| 勤勞的姊姊馬大，首先出來迎接耶穌。她對耶穌所說的話，值得我們給她滿分，她首先說：「你若在這裡，我兄弟必不死。」這顯示出真正的信心。她接著的那句話，更顯出非凡的信心：「就是現在，我也知道，你無論向神求甚麼，神也必賜給你。」我們很難清楚明白她話的確切意思，但無論如何，在這個傷痛的時刻，這些話是堅定的信心告白。 接著，基督對馬大說出聖經中一個最偉大的篇章，特別關乎死亡和永生的（25-26節）。馬大的回應，再次重申她對基督的信心。 馬利亞隨後來到，說了同她姊姊一樣的話。基督被她倆的哀傷深深感動，祂也哭了；但祂的哭更包含了對死亡的憤怒，它多年來給祂的朋友和很多人的傷害。祂向父神祈求的話，可意譯如下：「噢，父神啊，我現在站在死亡的面前，求你幫助我，好向眾人顯明，唯獨你才是掌管生命和復活的主。父神啊，求你聽我，讓站在這裡的人，能看見並且相信。」這是生命與死亡之間的一次對抗。 接著，墓洞的石頭被推開，耶穌大聲呼叫說：「拉撒路，出來！回到你的身體，回到你的生命。」有趣的是，基督三次使死人復活都是祂出聲發出命令，睚魯的女兒、拿因城寡婦的兒子和拉撒路都是如次。將來，當基督再來的時候也是這樣。「墳墓裡的人都要聽到祂的聲音。」 但有一點是不同的。拉撒路還會再死一次，多久之後我們不知道。但那些在基督再來時復活的人，將永遠不死，他們將要永遠與主同活。今天，所有在世的信徒在基督裡得到生命，所有在世的信徒在基督裡得到自由。使拉撒路復活的耶穌，今天仍然時刻準備拯救人出死入生。祂的話是永不改變的：「那聽我話，又信差我來者的，就有永生；不至於定罪，是已經出死入生了。」（約五24） |
| The first one to meet Christ was Martha, the active sister. We need to give her full marks for her statements to Christ. First she said, "If you had been here my brother would not have died." This is real faith. Then she went on with even more remarkable words, "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." It is difficult to know exactly what she meant, but those are strong words of faith spoken in a dark hour. Then Christ gave Martha one of the greatest passages in the Bible, especially on death and everlasting life (vv. 25-26). In answer, Martha declared her personal faith in Christ. Next, Mary came and repeated the same words as her sister. Christ was deeply moved by their grief but when He Himself wept, it was also with anger over what death had done to His two friends and many others through the years. He cried out to His Father in words like these, "Help me now God, here in the face of death, to show that life and resurrection are in your hands and no one else's. Father, hear me, that these dear people standing here may see and believe." It was a confrontation between life and death. Then, after the stone had been rolled away, Jesus gave the command, "Lazarus, come out. Come back into your body and back to life." It is interesting that all three persons whom Christ raised from the dead were brought back by His voice of command - Jairus' daughter, the Widow of Nain's son and now Lazarus. It will be the same when Christ returns, "They that are in the grave will hear His voice." But it will be different then. Lazarus died once more, how long afterwards we do not know. But those who are raised again at Christ's coming will never die again and will live with Christ for all Eternity. There is life in Christ today for all who believe. There is liberty and freedom in Christ for all who believe. The same Jesus who raised Lazarus stands ready to save and deliver now. His word is still true, "He who hears my word and believes, has everlasting life and has passed from death into life." (John 5:24) |
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