A very special day最特別的一天
Give me a one-word answer for this question! What makes Christmas such a special day？Did you say toys, or Santa, or candy, or lights？Oh, I'm sure one of you said, "Jesus!"
朋友們聖誕節這一天有什麼特別的呢？我請你只用一個詞來回答這個問題。你的答案是什麼呢？玩具, 聖誕老人, 糖果, 聖誕燈火, 等等。
Actually, the story of Christmas is made up of many special days! Let's hear about one of them! Almost 2, 000 years ago a young woman was going about her ordinary, every-day work. Her name was Mary and she lived in Nazareth, in the tiny country of Israel in the Middle East. Yes, perhaps for Mary it began as an ordinary day of washing, cooking, cleaning, bringing water from the well, when suddenly! Something happened that changed her ordinary day into a very special day!
實際上, 聖誕節的故事是由許多特別的日子組成的。這就是我今天要講的故事。其中的一個故事是這樣的。大約2000年前, 在中東以色列這個地方有一個小小的城鎮叫拿撒勒, 這裡住著一位年輕的女子, 她的名字叫馬利亞。這一天, 就象往常一樣, 馬利亞正忙著做事, 洗衣服, 做飯, 收拾屋子, 去到井邊打水。突然, 發生了一件意想不到的事, 把這個平凡的日子變成了一個特別的日子。
An angel from heaven suddenly appeared to Mary! How would you feel if an angel just suddenly appeared in your room! Mary was afraid and confused; but the angel said, "Fear not, Mary：for you have found favor with God." The angel went on to tell Marythat she would have a son and must call his name Jesus."He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest：" the angel said, "...and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
有一個天使突然出現在馬利亞面前。如果有一個天使突然出現在你屋裡, 你會怎樣呢？馬利亞嚇了一跳, 不知怎麼辦才好。天使對她說："馬利亞, 不要怕, 你在神面前已經蒙恩了。" 天使告訴她將要懷孕生一個兒子, 可以給他起名叫耶穌。 天使說："他要為大, 稱為至高者的兒子...他的國也沒有窮盡。" 馬利亞這時有一個問題, 她對天使說："怎麼有這事呢？"
Mary had a question："How shall this be？" She knew she did not have a husband yet, and Mary knew she was going to keep herself pure until she had a husband. So then, how could she have a baby without a husband？ The angel explained that this baby would not come from a man, this baby would be the Son of God. Mary then said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; ？Mary was saying, "I am the servant of the Lord, let all that God has said happen."The angel left, and everything again looked like an ordinary day. But Mary knew it wasn't! Her life was changed forever!
馬利亞想, 我還沒有出嫁, 怎麼有這事呢？沒有丈夫, 怎麼會有孩子呢？天使回答說, 這個孩子不是從人生的, 所要生的是神的兒子。馬利亞說："我是主的使女, 情願照你的話成就在我。" 天使就離開了她。一切又恢復了往日的平靜。但馬利亞知道, 一切都不一樣了, 她的生活已經完全改變了.
Mary was soon to marry Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth. It was a very special day for Joseph when an angel appeared to him in a dream："Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary for your wife. This baby she is going to have is from the Holy Spirit. And Mary will have a son and you will call his name Jesus：for he shall save his people from their sins." Mary was Jewish, and so Jesus would be born into the Jewish race. The angel said Jesus would save his people from their sins. Did that mean Jesus would only save the Jewish people from their sins？What is sin？
馬利亞很快就要與拿撒勒的一個木匠約瑟結婚。天使在夢中向約瑟顯現的這一天又成了一個特別的日子。天使說："大衛的子孫約瑟, 不要怕, 只管娶過你的妻子馬利亞來, 因她所懷的孕, 是從聖靈來的。她將要生一個兒子, 你要給他起名叫耶穌, 因他要將自己的百姓從罪惡裡救出來。" 馬利亞是猶太人, 所以耶穌是生在一個猶太人的家裡。天使說耶穌要將自己的百姓從罪惡裡救出來。朋友也許會問, 這是說耶穌只將猶太人從罪惡裡救出來嗎？那什麼是罪呢？
Even very young children know sin is doing bad things that God doesn't like, like being greedy and wanting the biggest and best things for yourself. Sin is saying those mean, hateful words to your brother or sister; or disobeying your parents. Do only Jewish people sin？No, we know we have all sinned, and the Bible tells us that as well. Isaiah 53：6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; ？Do just Jewish people need to be saved from their sin？No! We all face the same punishment for sin and that is to be separated from God forever. So we all need a Savior! And that is why God sent Jesus, not just to be a Savior for the Jewish people, but all people.連最小的孩子都知道, 罪就是神不喜悅的壞事情, 比如貪心, 自私, 自己總是要得到最好的。罪還包括說話傷害別人, 不聽父母的話, 等等。只有猶太人才會犯罪嗎？不是!我們知道我們都犯了罪, 聖經裡也是這樣告訴我們的。以賽亞書53章6節說："我們都如羊走迷, 各人偏行己路。" 只有猶太人需要被從罪中拯救出來嗎？不是!我們每一個人都要面對那對罪的懲罰, 那就是永遠與神分離。所以, 我們都需要一位救主!這就是為什麼神讓耶穌來到這世上, 不僅僅要拯救猶太人, 他還要拯救這世上所有的人。
Joseph woke from his dream, and he believed God's Word spoken through the angel.His ordinary day was changed forever! He married Mary and they both prepared for the day God's Son would be born.It was nearing the time for the baby to be born when another ordinary day became a very special one! Perhaps it was Joseph who told Mary, "We must travel to Bethlehem."
約瑟從夢中醒了, 他相信神通過天使對他說的話。他平凡的生活被永遠改變了他就遵著主使者的吩咐, 把馬利亞娶過來, 他們一起準備著神兒子的降生
In those days the Roman ruler, Caesar Augustus, had sent out a decree that all the world should be taxed, or registered, and each must travel to the city of their family line. Joseph and Mary were from the family of King David, and so they must travel to Bethlehem.
就在耶穌快出生之前, 又有一個平凡的日子成為了特別的日子。也許, 是約瑟對馬利亞說的, 我們要去伯利恆。在那個時候, 羅馬的統治者該撒亞古士督宣佈了新的收稅制度, 叫天下的人都在自己的城裡報名上冊。因為 約瑟和馬利亞是大衛一族一家的人, 因此他們需要去伯利恆報名上冊。
They began the 4-5 day journey over rough, hilly roads. Perhaps because they had to travel slowly, the inn in Bethlehem was already filled when they arrived. Their only possibility for a place to spend the night was the stable. No matter that Mary and Joseph were tired and weary, no matter that it was a stable made for animals, this was the night and this was the place God had chosen before the creation of the world for His Son to be born!
去伯利恆需要四五天的時間, 路也不好走, 盡是山路。但他們還是上路了。也許他們走得慢, 當他們到達伯利恆的時候, 客店全滿了。他們唯一能過夜的地方就是客店的馬槽。雖然約瑟和馬利亞非常累, 雖然馬槽是牲畜住的地方, 但是神選擇了那個晚上, 那個客店的馬槽做為神兒子出生的地方。
It was the very first Christmas! Do you think there was a Christmas tree with decorations and lights, or beautifully wrapped presents like we have in America at Christmastime？No. In fact, probably no one knew except Mary and Joseph that this was the first Christmas. Of course God in Heaven knew, and the angels. And very soon some shepherds would know!
那就是第一個聖誕節。那裡會不會象我們這裡的聖誕節, 有裝飾得漂漂亮亮的聖誕樹, 燈火, 禮物呢？沒有!實際上, 除了約瑟和馬利亞, 甚至沒有人知道那就是第一個聖誕節。當然, 我們在天上的神知道, 天使知道。很快, 一些牧羊人也知道了。
Luke 2 says, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them：and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not：for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
路加福音第二章裡說："在伯利恆之野地裡有牧羊的人, 夜間按著更次看守羊群。 有主的使者站在他們旁邊, 主的榮光四面照著他們, 牧羊的人就甚懼怕。那天使對他們說, 不要懼怕, 我報給你們大喜的信息, 是關乎萬民的。因今天在大衛的城裡, 為你們生了救主, 就是主基督。"
What a wonderful thing! God chose to show His most glorious sight, He chose to tell His most glorious news to a group of poor, smelly shepherds, rather than to the rich and important people of the world! Does this seem strange to you, boys and girls？Doesn't it prove to us that God loves the poor, unimportant people of the world？I John 4：10 says, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us..." God loves you! No matter how you feel about yourself, God feels a great love and concern for you!
多麼奇妙啊!神把他的榮光, 和大喜的信息首先告訴了這群窮苦的牧羊人, 而不是世上有錢有勢的達官貴人。朋友們, 這奇怪嗎？這裡不正是說明神愛世上那些窮苦, 微小的人嗎？約翰一書4：10說："不是我們愛神, 乃是神愛我們..."神愛你!不管你覺得自己是個什麼樣的人, 神都深深地愛著你, 關心著你。
The shepherd's ordinary night had been turned into a very special night! After the angels left, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to find this Savior. Just as the angels had told them, they found the baby boy lying in a manger. I'm sure they shared with Mary and Joseph everything the angels had said. And when they left the stable, Luke 2：17 tells us the shepherds went and told everybody what they had seen and heard. Luke 2：20 says, "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."
牧羊人在野地裡牧羊, 本來是平凡的一夜, 卻因著天使的出現, 變成了這樣特殊的一個夜晚。天使離開他們後, 牧羊人趕快趕到伯利恆去找他們的救主。就像天使告訴他們的, 他們找到馬利亞和約瑟, 又有那嬰孩臥在馬槽裡。我相信他們一定把天使對他們說的話告訴了馬利亞和約瑟。當他們離開的時候, 路加福音2：17告訴我們, 他們就把天使論這孩子的話傳開了。路加福音2：20說："牧羊的人回去了。因所聽見所看見的一切事, 正如天使向他們所說的, 就歸榮耀與神, 讚美他。
Later Mary and Joseph took the child Jesus to Nazareth where He grew up. Did you know, boys and girls, that Jesus was once your age, and just about your size？But He was different! Because Jesus was God, He was perfect even as a child. That means He never disobeyed His parents, or pouted and wanted his own way.
後來, 馬利亞和約瑟帶耶穌到了拿撒勒, 他就在那裡長大。小朋友們, 你知道嗎？耶穌也曾象你一樣大, 跟你一樣高呢!但他就是與眾不同。因為耶穌是神, 甚至當他只是一個孩子的時候, 他也是完全的, 他從不犯罪。他從來也沒有不聽父母的話, 與父母頂嘴, 他也從來沒有自私自利, 想幹什麼就幹什麼, 在家中當小皇帝。他是那麼完全!
When Jesus grew up, He turned everybody's ordinary days into very special days! If you had been blind all your life, wouldn't it be a very special day if Someone touched your eyes and suddenly you could see？!! That's what Jesus did! He went about the villages and cities teaching about God, and healing and doing miracles among the people.
當耶穌長大後, 他使許多人平凡的日子都變得特殊了。如果你是瞎眼的, 如果有人摸摸你的眼睛, 你突然能看見了, 那這一天不就變成了一個特殊的日子了嗎？這就是耶穌所作的。他到鄉間, 到城市裡教導關於神的事, 他還醫病, 行各樣的神績。
Then came a very special day that was a SAD day. Jesus knew this day had to come, the day when He as God's Son would take the punishment for our sin. After all, that is why He had left Heaven to come down into the world. I John 4：14 says, "The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." To become our Savior Jesus faced the day when He must allow His enemies to curse and beat Him, to even spit in His face, and then to nail Him to a wooden cross to die.
後來, 又有一個特別的一天, 這是一個令人難過的一天。耶穌, 他知道這一天要來, 在這一天, 作為神的兒子, 他要代替我們承受對罪的懲罰。這就是為什麼他離開天上, 來到這個世界的目的。約翰一書4：14說："父差子作世人的救主。" 作為我們的救主, 耶穌在這一天必須要面對敵人的羞辱, 詛咒, 鞭打, 甚至他們在他臉上吐口水, 然後把他釘死在十字架上。
Even though as God the Son, He had power to stop this cruel punishment, Jesus did not stop it, for He knew He must take our punishment if He were to be able to save us from the punishment of sin. Galatians 1：3 and 4 says, "...our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us..." Three days after our Lord Jesus died and was buried, there came another special day! We celebrate it as Easter, the day our Lord Jesus came alive from the dead! Do you know the big word for that？Resurrection!
雖然作為神的兒子, 他有權柄來制止這殘忍的懲罰, 但他沒有這樣做。因為耶穌知道如果他要把我們從罪中拯救出來, 他必須代替我們接受對罪的懲罰。加拉太書1：4說：" 基督照我們父神的旨意為我們的罪捨己, 要救我們脫離這罪惡的世代。" 主耶穌死後被埋葬, 他死後第三天, 他的復活又使這一天成了特別的一天。這就是我們的復活節, 我們在這一天來慶賀耶穌從死裡復活。
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