2022-12-19 “Submission to God’s Word Is Our Proper Response to His Every Promise”(Luke 1:28-38)

Submission to God’s Word Is Our Proper Response to His Every Promise 順服神的道就是我們對祂每個應許正確的回應“(Luke 路加福音1:28-38)

The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled … But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. … ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. … For no word from God will ever fail.’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ …

天使進去,對她說:“恭喜!蒙大恩的女子,主與你同在!”她卻因這話驚慌起來 … 天使說:“馬利亞,不要怕!因你已從神那裡蒙了恩。你將懷孕生子,要給他起名叫耶穌。他將要被尊為大,稱為至高者的兒子。… 馬利亞對天使說:“我還沒有出嫁,怎能有這事呢?”天使回答:“聖靈要臨到你,至高者的能力要覆庇你,因此那將要出生的聖者,必稱為神的兒子。… 因為在神沒有一件事是不可能的。”馬利亞說:“我是主的婢女,願照你的話成就在我身上!”…

Such unique privileges of having God’s great favour, presence and blessing were certainly true of Mary but are also true of us who believe in Jesus Christ today. Mary’s humility was shown by being greatly troubled. The focus of the angel’s message was not on her but on a Son, to be named Jesus (a common name) who was unmistakably identified as the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament and also known as the Son of God. Being a woman of God’s word, Mary asked the same question Zacharias asked but in wonder-filled faith. Hearing the angel’s reply regarding God’s fulfilment of His promise/word by His almighty power and the work of the Holy Spirit especially evident from Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age, Mary responded with an agreement to what the angel said about her as well as an affirmation of faith by submitting herself to it.

有神莫大的寵愛、同在和祝福,如此的特權在馬利亞身上是肯定地真的,這對今天我們信靠耶穌基督的來說,卻也是真的。馬利亞因這些話驚慌起來,表明了她的謙卑。天使信息的焦點不在於她,而在於那一個要起名叫耶穌(一個通用的名字)的兒子,祂毫無疑問地被確認為舊約聖經所預言的尼賽亞,也被稱為神的兒子。作為忠於神的道的一個婦女,馬利亞卻在充滿著驚奇的信心下,提出了撒迦利亞所提同樣的疑問。聽了天使的回答(有關神以祂權能的能力和聖靈的工作,好叫自己的應許/話語得以成就,特別是在伊利莎伯的年老懷孕上証明出來),馬利亞以對天使所說及有關她的一切的認同,與及以自己順服這話為信心的肯定作出了回應。

Prayer: Father God, the idea of a virgin birth is unique to Christianity. Great is the mystery of godliness. There should be no question about the Virgin Birth in the Bible but only human questions on its authority and human submission to it. Thank you for what a great favour it is that Jesus Christ lives within us spiritually by His word making visible to the world through us just like what had happened in Mary physically. Amen.

禱告: 父神啊,童女生子的觀念是基督教信仰獨有的。敬神的奧秘是莫大的:在聖經裡有關童女生子的疑問理應是不存在的,存在的卻只是人對它權威的質疑和人對它的順服。感謝你那莫大的恩惠,就是耶穌基督以祂的話語,在屬靈上住在我們裡面,透過我們使世人得看見祂,就像曾經在馬利亞的肉身上所發生的。阿們。

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