基督教信仰，有时被人视为一份陈腔滥调的教条清单。教会宣称耶稣死了和复活了，接着衪便升到天上。可是，这个事实对我们的生命又有什么影响呢？
耶稣升天的教导，看来似乎起不了什么作用；比起衪在复活时战胜了死亡，耶稣的升天，似乎只可以算是后来才加添上去的事。
然而，耶稣升天向来都是基督教信仰故事的一部份。使徒保罗在这里简述了这个故事，他提醒我们，“在肉身显现”的这位主，也“被接在荣耀里。”因着这个完整的故事——而不只是故事的一部份——我们才明白这“敬虔的奥秘，”而我们的生命也被改变了。
保罗在这里的简述，其内容远远超越一份信仰的清单，它描述救主的奇妙和奥秘，祂的故事不是以死亡作结，甚至不是以从死里复活作结，这个故事乃是以与天上的父同得荣耀继续下去的。耶稣既然已经升到天上，我们也同样能够往那里去，我们也可以和衪一起与神同住。因为当衪在末日再来时，我们将会与我们的主在新天新地同住了（启示录 21-22）！
这位“被传于外邦，”为拯救世人脱离罪的耶稣，已经升天和得荣耀作王了。在今天，惟愿这个事实能给我们的信心带来新的活力。
圣洁的神，倘若我们感到，你对我们的爱的故事似乎变成陈腔滥调，求你让我们瞥见耶稣的荣耀，又以你圣灵的活力充满我们。阿们。
提摩太前书 3:14-16
14我指望快到你那里去，所以先将这些事写给你；
15倘若我耽延日久，你也可以知道在神的家中当怎样行。这家就是永生神的教会，真理的柱石和根基。
16大哉，敬虔的奥秘！无人不以为然，就是：神在肉身显现，被圣灵称义，被天使看见，被传于外邦，被世人信服，被接在荣耀里。
“The mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh... was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” - 1 Timothy 3:16
Sometimes the Christian faith is seen as a stale checklist of teachings. The church proclaims that Jesus died and rose again. And then he ascended into heaven. But what difference does that make for our lives?
The ascension of Jesus may seem like a teaching that makes no difference. Compared to his victory over death at the resurrection, Jesus’ ascension can seem almost an afterthought.
But the ascension has always been a part of the Christian story. The apostle Paul, summarizing that story here, reminds us that the Lord who “appeared in the flesh” was also “taken up in glory.” It is from this whole story—not just part of it—that “true godliness springs” and our lives are changed.
Paul’s summary here offers much more than a checklist of beliefs. It describes the wonder and mystery of the Savior whose story does not end in death, or even in rising from the dead, but continues in glory with the Father in heaven. And Jesus’ going there makes it possible for us to go there too. With him, we can live in God’s presence. And when he returns at the end of time, we will live with our Lord in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22)!
Jesus, who is “preached among the nations” as the Savior from sin, has ascended to reign in glory. May this give new vibrancy to our faith today.
Holy God, if the story of your love for us seems stale, give us a glimpse of Jesus’ glory and fill us with the vibrancy of your Spirit. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
