為什麼基督徒要慶祝復活節?
Why Christians Celebrate Easter?
extracted from this website:
http://www.crosswalk.com/video/why-christians-celebrate-easter.html
The Birth was an event,
the Life only an example, until the death gave them meaning and
the Resurrection (復活) gave them Power.
Of all the events that defined the life of Jesus Christ,
a miraculous birth, test in the desert, supernatural baptism,
sermon on the mount, the working of miracles...
the Bible commands us, to remember only one:
His Sacrificial death
WHY?
Why are we not commanded to celebrate His birth?
or commemorate His miracles? But, to remember His Death?
In His Birth, He became Emmanuel (GOD is with us)
But, in death,
He became Savior - GOD has saved us
And, in resurrection,
He became Redeemer - GOD has renewed us
In Birth and Life, He revealed the possible,
In Death and Resurrection, He made it possible.
He became our example in how He lived and loved
We couldn't become it until He died and rose.
It was not enough that He was the teacher
He had to become our Savior (拯救主), Redeemer (救贖主),
"It is for your good that I am going away... unless I go away,
the Counselor (Holy Spirit) will not come." (John 16:7)
"然而我將真情告訴你們．我去是與你們有益的．
我若不去、保惠師(聖靈)就不到你們這裡來．
我若去、就差他來。" (約翰福音 16:7)
Without Easter weekend, We only see His example;
With Easter weekend, We become His example.
Without Easter weekend, We're merely good people;
With Easter weekend, We're reborn a Holy people.
His Birth was the Incarnation (成了肉身),
His life was a Revelation (奧秘的啟示),
But His Death was our Salvation (救恩),
and His Resurrection is our Restoration (復和).
Easter - that's why we celebrate...
Why Christians Celebrate Easter?
extracted from this website:
http://www.crosswalk.com/video/why-christians-celebrate-easter.html
The Birth was an event,
the Life only an example, until the death gave them meaning and
the Resurrection (復活) gave them Power.
Of all the events that defined the life of Jesus Christ,
a miraculous birth, test in the desert, supernatural baptism,
sermon on the mount, the working of miracles...
the Bible commands us, to remember only one:
His Sacrificial death
WHY?
Why are we not commanded to celebrate His birth?
or commemorate His miracles? But, to remember His Death?
In His Birth, He became Emmanuel (GOD is with us)
But, in death,
He became Savior - GOD has saved us
And, in resurrection,
He became Redeemer - GOD has renewed us
In Birth and Life, He revealed the possible,
In Death and Resurrection, He made it possible.
He became our example in how He lived and loved
We couldn't become it until He died and rose.
It was not enough that He was the teacher
He had to become our Savior (拯救主), Redeemer (救贖主),
"It is for your good that I am going away... unless I go away,
the Counselor (Holy Spirit) will not come." (John 16:7)
"然而我將真情告訴你們．我去是與你們有益的．
我若不去、保惠師(聖靈)就不到你們這裡來．
我若去、就差他來。" (約翰福音 16:7)
Without Easter weekend, We only see His example;
With Easter weekend, We become His example.
Without Easter weekend, We're merely good people;
With Easter weekend, We're reborn a Holy people.
His Birth was the Incarnation (成了肉身),
His life was a Revelation (奧秘的啟示),
But His Death was our Salvation (救恩),
and His Resurrection is our Restoration (復和).
Easter - that's why we celebrate...
P.S. 沒有想到在一個月內，有1,500到2,000人次到這裡瀏覽一篇寫於一年前、標題為 《受難節 + 復活節》的文章，故我們亦有責任把耶穌基督的受難、復活闡述多一點，無論路過這裡的朋友、街坊、叔伯兄弟是否相信耶穌基督是神的獨生子、成了肉身、降臨人間、被釘於十字架、受死、埋葬、降在陰間、第三天從死人中復活、升天、坐在全能父上帝的右邊、將來必從那裡降臨、審判活人、死人...... 也希望可以在這一篇 《受難節 + 復活節 (II) - 為什麼基督徒要慶祝復活節?》中，思考多一點什麼是十字架的大愛? 什麼力量可以令到十惡不赦的人改變過來? 什麼力量可以令到昔日及今日的基督信徒剛強壯膽，在病困中、危難中、迫害中，仍然滿有喜樂地傳揚福音? ......
福音(Gospel) - 內容看來好複雜，但其實是"平易近人"的，世上最精深的智慧，往往都是很簡單的 -
第一幕：人的墮落(Fall) → 始祖(亞當、夏娃)犯罪(Sin)以後，從前跟別人、大自然、天父上帝的和諧關係破壞了 → 因為罪的工價乃是死 (Death) - 即『罪』帶來死亡 - 這裡的『死亡』是指人與天父上帝不能直接交通、連繫的狀態，在這狀態下，人變得自我中心、並自自然然地遠離天父上帝、厭煩真理
第二幕：贖罪(atonement) → 在耶穌基督降臨之前，舊約的以色列人透過祭師以山羊和牛犢的血獻祭，祭師一年一次進入至聖所(聖殿中及地上最神聖的地方)，冀望藉以為自己及百姓贖罪，但是此等贖罪的功效，既不完全，亦只是短暫的*
第三幕：神的計劃(Plan) → 耶穌基督甘願成為了"代罪羔羊"(scapegoat)
"道(Logos)(耶穌基督)成了肉身、住在我們中間、充充滿滿的有恩典有真理"(約翰福音 1:14) + "耶穌說、我就是道路、真理、生命．若不藉著我、沒有人能到父那裡去。" (約翰福音 14:6) + "但現在基督已經來到、作了將來美事的大祭司、經過那更大更全備的帳幕、不是人手所造也不是屬乎這世界的，並且不用山羊和牛犢的血、乃用自己的血、只一次進入聖所、成了永遠贖罪的事。若山羊和公牛的血、並母牛犢的灰、灑在不潔的人身上、尚且叫人成聖、身體潔淨，何況基督藉著永遠的靈、將自己無瑕無疵獻給 神、他的血豈不更能洗淨你們的心〔原文作良心〕除去你們的死行、使你們事奉那永生 神麼。為此他作了新約的中保．既然受死贖了人在前約之時所犯的罪過、便叫蒙召之人得著所應許永遠的產業。(希伯來書 9:11-15) + "永遠的產業" 就是恢復原來跟天父上帝和好的關係(Restoration / Reconciliation)，並因此被賜予"權柄、作 神的兒女。" (約翰福音 1:12)
第四幕：人的回應(Response) → 天父上帝給人兩件珍貴的禮物，一件是衪一早已立定的計劃(第三幕) - 藉著耶穌基督成就的救恩，叫人與天父上帝和好，而另一件禮物 - 『自由意志』(Free will)，讓人可以自由去選擇跟隨衪與否，當然，跟隨衪與否的路及終局是截然不同的......
第五幕：你的回應 ......
在香港，一般的教會都會在受難日 (Good Friday) 早上或傍晚舉行受苦節崇拜的，如你有興趣或想體驗一下受苦節崇拜的氛圍及認識福音多一點，又不知道那一家教會是合適的，歡迎跟我們聯繫。
Share the Easter blessing to others -
* 如若對神學的思考有興趣者，可再想多一步：至於為什麼全能的天父上帝不乾脆說一句『一筆勾銷』，像創世的時候一樣的"說有光便有光"去解決罪的問題? 看來這是一個奧秘，神學上的看法是天父上帝是聖潔的、是公義的 - "萬不以有罪的為無罪" (出埃及記 34:7) 有一些學說是天父上帝因為愛世人的緣故，跟世人立約，間接約束了自己的全能，無論如何，這個應該是人的智慧及在地上不能測透的事情之一，另外，更叫人不能測透的 -- 耶穌基督 (創世以先以跟天父上帝同尊同榮、自有永有、完全的神、亦是完全的人、跟天父上帝及聖靈同為一體(三位一體)... 這些也是神的奧秘)甘願紆尊降貴、捨生取義 - " 神使那無罪的、替我們成為罪．好叫我們在他裡面成為 神的義。" (哥林多後書 5:21) - 『義』(Justification) - 就是恢復原來跟天父上帝和好關係的狀態 (Justification - In a legal sense, it means, "just as if it never happened.")。若要成『義』，人要思考、明白、想通很多的道理才可以嗎? 斷乎不是! 神的智慧 - 『世人憑自己的智慧、既不認識 神、 神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理、拯救那些信的人．這就是 神的智慧了。』(哥林多前書 1:21) "神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理"是什麼? 四個字 - 『因信稱義』- "你們得救是本乎恩、也因著信、這並不是出於自己、乃是 神所賜的．也不是出於行為、免得有人自誇。"(以弗所書 2: 8-9)
以下圖來表達上述的內容：
1) SIN(罪) → DEATH(死亡) → ┼ → JUSTIFICATION(稱義) → ETERNAL LIFE (永生)
2) ┼ = LOVE(愛) + INCARNATION (道成肉身) + DEATH (死亡) and RESURRECTION (復活)
= ATONEMENT (贖罪) + RESTORATION(與 神和好了)2) ┼ = LOVE(愛) + INCARNATION (道成肉身) + DEATH (死亡) and RESURRECTION (復活)
Put 2) into 1) - 神進入了人的歷史，"從前遠離 神的人、如今卻在基督耶穌裡、靠著他的血、已經得親近了。因他使我們和睦、將兩下合而為一、拆毀了中間隔斷的牆．而且以自己的身體、廢掉冤仇、就是那記在律法上的規條．為要將兩下、藉著自己造成一個新人、如此便成就了和睦．既在十字架上滅了冤仇、便藉這十字架、使兩下歸為一體、與 神和好了。(以弗所書 2: 13-16) - 這個就是我們慶祝復活節的原因及喜樂、盼望的來源。
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