双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：12月23日 天使报喜

12月23日

天使报喜

那天使对他们说：不要惧怕，我报给你们大喜的信息，是关乎万民的。

路加福音2:10

上帝将耶稣诞生的信息首先报给普通人，而不是王子和国王，这是不是很奇妙？上帝通过祂的圣天使向田野里的牧羊人说话。牧羊是一个卑微的职业，牧羊人也没有受过良好的教育。但马利亚在她的《尊主颂》中告诉我们一个真实的故事：“祂叫有权柄的失位，叫卑贱的升高；叫饥饿的得饱美食，叫富足的空手回去。”（路加福音1:52-53）。这话语对我们这一代人来说，是多么深刻啊！

天使向牧羊人传达了什么信息呢？首先，他告诉他们不要惧怕。天使的显现一次又一次地使那些见到的人感到惧怕。但天使这次并不是为审判而来，而是来说安慰的话。他们安抚了那些见到他们的人。这告诉我们，天使的显现令人心生敬畏，唤醒了人们心中的恐惧。他们代表了一种伟大的存在，让人不寒而栗。然而当天使平息了牧羊人的恐惧，他传递了这样一个信息，一个永远与福音联系在一起的信息：“看哪，我报给你们大喜的信息，是关乎万民的。因今天在大卫的城里，为你们生了救主，就是主基督。”（路加福音2:10-11）

这两节经文包含了很多重要的神学主题，我可以用它们讲十几篇道。但请注意，天使并不是在传福音。相反的，天使为福音作见证，并再次表明了天使对福音的极大关注。

好消息是救主已经到来。人们需要有人把他们重新带到与上帝的相交中，因为公牛和山羊的血不能永远做到这一点。但救主的宝血可以。天使的信息是，上帝已经到来，救赎成为可能，主已经带着救恩来到祂的百姓中。这是对福音多么好的见证啊！

每日祷告：

天父，好消息是：耶稣已经到来，为世人的罪付出了代价，愿这好消息藉着祢的孩子们传遍天下；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

December 23

THE ANGEL’S ANNOUNCEMENT

And the angel said unto them,Fear not for,behold,I bring you good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people.Luke 2:10

Does it not seem mysterious that God brought the first message of the birth of Jesus to ordinary people rather than to princes and kings?In this instance,God spoke through His holy angel to the shepherds who were keeping sheep in the fields.This was a lowly occupation,so shepherds were not well educated.But Mary in her song,the Magnificat,tells us the true story:“He hath put down the mighty from their seats,and exalted them of low degree.He hath filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he hath sent empty away”(Luke 1:52-53).What a word for our generation!

What was the message of the angel to the shepherds?First,he told them not to be afraid.Over and over again the presence of angels was frightening to those to whom they came.But unless they came in judgment,the angels spoke a word of reassurance.They calmed the people to whom they came.This tells us that the appearance of angels is awe-inspiring,something about them awakening fear in the human heart.They represent a presence that has greatness and sends a chill down the spine.But when the angel had quieted the fears of the shepherds,he brought this message,one forever to be connected with the evangel:“For behold,I bring you good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,which is Christ the Lord”(Luke 2:10-11).

I could preach a dozen sermons on those two verses for they contain so many important theological themes.But note that the angel does not preach the Gospel.Rather,he witnesses to it and demonstrates again the overwhelming concern angels have for it.

The good tidings were that the Savior had come.The people needed somebody who could bring them back into fellowship with God,because the blood of bulls and goats could not do this in any permanent way.But the blood of the Savior could.The angel message was that God had come,redemption was possible,the Lord had visited His people with salvation.What a testimony to the evangel this was!

Pray for the Day:

Father,what Good News it is that Jesus has come and paid for the sins of the world.Let that good news travel around the world through us,Your children;in Jesus’Name,Amen.