读经： 林前15章 2/3/2003 艾伦弟兄
复活的影响
亲爱的弟兄姐妹： 耶稣基督的复活是确实发生的，这一点，我们今天读到的哥林多前书15章给我们很大的信心。这一章也告诉我们，耶稣为我们战胜了死的权柄。这一章书是以对神的感恩来结束的，57节说：“感谢神，使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。”
对复活这件事的确定可以改变我们的生活，正如一世纪的信徒，也是同样被改变的。
在哥林多前书15章的前八节中，保罗向哥林多人分享信徒看到基督复活的经历。当时，哥林多的教师们正讨论是否有复活这样的事，但保罗告诉他们他自己看到复活，有这样的经历。保罗看到这个人死了，又复活了。我们的信仰也就建立在对此的深信不疑上。
第四节，保罗在讲耶稣的死和复活时加进了“埋葬”一词。耶稣的确死了，四个福音书都提到了他被埋葬这件事。因此，当使徒们再次看到他时，他的确是从死里复活了。
让我们来看一看，在5~8节中，耶稣是如何被众人“看见”的：
* “并显给矶法看，然后显给十二使徒看”（5节）; * “后来一时显给五百多弟兄看”（6节） * “以后显给雅各看，再显给众使徒看。”（7节） * “末后也显给我看”（8节，“我”就是保罗）
所有这些人因为再一次看到耶稣就相信耶稣的确从死里复活了。
还有其他人也同样看到了耶稣。例如，耶稣显给一些妇人看。我们今天要来想一想这些妇女在耶稣死和复活的那个周末所做的事。
耶稣被订十字架之后的几天
在这些妇女信徒中有抹大拉的马利亚，约亚拿、撒罗米和雅各的母亲马利亚。在主耶稣死到他复活的那段黑暗的时间内，这些妇女在做些什么呢？
她们见证了主耶稣被残忍的订到十字架上。凭着她们坚定的信仰，她们一直追随他到十字架前，像路加福音描述的那样，尽管“她们只是远远的战着看这些事。”
耶稣的母亲马利亚感到万剑穿心，就像圣经所预言的那样，耶稣在十字架上对她说：“妇人，看你的儿子！”，耶稣这样讲为的是安慰她，这样大话使得马利亚和她的儿子的离别显得如此真实而又痛苦。
抹大拉的马利亚在主面前哭了多次（例如：她在用油膏主的脚的时候也哭了），而现在，她为主要离开人世而哭，后来，在主的空坟墓前，她哭得更厉害了。
但如果耶稣是永远的与她们离别的话，这些妇人就不会停下她们应做的工了，除非她们做完了她们应该做的。因此，路加福音记载了她们如何看见了空坟墓和耶稣怎样被安葬，于是“她们就回去，预备了香料而后香膏。她们在安息日，便遵着诫命安息了。”（路23：55-56）她们当时认为：耶稣并不会从坟墓中出来，但她们可以尽她们最大的努力照看主的身体。
首次看到复活后的基督 约翰福音二十章给我们讲述了这些妇女到坟墓去的事。约翰只在第一节中提到抹大拉的马利亚，但我们知道其他妇女也和她在一起，因为第2节提到“我们”一词，妇女们说：“我们不知道放在哪里”。
抹大拉的马利亚看到坟墓的石头被挪开了，她马上想那些敌对主的人已经到过了那里。她想这些人对主的死不满，就把尸体偷走了。于是她就跑去见彼得和约翰，告
她迫切的来告诉基督的门徒，这表明了她对主深厚的情谊，但门徒们又能做什么呢？
彼得和约翰飞快的跑去看那坟墓（约20：4）抹大拉的马利亚一直跟在后面，她很累，因为她跑了一个来回。事情发展到这里，我们可以知道，这些妇女，包括约翰和彼得，都没有思考过耶稣死而复活的可能性，他们怎么也想不到这样的事！
约翰和彼得离开后， 抹大拉的马利亚还呆在坟墓的花园里。约翰福音20：11说“马利亚却站在坟墓外面哭”。马利亚站在那里没有任何的原因，只是那是她最后看到她的救主的地方。
在此前的两天内，她比以前任何时候哭的都厉害。现在就更厉害了。她们不愿控制自己的情绪！她多么希望她能为主做点什么呀！哪怕一件事也好。哪怕她能为主那十字架上取下来的身体做一点准备，让他好被埋葬也好。但现在主的身体被奇怪的移走了，她想为主凭爱心做一点事也不可能了。
会不会是亚利马太人约瑟把主的身体挪走了呢？但为什么这么快呢？如果是他，他为什么不告诉耶稣的门徒呢？抹大拉的马利亚心里非常困惑。
于是她决定到墓里去看一看，她低头往里走，只看到两个人，就是不见基督。约翰福音20：12“就看见两个天使，穿着白衣，在安放耶稣身体的地方坐着，一个在头，一个在脚。”
约翰福音的记载并没有说马利亚看到天使就很惊讶——可能她当时想面前的这两个人或许是亚利马太人约瑟派来的。她后来才意识到天使在这个漆黑的至圣所里的意义，因为正是在那里，耶稣的血赦免了世人的罪。
约翰福音20：13 天使对她说：“妇人，你为什么哭？”她也不可能为其他的原因哭，因为耶稣的身体“不在了”。 约翰福音20：14马利亚渐渐的转变了“她转过身来”，她转过身来可能是因为当耶稣进来的时候，两个天使站了起来，于是马利亚想看发生了什么。
借着晨光，马利亚只看得到走进来这个人的大概轮廓。因为逆着光，她根本看不清这个人的脸。
约翰福音20：15 马利亚心想进来的这个人可能是给约瑟看园子的，所以他应该知道发生的事，于是她就问这人耶稣的身体的事，说：“我便去取他”。她说这话的时候，就好象她自己一个人就可以做这件事了！她的泪水和悲伤让她忘记了要把一个男人的尸体扛回来有多么的难！
当时，她可能已经从那个她以为是看园子的人面前转过身来了，她也不期待任何安慰或帮助。
约翰福音20：16 当她转过来的时候，她听道一个熟悉的声音，让她停下来，那声音对她说：“马利亚”。
她转过去，惊奇的看了这个人一会儿，上下打量。
本以为不可能的事现在发生了，以前不明白的事现在变得确定了，眼前这个人就是耶稣，悲伤因此变为喜乐！“基督复活了，从死里复活了！”
马利亚除了说“拉波尼，主”，其他什么都说不出来。她称呼主夫子，就好象瞎子巴提买被医治时称呼主夫子一样，现在她也开眼了看见了。
马利亚肯定在那里逗留了一会儿，一遍遍让自己确信面前的这一位就是同一个耶稣。但耶稣还是要离开，只是留给她一个使命：“你往我弟兄那里去”。她的使命就是她要成为第一个告诉门徒“基督从死里复活”的人。
没有任何使者传递过比这更让人喜乐的消息了！她马上离开园子，找到彼得和约翰，向他们讲述了空坟墓和有关基督令人兴奋的消息，只不过，这一次，她有了复活的确据。
马利亚首先看到了复活后的基督，在以后的几小时内，其他的妇女，彼得和余下的十二使徒也看到了基督，确信他的复活并因此而喜乐。
他们喜得不敢相信，并且希奇。（路24：41）
约翰福音20：20中说：“门徒看见主，就喜乐了。”这些男女为基督复活的力量所改变，在以后的几个星期，他们就开始传福音去改变世人了。
对我们的影响：
因此，对我们来说，复活的力量也改变了我们。 正是因为这些人看到了复活后的耶稣，所以保罗在哥林多前书15：20中说：“但基督已经从死里复活，成了睡了之人初熟的果子。” 所以，我们今天的人也应当对我们的复活有确据。
林前15：51“我们不是都要睡觉，乃是都要改变；就在一霎时，眨眼之间，号筒末次吹响的时候；因号筒要响，死人要复活成为不朽坏的，我们也要改变。”
林前15；54-55“这必朽坏的既变成不朽坏的，这必死的既变成不死的；那时经上所记“死被得胜吞灭”的话就应验了。死啊！你得胜的权势在哪里？死啊！你的毒钩在哪里？
今天我们聚集在一起，通过掰饼喝酒一起来纪念主耶稣。相信因他从死里复活，我们才得着生命。所以我们可以说：“感谢神，使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。”（林前15：57）
希望我们都能照着他良善，慈爱的样式而活，照着我们的父通过他儿子显现出来的生命而活。像他一样复活并在新生命中行。以至我们也有“新生的样式”。让我们做他的门徒并盼望等待神的国的到来。
艾伦弟兄 2003年2月
Reading I Corinthians 15 For Sunday 2/3/2003 Bro Allan
THE IMPACT OF THE RESURRECTION
Dear Brothers and Sisters
Our reading from 1st Corinthians 15 gives us great confidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really did occur and that he has achieved victory over death for our sakes. The chapter finishes with the grand words of thanks: verse 57: "Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ".
The certainty of the resurrection has changed our lives, just as it did to the first century believers.
In the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul tells the Corinthians about the experiences of the believers in seeing the risen Christ. The Corinthian teachers were discussing whether there ever could be a resurrection, but Paul said he had actual experience of resurrection. Paul had actually seen a person who had died and been resurrected. And we stand on that same firm belief.
In verse 4 Paul adds in the word "buried" to a brief statement of Jesus death and resurrection. Jesus really had been dead. His burial is mentioned in all four gospels records. So, when they saw him again, he really had been resurrected from the dead.
Notice how in each of verses 5 to 8 Paul says that Jesus "was seen": * He "was seen" by Cephas (that is Peter) and then the twelve (v5); * He "was seen" by 500 brethren (v6); * He "was seen" by James and all the apostles (v7); * He "was seen" by Paul (v8).
As a result of seeing Jesus again, all these people became convinced that Jesus had been raised.
Other people also saw Jesus; for instance Jesus appeared to the women. What we want to do this morning is consider the experience of the women during the weekend when Jesus died and rose again.
The Days Following the Crucifixion
Amongst the women believers were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Salome, Mary the mother of James, and Jesus' own mother Mary. What were they doing in the dark days between the Lord's death and his resurrection?
They had seen the terrible crucifixion of Jesus. Their faithfulness had lead them right to the cross, though they "stood afar off, beholding these things" as Luke puts it. They were extremely upset and confused.
Jesus' mother Mary felt the sword directly though her heart, as had been prophesied. Jesus words to her from the cross, "Woman behold thy son," were of comfort to her, yet the words made the parting with her son all the more real and difficult.
Mary Magdalene had wept more than once in the Lord's presence (for instance when she anointed his feet with oil) and now wept in his absence. More tears yet would be shed by her before the empty grave.
But if Jesus was forever parted from them, the women were not going to stop their service to him until they had done what they could. So Luke records (in Luke 23:55-56) how they beheld where the body was laid "and they returned and prepared spices and ointments and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment". Jesus wasn't coming out of the grave, they thought, but at least they could do with his body the best they could.
The First Meeting of the Resurrected Christ
John 20 tells us of the visit of the women to the tomb. John mentions only Mary Magdalene in verse 1, but other women were with her, for she says in verse 2, "we know not where they have laid him".
As soon as she saw the stone moved, Mary Magdalene promptly assumed that the enemies of the Lord had been there. She thought that, not content with his death, they had stolen his body and taken it elsewhere. She left the others and ran as hard as she could to where Peter and John were staying to tell them (John 20:2). There was no thought in her mind of any resurrection.
Her desperation to tell the disciples showed the depth of her feeling for the Lord, but what could they do?
Peter and John both ran as hard as they could to see the sepulchre (John 20:4). Mary Magdalene obviously trailed behind, tired because she had already run one way. Everything about this part of the story suggests that the minds of the women and also Peter and John were shut to the possibility that Jesus had risen from the dead. That was the last thing they were thinking of.
After Peter and John had left, Mary Magdalene still stayed in the garden where the tomb was. John 20:11 "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping". There was no reason for her to stay, except that this was the spot where she had last set eyes on her Saviour.
In the past two days, she would have shed tears as never before. Now, more than ever, they refused to be restrained. If only she might do something for her Lord! If only she could have made sure that his poor crucified body was properly prepared for burial. But now that his body had been mysteriously removed, even this act of love was denied her.
Could Joseph of Arimathea have moved the body? But why so soon? And why didn't he tell Jesus' disciples? She can make no sense of the situation.
She decides to look further inside the sepulchre. As she stooped down, there were two men there! But no Jesus. John 20:12 "And saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had laid".
The record in John does not indicate that Mary was greatly surprised - perhaps she just thought that these were two of Joseph of Arimathea's men. Only in later days would she recognise the significance of two angels sitting in this dark Holy of Holies and between them the stain of blood, shed to take away the sin of the world.
John 20:13 The angels ask her "Woman why weepest thou?". She would have had more cause for weeping if Jesus' body was there!
John 20:14 Something happened to make Mary turn around: verse 14 "she turned herself back". Maybe the angels had stood when Jesus approached the sepulchre.
Starring out into the light of the morning, Mary Magdelene was able to see only the outline of the stranger who now drew near. Against the light, she couldn't recognise the stranger's face.
John 20:15 Mary thought that the stranger must be Joseph's gardener who surely would know what had happened. So she asks him where Jesus' body was and said, "I will take him away". As if she, by herself, could do that! Her tears blinded her to the difficult task of carrying back the body of the man who meant so much to her.
At that stage she must have turned away from the man she thought was the gardener. She expected nothing of help or comfort.
John 20:16 But while she was turning away, she heard one word, spoken with that familiar voice, that stopped her in her tracks - "Mary".
She turned towards him, starred with amazement and then in a moment was at his feet grasping hold of him.
The impossible had happened. What could not be understood, now became certain. It was Jesus. The oil of sadness was turned to joy. "Now hath Christ risen, risen from the dead".
There was nothing Mary could say, but one word "Rabboni, Master". She used the same title as blind Bartimaeus used when he was healed of his blindness. She too could now see.
Mary would no doubt have lingered there, convincing herself again and again that it really was this same Jesus. But he had to leave and she had a mission to fulfill - "Go to my brethren". Her mission was to be the first to say to the disciples, "Christ has risen from the dead."
No messenger ever had more joyful news to tell. She left the garden as fast as she could to find Peter and John again, to gasp out excitedly to them the news of the empty tomb, but this time with the assurance of the resurrection.
It was to dear Mary that the resurrected Jesus was first seen. Within a few hours, all the other women, Peter and the remainder of the twelve would be convinced of the resurrection and experience its joy.
They could hardly believe "for joy and wonder" Luke 24:41
John 20:20 says "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." They were now women and men transformed by the power of the resurrection; who within a few weeks would seek to change the world by their preaching.
The Effect On Us
So with us. The power of the resurrection has changed us.
Because these people saw the resurrected Jesus, Paul could write in 1 Corinthians 15:20 "but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept".
And we, in our day, have the great certainty of our resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:51 "We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed."
1 Corinthians 15:54-55 "Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
We can come today to remember our Lord Jesus Christ through the bread and the wine with the certain belief that he was raised from the dead so that we can have life. Well may we say: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).
May our lives be lived following his example of kindness and compassion, following the ways of our Father in heaven as shown in his life. Just as he was raised to walk in a new life, "so we also should walk in newness of life", as his disciples, in hope of the Kingdom to come.
Allan A February 2003