【读圣经学英语】拉撒路死了

约翰福音-John 11 章 13~18节

11:13	耶稣原是指着拉撒路的死说的，他们却以为祂是指拉撒路安然睡觉说的。 But Jesus had spoken about his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
11:14	所以耶稣就明明的告诉他们说，拉撒路死了。 So Jesus then told them plainly, Lazarus has died.
11:15	我为你们欢喜我不在那里，好叫你们信。现在我们往他那里去吧。 And I rejoice for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.
11:16	那称为低土马的多马，就对同作门徒的说，我们也去和祂同死吧。 Then Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him.
11:17	耶稣到了，就发现拉撒路在坟墓里，已经四天了。 Then when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
11:18	伯大尼离耶路撒冷不远，约有三公里。 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

亮光

拉撒路不但病了，还死了。（约十一14。）因此，他所需要的不是医治，乃是复活。在主的救恩里，祂不仅医治病人，也赐生命给死人。所以，祂仍然留住原地两天，直等到那病人死了。（约十一6。）主不改造人，也不规正人，却重生人，叫人从死里复活。因此，九个事例中，第一个是重生，末一个是复活。这启示基督作我们生命的各方面，如其它七个事例所揭示的，都是在重生与复活的原则里。这最后一个事例，是真正变死亡为生命。

叫拉撒路从死人中复活，无疑的是美妙的事例。在这事例中，我们看见一个死了的人，埋葬了四天，已经开始发臭了，然而他却复活了。为什么另外三卷福音书没有记载这美妙的事例呢？这件事真是太奇妙了，但是其它的福音书竟然只字未题。因为这复活的事例与其它三卷福音书的目的不合，只适合于约翰福音的目的。马太、马可和路加的目的并非生命，约翰乃是生命的福音。所以，圣灵就留下这事例给约翰。这证明约翰福音是一卷生命的书。

Enlightenment:

Lazarus was not only sick but also dead (11:14). Thus, he did not need healing but resurrecting. In the Lord’s salvation He does not merely heal the sick; He also gives life to the dead. So He remained two days until the sick one had died (11:6). The Lord does not reform people or regulate them; He regenerates people and raises them out of death. Hence, the first of the nine cases is on regeneration and the last is on resurrection, revealing that all of the different aspects of Christ as life to us, as unveiled in the other seven cases, are in the principle of regeneration and resurrection. This last case is the actual changing of death into life.

The case of raising Lazarus from the dead is certainly a wonderful case. Here we see the case of a man who had died, who had been buried for four days, and who had begun to stink. Nevertheless, he was resurrected. Why do the other three Gospels give us no record of this wonderful case? Although this case is marvelous, the other Gospels say nothing about it. This case of resurrection does not fit in with the purposes of the other three Gospels; it only suits the purpose of the Gospel of John. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are Gospels with purposes other than life. John is the Gospel on life. Therefore, the Holy Spirit kept this case for John. This proves that the Gospel of John is a book of life.