by 鍾卓權牧師 (Rev. Bernie Chung)
主耶穌在世上的最後的一週，被稱為是聖週(Holy Week) ，聖週的第七天是星期六，也就是安息日，主耶穌被釘死在十字架上之後衪的遺體是全日由羅馬士兵看守。尼哥底母和亞利馬太人的約瑟，他們兩人是將主耶穌基督判處死刑 Sanhedrin 公會的成員。這兩人均是主耶穌暗中的門徒，但由於在猶太社會中有著顯赫的地位而害怕公開表明自己的信仰，他們被基督受苦
受死深受感動，知道主耶穌確實是期待已久的彌賽亞，於是便冒著生的命危險要求把被釘死在十字架上主耶穌的身體領下來，在安息日的下午約6 點鐘時, 就是安息日結束之時，尼哥底母預備了約有一百斤的沒藥和沉香，前來按喪葬的規矩、把主耶穌的遺體包裹起來、安放在墳墓裡。
聖週的第八天也即是七日的頭一日的清早、天還黑的時候、抹大拉的馬利亞、和雅各的母親馬利亞、並撒羅米、買了香膏、也要去膏主耶穌的身體。來到墳墓那裏、看見石頭從墳墓挪開
了。一位天使向她們宣佈說：「不要害怕、我知道你們是尋找那釘十字架的主耶穌。祂不在這裏、照祂所說的、已經復活了．」(馬太福音28：5-6 節) 。
主耶穌基督復活之後曾多次顯現。第一個見到祂的人是抹大拉的馬利亞。其後主耶穌是向彼得，又在以馬忤斯的路上向兩個門徒顯現，以及那天晚上向聚集在一個房子裡禱告的門徒
再次顯現…。福音書中的目擊者見證了主耶穌基督的復活是確實發生的事, 是不可否認的事實。主耶穌基督受苦、受死、埋葬、和復活是兩千多年的事了，時至今日, 基督的信徒仍然要
去耶路撒冷親身看這座空的墳墓，因為主耶穌基督的複活是基督信仰中的核心, 是最榮耀的神蹟。
空墳墓是照著主耶穌自己所說的、祂已經復活了。Hallelujah、讚美復活的主！阿們！
Translation:
The last week of Lord Jesus’ life on earth is called the Holy Week. The seventh day of the Holy Week is Saturday, the Sabbath. After Christ’s death, the Roman soldiers guarded the body of Jesus throughout that day. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were members of the Sanhedrin court that sentenced Jesus to death. Both of them were secret disciples of the Lord Jesus. They were afraid to profess their faith in Christ publicly because of their important positions in the Jewish community and they feared repercussions. However, both were deeply affected by the suffering and death of Christ, and began to realize that the Lord Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. They risked their lives by taking Jesus’ body down from the cross on the Sabbath at sundown, around six o’clock in the evening. Nicodemus prepared a mixture about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes, along with linens to wrap the body of Jesus according to Jewish burial customs, and they put the wrapped body in the tomb.
On the eighth day, one day past the Holy Week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jacob, and Salome went to the Jesus’ tomb early in the morning while it was still dark. They brought ointment with them to anoint the body of the Lord Jesus. When they came to the tomb, they saw the stone was removed. An angel said to the women: ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where he lay’ (Matthew 28:5-6 NIV).
The Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself several times after His resurrection. The first person to see Him was Mary Magdalene. The Lord Jesus also appeared to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and to the disciples who had gathered in a house to pray that night, etc. Witnesses in the Books of Gospel provided indisputable evidence and narrative that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened, and all Christians past and present firmly believe in His resurrection. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was buried, and He has risen from the dead. All these happened almost two thousand years ago. Many Christians still travel to Jerusalem to witness the empty tomb because the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ is the most glorious miracle of the Christian faith.
So the tomb remains empty just as Jesus said, and He has risen! Hallelujah, let’s praise our risen Lord! Amen!
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