Dec. 16, 2018 聖誕 Christmas @ Eric@TRM 的部落格

復原耶穌基督教會 台灣佈道所

December 16th, 2018 聖誕 Christmas

喬丹執事 Steward Jordan Brotherton

The Church of Jesus Christ

Taiwan Restoration Mission

這整整一個月, 可說是聖誕節慶的氛圍, 相當的濃厚, 今天又有人參加報佳音Bear good tidings / go caroling的活動, 所以現場位子看起來, 比平日裡空蕩許多.

[詩歌 84 頌唱] [Jimmy Hsu 課前禱告]

“普世歡騰 Joy to the world”

神愛世人, 派遣最愛的兒子- 耶穌, 親自來人世間走一趟, 想帶世人遠離罪惡的誘惑, 回到祂的身邊, 追求普世的價值, 永恆的生命.

值此佳節, 歡欣鼓舞自不在話下, 若嫌吵雜, 也可以在僻靜之處, 自行慶祝並獻上感恩之心;

以賽亞書-Isaiah 9:6

9:6 因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們；政權必擔在祂的肩頭上；祂的名稱為奇妙的策士、全能的神、永遠的父、和平的君。

For a child is born to us, A son is given to us; And the government Is upon His shoulder; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

這是眾多先知, 早在耶穌基督誕生之前的預言, 明白告訴我們, 必有一童女瑪莉, 因聖靈受孕, 生下一子, 起名叫耶穌, 大家也都知到耶穌的生父是一位木匠- 約瑟, 他和史上有名的大衛王, 是有著直系血親的關係.

約瑟從天使得知, 童女瑪莉因聖靈受孕, 要他安心迎娶, 約瑟可能難以接受這境況吧? 最後還是把瑪莉迎娶入門; 那大家知到耶穌出生的意義嗎? [要救贖世人] 這只是其中之一.

雖然耶穌出生在馬槽, 但是因為約瑟是大衛王的直系親屬, 實則有貴族身分, 所以當天使告訴牧羊人, 耶穌誕生的佳音時, 他們尋找前來, 對著耶穌基督, 就以覲見王者的最高禮儀來拜見祂.

路加福音-Luke 2:6-20

2:6 他們在那裡的時候，馬利亞的產期到了，

And while they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to bear,

2:7 就生了頭胎的兒子，用布包起來，放在馬槽裡，因為客房裡沒有為著他們的地方。

And she bore her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.

2:8 在同一地區，有牧人露宿在野地裡，夜間守更看顧羊群。

And there were shepherds in the same region, spending their nights in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

2:9 有主的使者站在他們旁邊，主的榮耀四面照著他們，牧人就大大懼怕。

And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they feared greatly.

2:10 那天使對他們說，不要懼怕，看哪，我報給你們大喜的好信息，是關乎萬民的。

And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I announce to you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people,

2:11 因今天在大衛的城裡，為你們生了救主，就是主基督。

Because today a Savior has been born to you in David's city, who is Christ the Lord.

2:12 你們要看見一個嬰孩，包著布，臥在馬槽裡，那就是給你們的記號了。

And this will be the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

2:13 忽然有一大隊天兵，同那天使讚美神說，

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

2:14 在至高之處榮耀歸與神，在地上平安臨及祂所喜悅的人。

Glory in the highest places to God, and on earth peace among men of His good pleasure.

2:15 眾天使離開他們往天上去了；牧人彼此說，我們往伯利恆去，看看所發生的事，就是主所指示我們的。

And when the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds spoke to one another, Let us go then to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.

2:16 他們急忙去了，就尋見馬利亞和約瑟，又有那嬰孩臥在馬槽裡。

And they came in haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

2:17 既已看見，就把天使對他們論這孩子的話傳開了。

And when they had seen this, they made known the word which was spoken to them concerning this little child.

2:18 凡聽見的，都希奇牧人對他們所說的。

And all those who heard marveled at the things spoken to them by the shepherds.

2:19 馬利亞卻把這一切的事存在心裡，反覆思想。

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

2:20 牧人回去了，因所聽見所看見的一切事，正如天使向他們所說的，就榮耀、讚美神。

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken to them.

如上面所說, 當牧羊人聽聞天使福音喜訊, 都自動自發的前往探視, 並以覲見王族的尊貴之禮, 朝拜耶穌這個剛出生的嬰兒;

大家知道當時的身份, 可是分有尊貴和卑微的, 除了王公貴族的身份, 還以工作來區分, 因為牧羊人是受雇於富有人家的長工, 所以牧羊人可說是卑微的.

而這些人, 卻是首先聽聞到, 耶穌誕生福音喜訊的人, 耶穌基督當然不只是僅僅, 為這些中下階層的人而來誕生的, 不管是富有還是貧窮, 或不管有才能或是愚鈍的, 祂是為所有的世人而生的.

約翰福音-John 3:16-18

3:16 神愛世人，甚至將祂的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信入祂的，不至滅亡，反得永遠的生命。

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.

3:17 因為神差祂的兒子到世上來，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人藉祂得救。

For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

3:18 信入祂的人，不被定罪；不信的人，罪已經定了，因為他不信入神獨生子的名。

He who believes into Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.

為世人遠離罪的誘惑而生, 耶穌基督的到來, 很多世人卻怕被祂定罪, 以不信任的態度, 拒絕承認祂是救世主, 甚至否認祂的存在.

神愛世人, 派遣愛子耶穌是來救贖世人, 免除所有罪的枷鎖, 也可以說信靠祂的人, 除了得以獲得赦免, 還能有機會親近 神, 與祂建立起親密的關係, 甚至得到永恆生命的契機.

可惜太多世人被罪的誘惑, 矇蔽了雙眼, 迷失了心神, 除了繼續追求財富的累積, 虛名的聲望之外, 就是不願回頭尋求主耶穌基督的援助.

這些人, 或者是把耶穌基督, 為宣揚福音四處奔波的形象, 看成是邋哩邋塌的流浪漢, 其實是在把自己推往更深層的罪的淵藪, 繼續沉淪而不自知, 也增加自己被定罪的機率.

繼續說到耶穌基督誕生的喜訊, 在廣大的草原上, 一夕之間被傳了開來, 四處風聞的君王, 也都派遣使者, 帶著尊貴的禮物：黃金、乳香和沒藥來覲見, 也是以王者之尊朝拜.

覲見一位剛出生嬰兒的畫面, 縱使過了這麼多年, 身為基督徒的我, 依然感動萬分, 祂代表著 神愛世人, 從一出生的小嬰兒, 成長歷經傳道人, 直到祂得道昇天; 祂傳世的一言一行, 比比皆是世人的楷模、典範.

值此普天歡騰的聖誕季節, 我們應該嘗試勇敢的走出去, 大方面對世人分享祂的愛, 分享祂為救贖世人傳奇的一生, 縱使遇到不認主的世人, 也不該退縮; 繼續往下一個分享下去.

我們深信追隨耶穌基督腳步的人, 有機會和天父建立起親密的關係, 祂給予我們的承諾, 就是邁向永恆生命的契機.

最後, 我想請大家聽聽自己的聲音, 想想自己的境況, 想想來自 神的恩典, 感恩祂的賜與, 繼續追隨祂的腳步, 發想做一位快樂的傳道人, 列入新年心願如何? 慾祝大家

聖誕節快樂 Merry Christmas

[詩歌 86 頌唱] [Frank Van Fleet 課後禱告]

“平安夜 Silent Night”

出席 Attended: Eric Ho, Eileen Chen; Jimmy Hsu; Paul Lin; Judy Chen; Sharon Wu (Tom Lin).

翻譯 Interpreter: Paul Lin

視訊連線 Skype to: Jordan Brotherton; Rick, Sarah, Amanda, Anna, Joseph Lade; Frank Van Fleet; Elizabeth Woodward; Maggie, Uncel Batz; Joshua Moellmann.