The last chapter of John is a reassuring appendix to the Fourth Gospel, and reads like a recommissioning or a graduation ceremony.  The main character Peter first met Jesus by the Lake of Gennesaret, another name for…

CONTENTS On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. She ran and came to…

CONTENTS Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And…

耶稣被门徒出卖，背弃，否认 每每读约翰福音18章时总忍不住流眼泪。主耶稣在这短短的篇章里被门徒犹大出卖，被众门徒背弃，被亲爱的门徒彼得否认，领受在权者彼拉多不公的判决以及被亲族置于死地。 门徒们的软弱 犹大被称为是个贼（12：6）因起贪念给魔鬼留了地步，让魔鬼将卖耶稣的意思放在他心里（13：2），后来更是让撒旦进入他的心（13：27）。这一切都逃不过耶稣的眼睛，但主仍然为他洗脚，给他回转的机会。当犹大带领一队兵，祭司长等来抓拿耶稣，其他福音书记载犹大用亲嘴作为暗号以指明目标。一个爱的动作反成了背叛的记号，是何等令人心寒，心碎。 门徒们虽然跟随主有好一段时间，也听见主生命的道理，见证了主所行的许多神迹奇事，却仍然对耶稣的身份似懂非懂（14：8-9），让主失望。在主被抓拿的关键时刻，他们竟背弃了主，逃跑了（太26：56）。那位声称愿意为主舍命的彼得（13：37）比起大多数的门徒们确实更爱主，更勇敢。他远远地跟着被逮捕的耶稣（太26：58）进入了大祭司的院子。然而当他意识到自己的生命会因为被认出是同耶稣一伙的缘故，而受威胁时，终究如耶稣所预言的三次否认主，他甚至吓得发咒起誓他不认得主（可14：71） 。 耶稣的爱 在18章之前的篇章里，我们读到耶稣如何屡次告诉门徒他即将离世，给他们心理准备，并屡次叫他们不要忧愁，因为主必不撇下他们为孤儿（14：18），安慰他们将差遣训慰师住在他们里面，将主的平安赐给他们（14：27）；纵然知道自己将受难，被犹大出卖，却还为犹大洗脚（13：11）。主早知道彼得要三次不认他（13：38）,却已经为彼得祈求叫他不至于失去信心（路22：32） 。主耶稣更在17章里为他所有的门徒们祷告，求神保守门徒们脱离恶者（17：15）。 耶稣的爱信实不变，温柔体贴。纵然知道我们有时因肉体的软弱令他失望，却已经为我们代求，免得我们完全堕落。在彼得第三次否认主，鸡叫了，耶稣转过身来看彼得。主那充满怜爱的一眼彻底刺透了彼得的心，使他不禁痛哭起来（路22：61-62）。  后来，主复活升天，将保惠师圣灵赐给门徒们，他们便大得胆量，放胆实行耶稣托付的使命，表现出他们对主勇敢的爱。确实之后门徒当中也不少为主殉道，这也包括了曾经夸口，曾经惭愧，后又得力的彼得。盼望我们都能时时反省自己的软弱，反省我们哪里亏缺了主，珍惜主的怜爱，时时感念主包容的爱，依靠圣灵给我们力量，做主喜悦的门徒。  

Contents: After partaking the last supper with His disciples and having washed their feet, Jesus went out with them over the Book Kidron where there was a garden. There with Peter, James and John, he prayed that…

There are several instances in the New Testament that recorded in details the words that Jesus spoke during a prayer, such as the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9 to 13), the prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane  (Matthew…

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”~ John 16:33 ~ With these words, Jesus ended this chapter.…

The final conversation Jesus has with His disciples from John 14-16 is among my favourite things to read in the Bible. Every now and then, I find myself going back to these chapters (especially John 15, my…

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will…