QT 23/12/2024 Mon. Christmas Message 05. Rejection by unlikely people. 被不太可能的人拒绝。
QT 23/12/2024 Mon. Christmas Message 05. Rejection by unlikely people.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/john1:10-11
John 1:10–11 [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. [11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (ESV)
This Christmas, we continue to remember the one that came into the world—Jesus Christ. He was the light, was in the world. He came not as tourist, but sought to dwell among his peop.e
The irony was that the Word, Jesus Christ, was the one through whom the world was made, yet the he appeared among the world to dwell with them, they did not recognise him.
Not only did they fail to recognise his coming, after seeing his signs performed among them, the world intentionally rejected the conclusions of these signs. The conclusion of these signs pointed to Jesus as LORD and creator of the world, thus worthy of their adoration and submission. But adoration and submission are words dwindling in popularity except when used to adore oneself and when submission is done by others to the same self.
The most basic of sins, as defined by the author of this gospel (John) was the failure to believe the signs and thereby believe in Jesus who performed them. In John's gospel, Jesus claimed equality with God the Father. In the same gospel, God the Father revealed himself through Jesus Christ and the words spoken and signs performed by him.
REFLECTION: Which response would you choose? Accept Jesus' authority and extend our submission to him? This Christmas would be more meaningful if this was so.
QT 23/12/2024 星期一. 圣诞信息 05: 被不太可能的人拒绝。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/jhn/1
约翰福音 1:10–11 他在世界，世界也是藉着他造的，世界却不认识他。11 他到自己的地方来，自己的人倒不接待他。
今年圣诞节，我们将继续纪念那位来到世界上的耶稣基督。他是光，来到这个世界。他不是以游客的身份降临，而是寻求住在他的子民中间。
具有讽刺意味的是，道--耶稣基督--是创造世界的主，然而当他出现在世人中间，与他们同住时，他们却没有认出他来。
他们不仅没有认出他的到来，在看到他在他们中间所行的神迹之后，世人还故意拒绝接受这些神迹的结论。这些神迹的结论指出耶稣是主，是世界的创造者，因此值得他们崇拜和服从。但是，崇拜和顺服这两个词已经越来越不流行了，除非是用来崇拜自己，以及别人对同一个自己的顺服。
按照这本福音书作者（约翰）的定义，最基本的罪是不相信神迹，从而不相信行神迹的耶稣。在约翰福音中，耶稣宣称与父神平等。在同一部福音书中，父神通过耶稣基督及其所说的话和所行的神迹显明了自己。
思考：你会选择哪种回应？接受耶稣的权威并向他顺服？如果是这样，这个圣诞节就更有意义了。
