当耶稣为门徒洗脚之后 (约 13),就告诉他们祂很快就会离开,到神那里为他们预备地方。多马问:“我们怎么知道哪条路呢?” 于是耶稣揭示了祂的身份及其中蕴含的真理:“我就是道路、真理、生命。”
耶稣说祂会在父神的家里为所有跟随祂的人预备地方。有些古老的圣经版本也把“地方”翻译为“别墅”。我在美国罗德岛新港附近长大,那个地方有很多别墅,我经常梦想能住在其中的一座里。当然,能与神同在,不管住在任何地方,都比没有神同在的最豪华的城堡好得多。
现在,耶稣正在和父神一起为我们预备永恒的家。可对我们来说真正要紧的是,如何能去到那里。耶稣说祂就是那真正的、唯一的道路。对我们这个多元化信仰的世界来说,耶稣的宣告听起来政治不正确。但神确实为我们的救恩赐下祂的独生子 (约 3:16),而且我们靠着自己找不到去祂那里的路;我们只会偏行己路,愈来愈远离神。我们必须拿出信心让祂把我们带回家。而现在,让我们“本乎恩、因着信”地跟随祂的道路 (弗 2:8),尽心尽意地爱神和爱邻舍 (太 22:37-39)。
如果我们已经藉着信靠耶稣基督,成为神的儿女,那就无需再忧虑。因为我们已经与祂同在,并且走在生命的真道上了!
主耶稣,祢是到父神那里唯一的道路,祢是全备的真理和永恒的生命。求祢帮助我们在祢每天的带领中,紧紧跟随祢。奉祢的名求,阿们。
约翰福音 14:1-17
1“你们心里不要忧愁;你们信神,也当信我。"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well." — John 14:6-7
After washing the feet of his disciples (John 13), Jesus tells them he will soon be leaving to prepare a home for them in God's presence. Thomas asks, "How can we know the way?" Jesus then reveals the central truth of his identity: "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Jesus says he will prepare places in his Father's house for all his followers. Some older Bible versions also translate "rooms" as "mansions." Growing up near Newport, Rhode Island, a place with many mansions, I often dreamed of living in one. But, of course, any place with God is infinitely better than the grandest castle without him.
Right now Jesus is preparing our eternal home with God. What really matters for us, though, is how to get there. Jesus says he is the true and only way to the Father. To our pluralistic world, Jesus' claim sounds politically incorrect. But God gave his only Son (John 3:16) for salvation. And, on our own, we can't find our way to him; we just keep going our own way, astray from God. We must trust him to bring us home. For now, we follow his way "by grace... through faith" (Ephesians 2:8), by loving God wholeheartedly and loving others (Matthew 22:37-39).
If we belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ, we needn't worry. We are already with him, walking the true way to life!
Lord Jesus, you are the only way to the Father, the whole truth of God and eternal life. Help us to follow you as you lead us each day. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳