动起杀机：因为要保住权力

“若这样由着他，人人都要信他，罗马人也要来夺我们的地土和我们的百姓。” - 约 11:48

　　耶稣在百姓中所得到的热烈拥戴，却使在耶路撒冷掌权的法利赛人和祭司感到非常担忧。为什么呢？因为耶稣叫拉撒路从死里复活了！（参看约翰福音 11:17-44）。

　　马大和马利亚的兄弟拉撒路下葬后，有些住在不远的耶路撒冷的居民，前来的伯大尼悼念他。那时拉撒路已经死了四天了，然而当耶稣呼叫他的名字时，他竟然从坟墓里走出来，这是他们亲眼目睹的。不少人回到耶路撒冷后，把这件事向宗教领袖报告了。

　　那些领袖们感到自己的地位受到威胁，因为他们发现越来越多的人开始相信耶稣，于是他们便召开一个紧急会议。他们并不是想否定耶稣的神迹，而是不想自己的权力受到威胁。

　　且看，祭司们不单是宗教领袖，也是受罗马帝国管辖的希律皇朝的同党，他们都因经营圣殿而中饱私囊。所以，看到耶稣如此受欢迎，他们担心耶稣会威胁他们的经济和政治权力。同时他们也认为，为了百姓在罗马帝国下的求存，他们必须要抓住这些权力。所以，他们和法利赛人同谋，要杀害耶稣。

祷告

耶稣，祢以生命替代死亡，然而却有人因此感到危机，以致他们要谋害祢。求祢帮助我们为祢赐的生命颂赞祢。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。

 

约翰福音 11:45-53

45那些来看马利亚的犹太人见了耶稣所做的事，就多有信他的；
46但其中也有去见法利赛人的，将耶稣所做的事告诉他们。
47祭司长和法利赛人聚集公会，说：“这人行好些神迹，我们怎么办呢？
48若这样由着他，人人都要信他，罗马人也要来夺我们的地土和我们的百姓。”
49内中有一个人，名叫该亚法，本年作大祭司，对他们说：“你们不知道什么。
50独不想一个人替百姓死，免得通国灭亡，就是你们的益处。”
51他这话不是出于自己，是因他本年作大祭司，所以预言耶稣将要替这一国死；
52也不但替这一国死，并要将神四散的子民都聚集归一。
53从那日起，他们就商议要杀耶稣。

Murder Motive: Power Politics

"If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation." — John 11:48

英语音频 English Audio

Jesus' popularity with the people had become a matter of great concern among the ruling Pharisees and priests in Jerusalem. Why? Because he had raised Lazarus from the dead! (See John 11:17-44.)

A number of Jerusalem residents had visited nearby Bethany to pay their respects after the funeral for Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. Then they had watched as Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, walked out of his tomb alive when Jesus called his name. As they returned home, some of them shared this news with Jerusalem's religious leaders.

And those leaders felt threatened, thinking that too many people had begun to believe in Jesus. So they called an urgent meeting. It wasn't that they denied Jesus' miracles; they just didn't want to lose their influence with the local power base.

See, the priests were not only religious leaders but also allies of Herod's dynasty, powered by the Roman Empire. They profited from the business of the temple complex. So they saw the popularity of Jesus as a threat to their political and economic power base. And they believed that holding on to that power was essential for the people's survival. So, together with the Pharisees, they plotted to murder Jesus.

Prayer

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳