2015年12月21日
奇妙的愛 Amazing Love
读经: 約翰福音6章32-40節
Reading: John 6:32-40
因為我從天上降下來，不是要按自己的意思行，乃是要按那差我來者的意思行。-約翰福音6章38節
I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.- John 6:38
全年读经: 彌迦書4-5章;啟示錄12章
Bible in a Year: Micah 4–5; Revelation 12
朋友戴薇恩在她丈夫過世後的第一個聖誕節，寫了一封很特別的信。信中描寫聖子耶穌來到世上時，天上可能曾經出現這樣的景象：「上帝早就知道會這樣。聖父、聖子、聖靈本是三位一體的上帝，卻願意為了我們的緣故，讓聖子離開天家。」
當耶穌教導人、醫治人的時候，祂說：「我從天上降下來，不是要按自己的意思行，乃是要按那差我來者的意思行……因為我父的意思是叫一切見子而信的人得永生，並且在末日我要叫他復活。」（約翰福音6章38、40節）
耶穌降生於伯利恆時，開始了祂來到這個世界的任務：因著天父上帝的慈愛，祂為我們被釘死在十架上，將我們從罪惡權勢與刑罰中拯救出來，得著真自由。
戴薇恩最後寫道：「我實在無法想像，我可以為了別人，讓那與我合而為一的摯愛離我而去。但上帝卻讓祂的獨生愛子離開祂，只為要使我能永遠與祂同住，祂面對一個比我家更空蕩蕩的天家。」
「上帝愛世人，甚至將祂的獨生子賜給他們」（約翰福音3章16節） 。
慈愛的天父，祢的愛何等奇妙可畏。謝謝祢為了
將我們從罪惡中拯救出來，將祢的獨生愛子賜給我們。
基督的降生，將上帝帶到世上；
基督的十架，將世人帶到上帝面前。
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approaching the first Christmas after her husband died, our friend Davidene wrote a remarkable letter in which she pictured what it might have been like in heaven when Jesus was born on earth. "It was what God always knew would happen," she wrote. "The three were one, and He had agreed to allow the fracturing of His precious unity for our sake. Heaven was left empty of God the Son."
As Jesus taught and healed people on earth, He said, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. . . . For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day" (John 6:38,40).
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it was the beginning of His mission on earth to demonstrate God's love and give His life on the cross to free us from the penalty and power of sin.
"I cannot imagine actually choosing to let go of the one I loved, with whom I was one, for the sake of anyone else," Davidene concluded. "But God did. He faced a house much emptier than mine, so that I could live in His house with Him forever."
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16).
Father in heaven, we are in awe of Your amazing love for us. Thank You for giving Your only Son to save us from our sins.
The birth of Christ brought God to man; the cross of Christ brings man to God.