是作為一個殉道者而死,被人殺害;他代替我們死了,願意為我們獻出生命。   

        The fact that Jesus said that He died “for the sheep” must not be isolated from the rest of biblical teaching about the cross. He also died for the nation Israel (John 11:50–52) and for the world (John 6:51). While the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for the salvation of the world, it is efficient only for those who will believe.                                                                                                                                          耶穌說他「為羊」而死,這事實絕不能與聖經中關於十字架的其他教導割裂開來。他也為以色列國(約翰福音11:50-52)和世界(約翰福音6:51)而死。雖然耶穌基督的寶血足以拯救世界,但它只對那些願意相信的人有效。

         Jesus contrasted Himself to the hireling who watches over the sheep only because he is paid to do so. But when there is danger, the hireling runs away, while the true shepherd stays and cares for the flock. The key phrase is “whose own the sheep are not.” The Good Shepherd purchases the sheep, and they are His because He died for them. They belong to Him, and He cares for them. By nature, sheep are stupid and prone to get into danger, and they need a shepherd to care for them.                                            耶穌將自己比喻為僱工,僱工看守羊群只是因為他受僱。但當危險來臨時,僱工就會逃跑,而真正的牧人會留下來照顧羊群。關鍵字是「羊不屬於誰」。好牧人買下了羊,它們是他的,因為他為它們而死。它們屬於他,他照顧它們。羊生來愚笨,容易陷入危險,它們需要牧羊人來照顧。

        Throughout the Bible, God’s people are compared to sheep, and the comparison is a good one. Sheep are clean animals, unlike pigs and dogs (2 Peter 2:20–22). They are defenseless and need the care of the shepherd (Ps. 23). They are, to use Wesley’s phrase, “prone to wander,” and must often be searched for and brought back to the fold (Luke 15:3–7). Sheep are peaceful ani mals, useful to the shepherd. In these, and other ways, they picture those who have trusted Jesus Christ and are a part of God’s flock.                                                                                                                                                            整本聖經都把上帝的子民比喻成羊,這個比喻很貼切。羊是潔淨的動物,不像豬和狗(彼得後書2:20-22)。它們沒有防禦能力,需要牧羊人的照顧(詩篇23章)。用衛斯理的話來說,它們“容易迷失”,需要經常被尋找並帶回羊圈(路加福音15:3-7)。羊是溫馴的動物,對牧羊人很有用。在這些方面以及其他方面,它們象徵著那些信靠耶穌基督、屬於上帝羊群的人。

         The Pharisees, in contrast to good shepherds, had no loving concern for the beggar, so they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus found him and cared for him.                                                                             法利賽人與好牧人相反,對乞丐毫無愛心,所以把他趕出了會堂。耶穌找到了他並照顧他。

        He knows His sheep (vv. 14–15). In the gospel of John, the word know means much more than intellec tual awareness. It speaks of an intimate relationship between God and His people (see John 17:3). The Eastern shepherd knows his sheep personally and therefore knows best how to minister to them.                                                                                                                                                                      他認識他的羊(14-15節)。在約翰福音中,「認識」一詞的意思遠不止於智力上的認識。它指的是上帝與祂子民之間的親密關係(參考約翰福音17:3)。東方的牧羊人親自認識他的羊,因此最懂得如何服侍它們。

        To begin with, our Lord knows our names (see John 10:3). He knew Simon (John 1:42) and even gave him a new name. He called Zaccheus by name (Luke 19:5), and when He spoke Mary’s name in the garden, she recognized her Shepherd (John 20:16). If you have ever had your identity “lost” in a maze of computer opera tions, then you can appreciate the comforting fact that the Good Shepherd knows each of His sheep by name.                                                                                                                        首先,我們的主知道我們的名字(參考約翰福音10:3)。他認識西門(約翰福音1:42),甚至給他取了一個新名字。他叫撒該的名字(路加福音19:5),當他在園中呼喚馬利亞的名字時,她認出了她的牧羊人(約翰福音20:16)。如果你曾在紛雜的電腦操作中「迷失」身份,那麼你就會體會到這令人欣慰的事實:好牧人知道他每一隻羊的名字。

        He also knows our natures. While all sheep are alike in their essential nature, each sheep has its own distinc tive characteristics, and the loving shepherd recognizes these traits. One sheep may be afraid of high places, another of dark shadows. A faithful shepherd will con sider these special needs as he tends the flock.                                                                                                                                                  祂也了解我們的本性。雖然所有羊的本質都相同,但每隻羊都有自己獨特的特徵,而慈愛的牧羊人會辨識這些特徵。一隻羊可能怕高處,另一隻羊可能怕黑暗的陰影。忠心的牧人在牧養羊群時會考慮到這些特殊的需求。

        Have you ever noticed how different the twelve apostles were from one another? Peter was impulsive and outspoken, while Thomas was hesitant and doubt ing. Andrew was a “people person” who was always bringing somebody to Jesus, while Judas wanted to “use” people in order to get their money for himself. Jesus knew each of the men personally, and He knew exactly how to deal with them.                                                                                                                                                                       你有沒有注意到十二使徒彼此之間有多麼不同?彼得衝動直言,而多馬猶豫多疑。安得烈善於交際,總是帶人到耶穌面前,猶大則想「利用」人來為自己牟取利益。耶穌認識每一個人,祂知道該如何對待他們。

        Because He knows our natures, He also knows our needs. Often, we do not even know our own needs! Psalm 23 is a beautiful poetic description of how the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. In the pastures, by the waters, and even through the valleys, the sheep need not fear, because the shepherd is caring for them and meeting their needs. If you connect Psalm 23:1 and 6, you get the main theme of the poem: “I shall not want … all the days of my life.”                                                                                         因為祂了解我們的本性,所以祂也知道我們的需要。很多時候,我們甚至不知道自己需要什麼!詩篇23篇以優美的詩意描述了好牧人如何照顧祂的羊。在草場上,在水邊,甚至在山谷中,羊群都不必害怕,因為牧羊人正在照顧它們,滿足它們的需要。如果你把詩篇23:1和6連結起來,你就會明白這首詩的主題:「我一生一世........必不至缺乏。」

        As the shepherd cares for the sheep, the sheep get to know their shepherd better. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. They get to know Him better by listening to His voice (the Word) and experiencing His daily care. As the sheep follow the Shepherd, they learn to love and to trust Him. He loves “his own” (John 13:1) and He shows that love in the way He cares for them.          當牧羊人照顧羊群時,羊群也更了解它們的牧羊人。好牧人認識祂的羊,祂的羊也認識祂。他們藉著聆聽祂的聲音(聖經)並經歷祂每日的看顧,得以更認識祂。當羊跟隨牧人時,他們就學會愛祂、信靠祂。祂愛「屬祂的人」(約翰福音13:1),祂以祂照顧他們的方式彰顯這份愛。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Good Shepherd brings other sheep into the flock (v. 16). The “fold” is Judaism (John 10:1), but there is another foldthe Gentiles who are outside the covenants of Israel (Eph. 2:11ff.). In our Lord’s early ministry, He concentrated on the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5–6; 15:24–27). The people converted at Pentecost were Jews and Jewish proselytes (Acts 2:5, 14), but the church was not to remain a “Jewish flock.” Peter took the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10—11), and Paul carried the message to the Gentiles in the far reaches of the Roman Empire (Acts 13: 1ff.).                              好牧人將另外的羊帶入羊群(第16節)。 「羊圈」指的是猶太教(約翰福音10:1),但還有另一個羊圈 — 那些不在以色列眾約中的外邦人(以弗所書2:11比照研讀)。在我們主早期的傳道生涯中,祂專注於「以色列家迷失的羊」(太10:5-6;15:24-27)。五旬節歸信的人是猶太人和猶太教改宗者(使徒行傳2:5、14),但教會不應一直只是「猶太羊群」。彼得將福音傳給外邦人(使徒行傳10-11),保羅將信息傳給羅馬帝國邊遠地區的外邦人(使徒行傳13:1 比照研讀)。 

         The phrase “one fold” should read “one flock.” There is but one flock, the people of God who belong to the Good Shepherd. God has His people all over this world (see Acts 18:1–11), and He will call them and gather them together.                                                                                                                       「一群」應為「一群」。只有一群,就是屬於好牧人的神的子民。上帝的子民遍佈世界各地(參考使徒行傳18:1-11),祂會呼召他們,將他們聚集在一起。

        The missionary message of the gospel of John is obvious: “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Jesus Himself defied custom and witnessed to a Samaritan woman. He refused to defend the exclusivist approach of the Jewish religious leaders. He died for a lost world, and His desire is that His people reach a lost world with the message of eternal life.                                                                                  約翰福音的宣教信息顯而易見:「神愛世人」(約翰福音3:16)。耶穌親自違背習俗,向一位撒瑪利亞婦人作見證。祂拒絕捍衛猶太宗教領袖的排他主義。祂為迷失的世界而死,祂的願望是讓祂的子民將永生的信息傳給迷失的世界。

        The Good Shepherd takes up His life again (vv. 17–21). His voluntary death was followed by His vic torious resurrection. From the human point of view, it appeared that Jesus was executed; but from the divine point of view, He laid down His life willingly. When Jesus cried on the cross, “It is finished,” He then volun tarily yielded up His spirit to the Father (John 19:30). Three days later, He voluntarily took up His life again and arose from the dead. The Father gave Him this authority in love.            好牧人復活了(17-21節)。祂自願犧牲,隨後勝利地復活。從人的角度來看,耶穌似乎被處決了;但從神的角度來看,祂是心甘情願地獻出生命。當耶穌在十字架上喊著「成了」時,祂自願將自己的靈魂交給了父(約翰福音19:30)。三天後,祂自願復活,從死裡復活。父神出於愛賜下祂這權柄。

        Sometimes the Scriptures teach that it was the Father who raised the Son (Acts 2:32; Rom. 6:4; Heb. 13:20). Here, the Son stated that He had authority to take up His life again. Both are true, for the Father and the Son worked together in perfect harmony (John 5:17, 19). In a previous sermon, Jesus had hinted that He had power to raise Himself from the dead (John 5:26). Of course, this was a claim that the Jews would protest; because it was tantamount to saying “I am God!”                                                          聖經有時教導說,是父使子復活(使徒行傳2:32;羅馬書6:4;希伯來書13:20)。在這裡,子聲明祂有權柄再次復活。兩者都是真的,因為父神與子神完美地同工(約翰福音5:17, 19)。在先前的講道中,耶穌曾暗示祂有能力使自己從死裡復活(約翰福音5:26)。當然,猶太人會抗議這種說法;因為這等於說「我是神!」。

        How did the listeners respond to this message? “There was a division therefore again among the Jews” (John 10:19). Note that word again (John 7:43; 9:16). The old accusation that Jesus was a demoniac was hurled at Him again (John 7:20; 8:48, 52). People will do almost anything to avoid facing the truth!                                                                                                                                                                 聽眾對這訊息作何反應? 「因此,猶太人又起了紛爭」(約翰福音10:19)。再注意這個字(約翰福音7:43;9:16)。耶穌被鬼附的舊指控再次被攻擊(約7:20;8:48, 52)。人們幾乎會不擇手段地逃避真相!

        Since Jesus Christ is “the Door,” we would expect a division, because a door shuts some people in and oth ers out! He is the Good Shepherd, and the shepherd must separate the sheep from the goats. It is impossible to be neutral about Jesus Christ, for what we believe about Him is a matter of life or death (John 8:24).                                                                                                                                                            既然耶穌基督是“門”,我們就能預料到會有分裂,因為門會把一些人關在裡面,把其他人關在外面!他是好牧人,牧羊人必須把綿羊和山羊分開。對耶穌基督保持中立是不可能的,因為我們對祂的信仰關乎生死(約翰福音8:24)。

         His third declaration was the most startling of all.                                                                                         祂的第三次宣告是最令人震驚的。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “I Am the Son of God” (10:22–42)                                                                                                        「我是神的兒子」(10:22-42) The events in this section occurred about two and a half months after those described in John 10:1–21. John put them together because in both messages, Jesus used the imagery of the shepherd and the sheep.                                                                                                                                                              本節的事件發生在約翰福音10:1-21所述事件之後大約兩個半月。約翰將它們放在一起,因為在這兩個信息中,耶穌都使用了牧羊人和羊的比喻。

  The encounter (vv. 22–24). The “Feast of the Dedication” (Hanukkah, “the feast of lights”) takes place in December, near the time of the Christian Christmas celebration. The feast commemorates the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC, after it had been desecrated by the Romans. This historical fact may bear a relationship to the words of Jesus in John 10:36, for He had been set apart (dedicated) by the Father and sent into the world. The Jewish leaders were celebrating a great event in history yet passing by a great opportunity right in their own temple!                                                    相遇(22-24節)。 「獻殿節」(光明節,「光明節」)在十二月舉行,接近基督教聖誕節的慶祝時間。這個節日是為了紀念公元前164年猶大·馬加比重新奉獻聖殿,此前聖殿曾被羅馬人褻瀆。這個歷史事實可能與約翰福音10:36, 耶穌的話有關,因為祂已被天父分別出來(奉獻),並被差遣到世上。猶太領袖們正在慶祝歷史上的一件大事,卻錯過了在他們自己的聖殿裡舉行儀式的絕佳機會!

  The leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple so that He had to stop and listen to them. They had decided that it was time for a “showdown,” and they did not want Him to evade the issue any longer. “How long are You going to hold us in suspense?” they kept saying to Him. “Tell us plainly—are You the Messiah?”                                                                                                                                                         領袖們在聖殿裡把耶穌團團圍住,以至於祂不得不停下來聽他們講話。他們已經決定是時候「攤牌」了,不想讓祂再迴避這個問題。 「你還要讓我們懸到幾時呢?」他們不斷地對他說。 “坦白告訴我們——你是彌賽亞嗎?”                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The explanation (vv. 25–42). Jesus reminded them of what He had already taught them. He empha sized the witness of His words (“I told you”) and His works (see John 5:17ff., and 7:14ff. for similar replies).                                                                                                                                                       解釋(25-42節)。耶穌提醒他們祂已經教導他們的事。祂強調祂的話語(「我已經告訴你們」)和祂的作為的見證(類似的回答,  見  約翰福音5:17比照研讀,以及 7:14 比照研讀)。 

         But our Lord went much deeper in His explanation this time, for He revealed to the Jewish leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the signif icance of His works: they were not His sheep. From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing, but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. There is a mystery here that we cannot fathom or explain, but we can accept it and rejoice (Rom. 11:33–36). God has His sheep and He knows who they are. They will hear His voice and respond.                                                                                                                                  但這次我們的主解釋得更深入,因為祂向猶太領袖揭示了為什麼他們不明白祂的話語,也不領會祂作為的意義:他們不是祂的羊。從人的角度來看,我們因信而成為祂的羊;但從神的角度來看,我們相信是因為我們是祂的羊。這裡有一個我們無法測度或解釋的奧秘,但我們可以接受它並歡喜快樂(羅馬書11:33-36)。神有祂的羊,祂知道他們是誰。他們會聽到祂的聲音並回應。

         The lost sinner who hears God’s Word knows noth ing about divine election. He hears only that Christ died for the sins of the world, and that he may receive the gift of eternal life by trusting the Savior. When he trusts the Savior, he becomes a member of God’s fam ily and a sheep in the flock. Then he learns that he was “chosen … in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). He also learns that each saved sinner is the Father’s “love gift” to His Son (see John 10:29; 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24).                                                                                                                                                               聽到神話語的迷失罪人對神的揀選一無所知。他只聽到基督為世人的罪而死,並且他可以透過信靠救主獲得永生的禮物。當他信靠救主時,他就成為神家庭的一員,成為羊群中的一隻羊。然後,他了解到他是「在創世以前,在基督裡被揀選的」(弗1:4)。他也了解到,每個得救的罪人都是天父賜給祂兒子的「愛的禮物」(參考約翰福音10:29;17:2、6、9、11-12、24)。

         In the Bible, divine election and human responsibility are perfectly balanced, and what God has joined together, we must not put asunder.                                                                                                              在聖經中,神的揀選和人的責任是完美平衡的,神所結合的,我們不可分開。

        Jesus went on to explain that His sheep are secure in His hand and in the Father’s hand. “They shall never perish” is His promise (John 3:16; 6:39; 17:12; 18:9). The false shepherds bring destruction (John 10:10, same Greek word), but the Good Shepherd sees to it that His sheep shall never perish.                 耶穌繼續解釋說,祂的羊在祂和天父的手中是安全的。 「他們永不滅亡」是祂的應許(約3:16;6:39;17:12;18:9)。假牧人帶來毀滅(約翰福音 10:10,同一個希臘文),但好牧人會確保他的羊永不滅亡。

         The security of God’s sheep is assured here in sev eral ways. First, by definition—we have “eternal life,” and that cannot be conditional and still be eternal. Second, this life is a gift, not something that we earn or merit. If we were not saved by our own good works, but by His grace, then we cannot be lost by our “bad works” (Rom. 11:6). But most important, Jesus gave us His promise that His sheep do not perish and that His promise cannot be broken.                                                                                                上帝的羊的安全在這裡以幾種方式得到保證。首先,根據定義-我們擁有“永生”,並且永生是無條件的。其次,這生命是一份禮物,不是我們賺得或應得的。如果我們不是靠自己的善行得救,而是靠祂的恩典,那麼我們就不會因自己的「惡行」而迷失(羅馬書 11:6)。但最重要的是,耶穌給了我們祂的承諾,祂的羊不會滅亡,祂的承諾不會違背。

        It is important to keep in mind that Jesus was talk ing about sheep—true believers—and not counterfeits. The dog and the pig will go back into sin (2 Peter 2:20–22), but the sheep, being a clean animal, will fol low the Shepherd into the green pastures. The false professor will talk about his faith and even his works, but he will never make it into heaven (Matt. 7:13–29). Most of us know people who professed to be saved and then went back into sin, but their doing so only proved that they never really trusted Christ to begin with. Jesus did not promise security to anyone but His true sheep.                                 重要的是要記住,耶穌說的是羊——真正的信徒——而不是假冒的。狗和豬會重新陷入罪中(彼得後書 2:20-22),但羊是潔淨的動物,會跟隨牧羊人進入青草地。假信徒會談論他的信仰,甚至他的作為,但他永遠無法進入天堂(太 7:13-29)。我們大多數人都知道,有些人自稱得救,後來卻又回到罪中,但他們這樣做只能證明他們從一開始就沒有真正信靠基督。耶穌只應許祂的真羊,不許任何人得平安。

          As you review our Lord’s teaching about His min istry as the Good Shepherd, you note that He has a threefold relationship to His sheep. He has a loving relationship because He died for the sheep, as well as a living relationship because He cares for the sheep. It is also a lasting relationship, for He keeps His sheep and not a one is lost.                                                                                                                              當你回顧主關於祂作為好牧人事奉的教導時,你會注意到祂與祂的羊有三重關係。他與羊有愛的關係,因為他為羊捨命;他與羊有活潑的關係,因為他關心羊。這也是一種持久的關係,因為他保守他的羊,一隻也不失落。

        Our Lord made a statement that He knew would startle His enemies and give them more reason to oppose Him (John 10:30). It was the “plain answer” that the religious leaders had asked for. “I and my Father are one” is as clear a statement of His deity as you will find anywhere in Scripture. This was even stronger than His statement that He had come down from heaven (John 6) or that He existed before Abraham ever lived (John 8:58).                                                                                                                 我們的主說了一句話,祂知道這句話會讓祂敵人震驚,並給他們更多理由反對祂(約翰福音 10:30)。這正是宗教領袖所要求的「明確的答案」。 「我與父原為一」是聖經中關於他神性最清晰的陳述。這甚至比他說他從天上降下來(約翰福音 6 章)或在亞伯拉罕出生前他就存在(約翰福音 8 章 58 節)更有力。 

        The word one does not suggest that the Father and the Son are identical persons. Rather, it means that they are one in essence: the Father is God and the Son is God, but the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father. He is speaking about unity, not identity. (See John 17:21–24 for similar language.)                                                                                                                                                            「一」這個字並非指聖父與聖子是同一個位格,而是指他們本質上是一體:聖父是神,聖子是神,但聖父不是聖子,聖子也不是聖父。他講的是合一,而非同一性。 (類似的說法見約翰福音17:21-24。)

        The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying! Some modern liberal theologians would water down our Lord’s statement, but the people who heard it knew exactly what He was saying: “I am God!” (Note John 10:33.) To speak this way, of course, was blas phemy, and according to Jewish belief, blasphemy had to be punished by being put to death (see Lev. 24:16; Num. 15:30ff.; Deut. 21:22).                                                                                                                                                                    猶太領袖們清楚地明白他所說的話!一些現代自由派神學家會淡化我們主的話,但聽到的人確切地知道他在說什麼:「我是神!」(注意約翰福音10:33。比照研讀)當然,這樣說話是褻瀆,而根據猶太人的信仰,褻瀆神明必須被處死(見利未記24:16;民數記15:30 比照研讀;申命記21:22)。

       Our Lord used Psalm 82:6 to refute their accusa tion and halt their actions. The picture in Psalm 82 is that of a court, where God has assembled the judges of the earth, to warn them that they too will one day be judged. The Hebrew word elohim can be translated as “god” or as “judges,” as in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8–9. It is also one of the Old Testament names for God. The Jewish rulers certainly knew their own language and they knew that Jesus was speaking the truth. If God called human judges “gods,” then why should they stone Him for applying the same title to Himself?                                                            我們的主用詩篇82:6來駁斥他們的指控,並制止他們的行為。詩篇82篇描繪了一座法庭,上帝召集了世上的審判官,警告他們,有一天他們也要受審判。希伯來文elohim(埃洛希姆)可以翻譯為“神”或“審判官”,就像出埃及記21:6和22:8-9中提到的一樣。它也是舊約中上帝的名字之一。猶太統治者當然懂自己的語言,他們也知道耶穌說的是實話。如果上帝稱人類審判官為“神”,那麼為什麼他們要因為耶穌用同樣的稱號稱呼自己而用石頭打他呢?

          John 10:36 is crucial because it gives a double affir mation of the deity of Christ. First, the Father sanctified (set apart) the Son and sent Him into the world, and second, Jesus stated boldly, “I am the Son of God” (see John 5:25). He gave them the “plain answer” they asked for, but they would not believe it!                                                                                                                                                                約翰福音10:36至關重要,因為它對基督的神性進行了雙重肯定。首先,父分別為聖(分別出來)子,差遣他到世上來;其次,耶穌大膽地說:「我是神的兒子」(參考約翰福音5:25)。他給了他們所要求的“明確的答案”,但他們不相信!

        Could they have believed? Jesus invited them, urged them, to believe, if only on the basis of His miracles (John 10:37–38). If they would believe the miracles, then they would know the Father, and that would open the way for them to know the Son and believe on Him. It was simply a matter of examining the evidence hon estly and being willing to accept the truth.                                                                                他們能相信嗎?耶穌邀請他們,敦促他們相信,即使只是基於祂所行的神蹟(約翰福音10:37-38)。如果他們相信神蹟,他們就會認識父,這將為他們認識子並相信祂開闢道路。這只需要誠實地查驗證據,並願意接受真理。

        Once again, they tried to arrest Him (see John 7:44; 8:59), but He escaped and left the area completely. He did not return to Jerusalem until “Palm Sunday,” when He presented Himself as Israel’s King.                                                                                                                                                                      他們再次試圖逮捕祂(參考約翰福音7:44;8:59),但祂逃脫了,徹底離開了那個地方。直到“棕櫚主日”,祂才返回耶路撒冷,並自稱是以色列的君王。

        John the Baptist had ministered at Bethabara (John 1:28), but we are not sure where this was. It was on the other side of the Jordan River, perhaps eighteen to twenty miles from Jerusalem. Some maps put it almost directly across from Jerusalem, just  east of Jerico.                                                                          施洗約翰曾在伯大尼傳道(約翰福音1:28),但我們不確定伯大尼的具體位置。它位於約旦河的另一邊,距離耶路撒冷大約十八到二十英里。有些地圖顯示它幾乎正對著耶路撒冷,就在耶利哥的東邊。

        Why did Jesus go there? For one thing, it was a safe retreat; the Jewish religious leaders were not likely to follow Him there. Also, it was a good place to prepare for His final week of public ministry when He would lay down His life for the sheep. As He remembered His own baptism by John, and all that He had experienced at that time (Matt. 3:13–17; John 1:20–34), it must have fortified Him for the suffering that He knew He must endure.                                                                                                                 耶穌為什麼要去那裡?首先,那裡是一個安全的避難所;猶太宗教領袖不太可能跟隨祂去那裡。此外,這裡也是祂為最後一週的公開事工做準備的好地方,祂將為羊捨命。祂回想起自己接受約翰的洗禮,以及當時所經歷的一切(馬太福音3:13-17;約翰福音1:20-34),這必定增強了祂的力量,使祂能夠面對祂所知道的、必須忍受的苦難。  

        The common people continued to seek Jesus, and He continued to minister to them. It is worth noting that John the Baptist’s witness was still bearing fruit long after he was dead! His witness to Jesus Christ led many to trust the Savior. John was not a miracle worker, but he was a faithful witness who pointed to Jesus Christ. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).                                                      一般民眾繼續尋求耶穌,祂也繼續服事他們。值得注意的是,施洗約翰的見證在他死後很久仍然結出果實!他為耶穌基督所作的見證使許多人信靠救主。約翰並非行神蹟的,但他是一位忠心的見證人,指向耶穌基督。 「他必興旺,我必衰微」(約翰福音3:30)。

        Have you responded personally to our Lord’s three great declarations recorded in this chapter?                你是否親自回應了我們主在本章所記載的三大宣告?

        He is the door. Have you "entered" by faith and been saved?                                                                      祂是門。你是否已憑著信心「進去」得救?                                      

        He is the Good Shepherd. Have you heard His voice and trusted in Him? After all, He died for you!                                                                                                                                                                       祂是好牧人。你是否已聽見祂的聲音並信靠祂?畢竟,祂為你捨命!                                                                                                                                                                                                                       He is the Son of God. Do you believe? Have you given yourself to Him and received eternal life?           祂是神的兒子。你相信嗎?你是否已將自己獻給祂,並且得到永生?                        

       Remember His solemn warning: "Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).                                                                                                                                                                     記得祂嚴厲的警告:「你們若不信我是基督,必要死在罪中。」(約翰福音 8:24)