QT 24/01/2026 Sun. John 17 A Received Word, A Sustained People 领受的话语，持守的子民
QT 24/01/2026 Sun. John 17 A Received Word, A Sustained People
READ http://www.esv.org/john17
The spiritual health of a Christian is inseparable from how that Word is treated.
Scripture: “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” — John 17:8 (ESV)
(1) The Supremacy of the Word in the Health of a Christian
At the heart of Jesus’ prayer is a remarkable statement: “I have given them the words that you gave me.” Christianity does not begin with human insight or religious effort, but with divine revelation. The words Jesus speaks are not merely wise teachings; they are the very words of God entrusted to Him and faithfully passed on to His disciples.
The spiritual health of a Christian is inseparable from how that Word is treated. Jesus says His disciples received the Word. They did not simply hear it, admire it, or debate it—they welcomed it, submitted to it, and allowed it to shape their understanding of reality. The Word produced three fruits in them:
(a) Truth understood: “they have come to know in truth”
(b) Identity clarified: “that I came from you”
(c) Faith anchored: “they have believed that you sent me”
A Christian cut off from the Word becomes spiritually malnourished, vulnerable to confusion, fear, and deception. But a Christian rooted in the Word grows in discernment, confidence, and endurance. The Scriptures are not optional supplements to faith; they are its sustaining diet. As the Word reveals Christ, faith is strengthened, assurance deepened, and obedience made possible.
The health of the church in every age has always risen or fallen with the place it gives to God’s Word.
(2) Jesus’ Concern for Believers Beyond the First Generation
Though John 17:8 speaks directly of the first disciples, it sits within a prayer that reaches far beyond them. Just a few verses later, Jesus explicitly says He is praying “not for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20). This includes every believer from the second generation onward—including us today.
Jesus knew His earthly ministry was ending. The gospel would move forward through testimony, preaching, and Scripture. His concern was not limited to those who walked with Him physically, but extended to all who would come to faith through the Word faithfully passed down. The same Word given by the Father to the Son, given by the Son to the apostles, would become the foundation for every future believer.
This assures us that our faith is not an afterthought in God’s plan. Before the cross, Jesus prayed for believers who had not yet been born. He prayed that the Word would continue to be received, believed, and trusted across generations. Our faith today stands on that answered prayer.
Closing Reflection
John 17:8 reminds us that Christianity is a received faith, grounded in a revealed Word, sustained by a praying Saviour. The Word remains supreme for the health of every Christian, and Christ Himself has secured its transmission to us through His prayer and provision.
Prayer:
Dear LORD, thank You for giving us the Word that is alive when He walked the earth, and the Word that is alive in our hearts through the Spirit works. Help us not merely to hear it, but to receive it, trust it, and live by it. Strengthen our faith through Your truth, and remind us that we stand in a long line of believers sustained by Your care and Your prayers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
QT 24/01/2026 星期日. 约翰福音17 领受的话语，持守的子民
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/jhn/17/
基督徒的属灵健康与他们如何对待神的话语密不可分。
经文：“因为你赐给我的话，我已经给了他们，他们也领受了，又确实知道我是从你那里来的，并且信你差了我来。”——约翰福音17:8
(1) 神的话在基督徒生命中的至高地位
耶稣祷告的核心是这样一个惊人宣告：“我已将你所赐给我的话赐给他们。”基督教的根基并非源于人的洞见或宗教努力，而是源于神的启示。耶稣所说的话语不仅是智慧的教导，更是神亲自托付祂并忠心传给门徒的真言。
基督徒属灵生命的健康与他们对待道的方式密不可分。耶稣说门徒领受了道——他们不仅听闻、欣赏或辩论，更是接纳顺服，让道塑造他们对现实的认知。道在他们生命中结出三种果实：
(a) 真理被领悟：“他们已真实地认识”
(b) 身份确立：“我从你那里出来”
(c) 信心坚固：“他们信你差了我来”
脱离圣言的基督徒便陷入属灵营养不良，易受困惑、恐惧与欺骗侵袭。但扎根于圣言的信徒，却能在分辨力、信心与忍耐力上不断成长。圣经并非信仰的可选补充品，而是维系信仰的生命之粮。当圣言显明基督时，信心便得坚固，确据愈发深厚，顺服也成为可能。
历代教会的兴衰，始终取决于其对神话语的重视程度。
(2) 耶稣对初代信徒之后世代的关怀
虽然《约翰福音》17章8节直接提及首批门徒，但这段祷告的视野远超他们。仅数节之后，耶稣明确宣告：“我不但为他们求，也为那些因他们的话而信我的人求” （约翰福音17:20）。这涵盖了从第二代起所有信徒——包括今日的我们。
耶稣深知自己地上的事工即将结束。福音将通过见证、宣讲与圣经继续传播。祂的关怀不仅限于那些与祂同行的门徒，更延伸至所有借着忠实传承之道而信靠祂的人。父所赐给子的道，子又赐给使徒的道，将成为每位未来信徒的根基。
这使我们确信，我们的信仰并非上帝计划中的事后补充。在十字架之前，耶稣就为尚未出生的信徒祷告，祈求道成肉身的话语能代代相传，被领受、被相信、被信靠。我们今日的信仰，正是建立在这应允的祷告之上。
终结沉思
约翰福音17:8提醒我们：基督教是承接而来的信仰，根基在于启示的道，由祷告的救主维系。道对每位信徒的属灵健康至关重要，而基督借着祷告与预备，已确保这道传至我们手中。
祷告：亲爱的主，感谢祢赐下道成肉身的活道，更借圣灵运行使道在我们心中活泼。求祢帮助我们不仅听见，更能领受、信靠并遵行。愿祢的真理坚固我们的信心，使我们知晓自己立于信徒长列之中，蒙祢看顾与代祷扶持。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。
