新约 - 马太福音(Matthew)第27章

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.
They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.
"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money."
So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.
That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel,
and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."
Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.
Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"
But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor.
Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.
At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.
So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.
They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).
There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads
and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.
"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'
So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."
So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
马太福音第廿七章   耶稣受审 

  太 27:1-2> 宗教领袖用尽方法也要置耶稣于死地,看这次他们又用什么藉口…… 

  27:1-2 宗教领袖没有判死刑的权柄,所以要引导罗马人处死耶稣。从政治方面来说,这样做对宗教领袖更好,有人对耶稣的死负责,群众就不会责备他们。他们用一个宗教的罪名──亵渎神来拘捕耶稣,但是罗马法庭不受理这类案件,他们便要找一个政治理由来置耶稣于死地。他们要证明耶稣是一个动乱者,祂宣称自己是王,危害凯撒的地位。 

  太 27:2> 那个在众人面前洗手的彼拉多,究竟是怎样的呢? 

  27:2 彼拉多在公元 26 至 36 年期间,任犹太和撒马利亚两省的巡抚。他喜弄权术,强从圣殿库房中提款建造高架引水道。宗教领袖对此极之不满,但要除灭耶稣,也只好将祂解去交给彼拉多。彼拉多曾三次宣布他查不出耶稣有罪(参约 18:38 ; 19:4 , 6 )。 

  太 27:3-4> 犹大后悔了!可有什么事曾教你感到后悔呢? 

  27:3-4 当初犹大出卖耶稣,可能企图迫使耶稣去发起一次革命来对抗罗马,可是当看到耶稣被定罪后,他良心发现,可惜已经太迟了。我们的计划一旦成为行动就不能走回头,因此最好在行动以前,先想想计划可能带来的后果,免得我们事后后悔! 

  太 27:4> “自己承当吧”──你想那些祭司这样说对吗? 

  27:4 祭司的职分是教导人们认识神,并为他们作代求者──帮助他们献祭以赎罪。但这些祭司长非但没有帮助犹大寻求赦免,更说:“你自己承当吧!”他们不单拒绝弥赛亚,更拒绝了作祭司的身分。 

  太 27:5> 那出卖耶稣的人的下场…… 

  27:5 犹大出去吊死自己。可能其自缢之树枝折断,身子跌下来,肚腹崩裂,肠子都流出来(参徒 1:18 )。 

  太 27:6> 他们不肯接纳犹大的钱,难道是内疚了? 

  27:6 这些祭司长付钱给犹大出卖一个无辜的人,却没有感到丝毫内疚,当犹大把钱还给他们时,祭司长却不肯接纳,因为他们认为接受谋杀的报酬是错误的!他们对耶稣的仇恨叫他们完全失去了对公义的知觉。 

  太 27:9-10> 27:9-10 这话出自撒迦利亚书(参亚 11:12-13 ),但犹太人认为耶利米是旧约先知书的编纂者,比撒迦利亚更为人所知,并且耶利米也有类似的说法。(参耶 18:1-4 ; 19:1-11 ; 32:6-15 )。 

  不合法的审讯 

  太 27:12> 那些人实在可笑,你看他们为达目的,所做的竟是── 

  27:12 在彼拉多面前,宗教领袖控诉耶稣不同的罪行。他们因耶稣亵渎(宣称自己是神)的罪拘捕祂,但这个控告对罗马政府来说是不成为罪名的,因此宗教领袖要控告耶稣一些会引起罗马政府关注的罪行,例如鼓吹百姓不纳税、宣称自己是君王和引起暴乱,但这些控告都不是事实。他们决意要杀害耶稣,为了达到目的,不惜触犯了多条诫命。 

  太 27:14> 面对冤屈,耶稣沉静以待──我想我会迫不及待为自己辩解…… 

  27:14 耶稣的沉默正应验了先知的话(参赛 53:7 ),彼拉多惊奇耶稣为什么不为自己申辩。他知道宗教领袖们的居心,故很想释放耶稣(参约 19:12 ),无奈要遵照罗马政府的旨意,维持管辖地区的和平。最后决定处决这个沉默、看来又不重要的人。 

  太 27:15-16> 巴拉巴这名字是别有意思的…… 

  27:15-16 巴拉巴曾经参与对抗罗马政府的暴动(参可 15:7 ),所犯的罪正是耶稣被控告的罪,虽然他是罗马政府的敌人,但可能是犹太人的英雄。巴拉巴这个名字的意思是“父亲的儿子”,这正是耶稣与神的关系。 

  太 27:19> 洗手欲脱罪的彼拉多,其心叵测,你看…… 

  27:19 彼拉多本应是秉行公义的领袖,在这事上却证实了他更多考虑政治的权谋。他本有几次机会,去作正确的决定,他的良知告诉他耶稣是无辜的,罗马法律说明不应治死无罪的人,他的妻子更做了个令她不安的梦,他根本没有正当的藉口定耶稣的罪,但因害怕群众而判祂死刑。 

  太 27:21> 水能载舟,亦能覆舟──如何验证?你看群众对耶稣的态度…… 

  27:21 群众是善变的,耶稣进圣城时,他们欢迎祂,以为祂来开创祂的国度;当祂被捕,他们的愿望破灭了,就由拥戴变为憎恶。面对大群攻击耶稣的面孔,祂的朋友都不敢站出来为祂说话。 

  太 27:21> 昔日群众选择了巴拉巴,今天的人是否一样? 

  27:21 面对抉择,群众选择了巴拉巴──一个作乱分子和杀人犯,而放弃了神的儿子;今天面对同样的抉择,人们依然选择“巴拉巴”,不接纳神儿子所预备的救恩。 

  太 27:24> 来个洗手脱干系?是否有点自欺欺人?可是,有时候人总有这个倾向…… 

  27:24 彼拉多原知道犹太人是因为嫉妒才把主耶稣解来,本有心要释放祂,但在犹太人的要挟下只得屈从。历史资料显示,犹太人要是向罗马政府上告他轻忽犹太人的传统,引起骚动,他就会丢官。在无可奈何之下,彼拉多让群众决定把耶稣钉十字架,虽然洗了手,但他的罪仍然存在。洗手只能给他一个平安的假象,并不能清除他的罪。不要找任何藉口,要为自己所作的决定负责任。 

  太 27:27> 27:27 “营”是罗马军团的单位,一般约有二百人。 

  太 27:29> 红袍、荆棘冠冕加上唾沬──耶稣也曾被百般戏弄,我是知道的,可是当我被人嘲弄时…… 

  27:29 耶稣所受的大嘲弄比任何人都甚,信徒可以从而得到安慰和鼓励。不信者对我们的嘲笑可能会伤我们的心,但切不要让信心动摇( 5:11-12 )。 

  十字架道路 

  太 27:32> 那背十字架的竟不是耶稣,那是谁? 

  27:32 被定罪判死刑的犯人要背自己的十字架到刑场,耶稣因曾受鞭打,没有力气继续背自己的十字架,所以,途人西门就被迫去背。西门来自古利奈──北非的一个地方,很可能是来耶路撒冷过逾越节的千万犹太人中的一个。 

  太 27:33> 那个耶稣钉十字架的地方,竟有这许多名字…… 

  27:33 各各他是亚兰文的音译,希腊文为加略山,意为髑髅地。得名的由来很多:( 1 )山坡形似死人头盖骨;( 2 )这是个刑场,散布着死人头骨,以死人头骨为名,象征死亡。 

  太 27:34> 那么痛,如果是我,我一定会喝了那些酒,耶稣却…… 

  27:34 酒混胆汁是可以作为麻醉剂的,所以这些酒可以帮助耶稣减轻痛苦,但祂拒绝了,祂在神智清醒的情况下忍受痛苦。 

  太 27:35> 看那些士兵,竟在那里拈阄…… 

  27:35 士兵习惯均分被钉死的人的衣服。这些士兵拈阄分了耶稣的衣服,正应验了大卫的预言(参诗 22 篇)。 

  太 27:45> 耶稣之死有多沉重?看那大自然的变化…… 

  27:45 使遍地漆黑一片的是神。耶稣的朋友和仇敌被黑暗包围着,好像陷入沉寂里,大自然见证了耶稣之死的沉重。这黑暗是眼见的,但也有属灵的意义。 

  十架七言 

  太 27:46> 我实在不明白,耶稣既知自己会复活,为何仍那么痛苦? 

  27:46 耶稣并不是在质问神,而是在引用诗篇来表达祂所感受到的深刻强烈的苦楚。祂承担了全人类的罪恶而要与祂的父神分隔,这就是祂在园中向神祈祷时,最惧怕的事,求神拿去的苦杯( 26:39 )。肉身的强烈痛苦是很可怕的,但更可怕的是在灵上与神分隔,耶稣忍受这双重的死亡,使我们不必再与神永远隔绝。 

  太 27:47> 耶稣那样说,祂不是在叫以利亚吧…… 

  27:47 那些旁观者误解了耶稣说的话,以为祂正在呼叫以利亚,因为以利亚不曾经历死亡就升到天上(参王下 2:11 ),他们以为以利亚会再次回来,将他们从大灾难中拯救出来(参玛 4:5 )。在每年的逾越节晚饭席上,每一个家庭都会给以利亚留个位置,期望他再来。另外,亚兰文的神字“以罗伊”与“以利亚”的音有点相近,故有此误会(参可 15:34 )。 

  太 27:51> 耶稣死了──忽然,幔子裂成两半!通往神的路应该没有阻隔才是,可我今天却…… 

  27:51 圣殿有三个主要的部分:外院,圣所──只有祭司才可以进去,至圣所──只有大祭司每年一次为全体百姓的罪献赎罪祭时,才可以进去(参利 16 章)。耶稣死的时候,分隔圣所和至圣所的幔子裂成两半,象征神和人之间的阻隔已经除去了,现在所有人都可以自由地到神那里,因为基督的祭已经为我们赎了罪(参来 9:1-24 ; 10:19-22 )。 

  太 27:52-53> 连在世人看为最软弱的事上──死亡,耶稣也带出了祂的大能…… 

  27:52-53 基督的死起码带来了四件神迹奇事:黑暗,圣殿中的幔子裂开,地震,死人从坟墓中复活。因此,耶稣的死不可能不引起人们的注意,每一个人都知道有些重要的事情发生了。 

  太 27:57-58> 听说那个亚利马太的约瑟是蛮有地位的,你认识他吗? 

  27:57-58 亚利马太的约瑟是宗教领袖,在公会中甚有地位(参可 15:43 )。以前,他不敢公开跟随耶稣和与反对耶稣的人辩论,现在却勇敢地要求领取耶稣的遗体,并且把祂埋葬了。而那些公开跟从耶稣的门徒却逃遁四散。 

  太 27:60> 27:60 放耶稣身体的坟墓,是人工凿成的洞穴。这些洞穴一般都很大,可容人进入。 

  太 27:64> 耶稣已经死了,那些宗教领袖还害怕什么? 

  27:64 宗教领袖看耶稣复活的预言比门徒还要认真,门徒已经忘记了耶稣所说祂要复活的预言( 20:17-19 ),但是宗教领袖却记着这些预言。因着耶稣复活的宣告,祂死后与祂在生时一样令他们害怕,他们尝试采取各样预防措施,务求将祂的遗体保存在坟墓中。 

  太 27:66> 大石、封条、泥土和把守,够多了吧,甚…么,还是无能为力? 

  27:66 法利赛人害怕耶稣关于祂复活的预言,所以要封住墓门,并派人把守。这座坟墓是山边的一个石洞,只有一个入口,入口用大石堵住,他们加上封条,封条两边又用泥封住。但宗教领袖还不放心,又差派守卫看守坟墓的入口。防备这样严密,坟墓变空的惟一可能只有耶稣从死里复活。法利赛人并不明白,石头、封条、守卫、军队都无法阻止神的儿子从死里复活。 ──《灵修版圣经注释》