How can you share the amazing gift of Jesus with others today?

你今日如何与人分享耶稣这份奇妙的礼物？

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father. John 1:14

道成了肉身，住在我们中间，……我们也见过祂的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。-约翰福音1章14节

Every Christmas, a friend of mine writes a long letter to his wife, reviewing the events of the year and dreaming about the future. He always tells her how much he loves her, and why. He also writes a letter to each of his daughters. His words of love make an unforgettable Christmas present.

每年的圣诞节，我的一位朋友就会写一封长长的情书给他的妻子，回顾全年发生的事，并憧憬未来。朋友总是告诉妻子，他是多么爱她，又因何爱她。他也给每一个女儿写信，他用爱的话语所写成的书信成了一份难忘的圣诞礼物。

We could say that the original Christmas love letter was Jesus, the Word made flesh. John highlights this truth in his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). In ancient philosophy, the Greek for Word, logos, suggested a divine mind or order that unites reality, but John expands the definition to reveal the Word as a person: Jesus, the Son of God who was “with God in the beginning” (v. 2). This Word, the Father’s “one and only Son,” “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (v. 14). Through Jesus the Word, God reveals Himself perfectly.

其实，第一封的圣诞情书可以说是耶稣，也就是道成了肉身的上帝。约翰在福音书强调这个真理：“太初有道，道与上帝同在，道就是上帝”（约翰福音1章1节）。这个翻译为“道”的希腊文是logos，在古代哲学中这是指属天的意志或规律，用以连系整个现实世界。但约翰进一步表明这道是有位格的，是指耶稣，祂是上帝的儿子，“太初与上帝同在”（2节）。这道是天父的“独生子”，“成了肉身，住在我们中间”（14节）。上帝透过耶稣这“道”，完美地向人启示祂自己。

Theologians have grappled with this beautiful mystery for centuries. However much we may not understand, we can be certain that Jesus as the Word gives light to our dark world (v. 9). If we believe in Him, we can experience the gift of being God’s beloved children (v. 12).

数百年来，神学家一直努力要解释这美丽的奥秘。然而，即使我们无法完全明白，但我们可以确定，耶稣就是光照这黑暗世界的真道（9节）。只要相信祂，我们便可得着一份爱的礼物，即成为上帝的儿女（12节）。

Jesus, God’s love letter to us, has come and made His home among us. Now that’s an amazing Christmas gift!

耶稣就是上帝给我们的情书，祂已经来了，且住在我们当中。这是何等奇妙的圣诞礼物啊！

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Word of God, and You bring light into my life. May I shine forth Your goodness and grace and bring You honor.

主耶稣基督，祢是上帝的道，祢把光带入我的生命。求祢让我能显扬祢的美善和恩典，使祢得着荣耀。

John 1:1-14    NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

约翰福音 1:1-14 

1 太初有道，道与神同在，道就是神。 2 这道太初与神同在。 3 万物是借着他造的；凡被造的，没有一样不是借着他造的。 4 生命在他里头，这生命就是人的光。5 光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光。 6 有一个人，是从神那里差来的，名叫约翰。7 这人来，为要作见证，就是为光作见证，叫众人因他可以信。 8 他不是那光，乃是要为光作见证。 9 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。 10 他在世界，世界也是借着他造的，世界却不认识他。 11 他到自己的地方来，自己的人倒不接待他。 12 凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄做神的儿女。 13 这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。 14 道成了肉身，住在我们中间，充充满满地有恩典有真理。我们也见过他的荣光，正是父独生子的荣光。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

In this account of Jesus’s life, John the disciple notes the supreme irony: the Creator visits His creation, and His creation does not recognize Him (John 1:10). More than that, God’s chosen people reject their Messiah: “He came to that which was his own [Israel], but his own did not receive him” (v. 11). It would seem, then, that Jesus’s visit to our planet was not a success. But many did believe, and John emphasizes, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (vv. 12–13).

在这件耶稣生平的记述中，门徒约翰指出这个极具讽刺的现象：造物主造访祂所创造的人，但祂所创造的人却不认识祂（约翰福音1章10节）。不仅如此，上帝所拣选的百姓竟拒绝了他们的弥赛亚：“祂到自己的地方[以色列]来，自己的人倒不接待祂”（11节）。如此看来，耶稣到世上的造访似乎并不成功。但事实上有许多人相信了耶稣，约翰强调说：“凡接待祂的，就是信祂名的人，祂就赐他们权柄，作上帝的儿女。”（12-13节）