Unit 1: The Savior Comes，Session 3
Title: 他的名就是約翰 "His Name is John"
12/16/2018
經文Scriptures：路加福音Luke 1:57-66
Worldwide Outreach Teaching School 賴美滿 校長
https://www.WorldwideOTS.org
前言PREFACE: 施洗約翰完成預言可在路加福音一章5-25節上找到。約翰期待那在預言裏比他更偉大的一位彌賽亞。約翰成了先驅或可說是耶穌的先鋒-宣告耶穌來到。在今天的信息，上帝的應許給撒迦利亞和以利沙伯生約翰，以及整個社區都分享其樂。讓我們來思想經過應許上帝如何同樣的帶給今日教會和我們的喜樂。
The birth of John
the Baptist marks the fulfillment of prophecy found in Luke 1:5-25. John looked
toward a Messiah, a prophet greater than himself. John was the precursor or
forerunner of Jesus—-announcing His coming. In today’s session, God’s promise
to Zechariah and Elizabeth was fulfilled with the birth of John, and the whole
community shared in their joy. Let’s consider how God wants to bring that same
joy through fulfilled promises to our church and us today.
上週Last Week：馬利亞回應天使的信息。得知她要給我們 “最高主宰上帝生一個兒子”, 天使並告訴馬利亞要去探訪以利沙伯。以利沙伯很高興看到馬利亞，並告訴馬利亞是被蒙福的。我們也看到馬利亞如何回應天使和以利沙伯的話。
We looked
at the Mary’s response to the angel’s visit and the message it had for us last
week. Mary was told that she would conceive and give birth to “the Son of the
Most High.” The angel also told Mary to make a visit to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was
very happy to see Mary and told her she was blessed. We saw how Mary responds
to the words of the angel and Elizabeth.
這週This Week：我們將發現施洗約翰完成了上帝的應許與帶給撒迦利亞和以利沙伯喜樂。吾人亦可經驗這種因順從上帝而得來的喜樂。We will see how the birth of John the Baptist
fulfilled God’s promise and brought joy to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and the
ways we can experience this type of joy today through our obedience to God.
請讀經文 Scriptures reading: 路加福音Luke 1: 57-58
“以利沙伯的產期到了、就生了一個兒子。鄰里親族、聽見主向他大施憐憫、就和他一同歡樂。When it was time for
Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and
relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her
joy.” (路加福音Luke
1: 57-58)
解經Commentary: 路加福音Luke 1: 57-58
1. 上帝的慈悲和同享喜樂God’s Mercy and Shared Joy: 路加的記事上帝是憐憫那敬畏祂的人、直到世世代代(1:50) 如撒迦利亞和以利沙伯就是將得子的喜樂帶給百姓。因以利沙伯是高齡生子，明顯的有上帝的 “大慈悲”。消息一傳開 - “她的鄰居和親人聽到了，” 很多人來慶祝這新生命約翰在此鄉村出生。以利沙伯也不例外，她和她的家人都感覺 “她的喜樂”。什麼事情帶給我們喜樂呢? 想一想 ! 您快樂的時間有帶給別人快樂嗎? 喜樂經常由個人成為團體的祝福。喜樂很自然是要分享，上帝的靈(或稱聖靈)在作工時都與我們之喜樂息息相關的。
God’s active mercy extends
to those who fear him, from generation to generation。Luke’s account of
the birth of “a son” to Zechariah and Elizabeth demonstrates a combination of
(1:50) and the shared joy of the people. The time had come. Because of
Elizabeth’s advanced age this event became even more evident as a time of God’s
“great mercy”. The news spread—-“Her neighbors and relatives heard.” Many
people celebrated this much-anticipated new life in the village. Elizabeth’s
experience was not in isolation. Others important to her and her family felt
“her joy” as well. What brings us joy? Think about how your times of joy have
spilled over into the lives of others. Joy often moves beyond an individual
matter and becomes a community-wide blessing. Joy is, by its very nature,
something to be shared. The work of God’s Spirit and the presence of joy are
frequent companions.
2. 給小孩命名Naming the Child: Luke 1:59-63
請讀經文 Scriptures reading: “到了第八日、他們來要給孩子行割禮．並要照他父親的名字、叫他撒迦利亞。他母親說、不可．要叫他約翰。他們說、你親族中沒有叫這名字的。他們就向他父親打手式、問他要叫這孩子甚麼名字。
他要了一塊寫字的板、就寫上說, “他的名字是約翰”, 他們便都希奇。”
“On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child,
and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother
spoke up and said, "No! He is to be
called John." They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives
who has that name." Then they made
signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked
for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name
is John."
解經Commentary: 如好消息傳自撒迦利亞和以利沙伯的家，路加報告來看嬰兒和給名字上，都是強有力要用他小孩父親的名字。大多數人之意見給嬰兒名撒迦利亞， 但以利沙伯比較輕楚。上帝送來的天使已經說過，
“你要給他起名叫約翰。(1:13)” 因為來報告喜訊之天使已決定名字應是 “約翰”。親友們認為撒迦利亞之耳朵已不能聽到了，就請他用寫的，撒迦利亞寫在版上， “他的名是約翰”。 As the glad news rippled out from the house
of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Luke reports among those who gathered upon the
arrival of the baby, the strongest opinions settled around the naming of the
child. The majority opinion called for the newborn to carry forward his
father’s name—“Zechariah.” But Elizabeth knew better. The naming question had
already been determined by God’s angel. Gabriel had spoken (1:13). The opinions
of the people were not a formal naming of the baby. Nor was Elizabeth’s
reminder that his name “John” would be a formal naming. Zechariah would “name
the child.” Perhaps the people believed the father Zechariah also could not
hear, since they posed the question to Zechariah with “signs.” On a “writing
tablet” he declared “His name is John.”
3. 消息傳開—喜樂引起更喜樂The News Spreads—Joy Begets Joy, Luke 1:64-66
請讀經文 Scriptures reading: “撒迦利亞的口立時開了、舌頭也舒展了、就說出話來、稱頌 神。周圍居住的人都懼怕、這一切的事就傳遍了猶太的山地。凡聽見的人、都將這事放在心裡、說、“這個孩子、將來怎麼樣呢 ? 因為有主與他同在。”
“Immediately his mouth was opened and his
tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all
filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were
talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it,
asking, "What then is this child going to be?”
For the Lord's hand was with him.”
解經Commentary: 路加福音Luke 1:64-66, 新消息傳遍是如何快呀！嬰兒的出生與取名的事由撒迦利亞的家庭流洩出他啞巴幾個月，現在讚美神能開口說話。
“鄰居都生敬畏之感”，這些發生的事 “就傳遍了猶太的山地。” 約翰出生的特別實況，使很多人驚服關於這小孩之未來，也確定上帝有祂對於約翰生命的計劃。How
quickly news can travel！ The child’s birth
and naming quickly flowed out from the house where Zechariah, silent for
months, now praised God with his freed tongue. The “neighbors were filled with
awe” as these powerful events advanced “throughout the hill country of Judea.”
The special nature of John’s birth led many to wonder about the future of this
child. Surely God had a vital task for him to perform.
聖經之預言部分(1:68-79之短讚) 的聲音給了撒迦利亞與所有人的心裏印象。這第二個“音樂”記載在路加的初期敘述說明了約翰的任務。他的使命的預言是意向為主耶穌鋪路。約翰意向是講勸 “罪”與 “赦免”，那救恩來自神的憐憫。光與平安就來到順從之聽眾們 (1:76-79)。
The
prophetic section that follows (1:68-79, the Benedictus) gives voice both to
Zechariah and to the heart of the people. This second “song” in Luke’s infancy
narrative describes the mission of John. His prophetic ministry would
especially prepare the way of the Lord. John would preach about “sin” and “forgiveness”,
and the salvation that can come from God’s mercy. Light and peace can come to obedient hearers (1:76-79).
約翰的生命成長被稱為他的靈力很強，我們不知道很多關於他的發展，路加告訴我們約翰住在 “曠野”長大(1:80)。似乎是在距離他出生不遠的耶路撒冷東區的約旦山上，因為約翰的父母相當老年才得子，約翰很可能是其他親人帶大的。
John’s
growing up years were marked by a strengthening of his spirit. While we do not know much about this
period of John’s development, Luke tells us it came in the “desert” (1:80).
This seems to point to a region east of Jerusalem in the Judean hills not far
from where he was born. Because John was born to quite elderly parents, he may
have been raised by other family members.
經文告訴我們約翰的使命是在城市之外，在沙漠區。他的精明的話語吸引了不少想聽的聽眾，但也有一些擔憂他的影響 (馬太 3:1-6; 馬可 1:1-5; 路加 3:1-20; 約翰1:19-28)。路加的意象使讀者知道， “主的手與約翰合作”。 也有些人聽後困擾，其他人聽了有喜樂，那一種我們意願信奉呢？ The Gospels tell us that John’s
ministry was away from the city, in the desert. His sharply worded messages
attracted eager listeners, but also some fearful of where his influence might
lead (Matthew 3:1-6;
Mark 1:1-5; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28).
Luke would have his readers know that “the
Lord’s hand was with John”. Some listened to him and were troubled. Others
heard him with joy. Which category would we have embraced?
施洗約翰是舊約與新約的橋梁，他是最後的一位先知以及最先宣布 “天國近了(馬太福音
3:2)。” 約翰講要悔改以準備百姓接受耶穌的方式。 耶穌聲言， “凡婦人所生的、沒有一個大過約翰的。”
John the Baptist was the bridge between the
Old Testament prophets and the New Testament gospel. He was the last of the
prophets and the first to proclaim “the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). He prepared the people for the coming of
Jesus by preaching repentance and pointing the way to Jesus once He started His
ministry. Jesus declared “among those born of women there is no greater than
John” (Luke 7:28).
結論Conclusion:
上帝總是在工作中要完成祂的應許，我們基督徒有機會與上帝同工，帶領好消息給我們周圍的世界。有一試探機會宣布他(她)倆的兒子以父親的名字，而不是服從上帝經天使給的名字。撒迦利亞的聲音恢復僅是因他忍住那試探， 順從上帝的命令，命名他的兒子 “約翰”。
我們學到最重要的事情是要服從上帝的命令。
God is always working to fulfill His
promises, and as Christians, we have the opportunity to work with God in
bringing good news to the world around us. It might have been a temptation to claim
credit for their son by naming him after his father, and disobeying the command
of God given by the angel. Zechariah’s voice was
returned to him only after he resisted the temptation, Obeyed God’s command, and named his boy “John”.
We learned that obedience
to God’s command is the most important idea.
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他的名就是約翰
