【双语灵修】出死入生CROSSING THE BRIDGE FROM DEATH TO LIFE

约翰福音 5:21-27

父怎样叫死人起来，使他们活着，子也照样随自己的意思使人活着。父不审判什么人，乃将审判的事全交于子，叫人都尊敬子如同尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的，就是不尊敬差子来的父。我实实在在地告诉你们：那听我话又信差我来者的，就有永生，不至于定罪，是已经出死入生了。我实实在在地告诉你们：时候将到，现在就是了，死人要听见神儿子的声音，听见的人就要活了。因为父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给他儿子也照样在自己有生命，并且因为他是人子，就赐给他行审判的权柄。

出死入生

「那听我话又信差我来者的，就有永生，……是已经出死入生了。」 -约 5:24

我曾与一些人一起在菲律宾挨家挨户地分享救赎之路。我们使用简单的小册子，上面印有「桥梁」的插图——耶稣是一座从死亡到生命的桥梁。在一间棕榈茅草房的门口，我曾与一位中年妇女，和她正在照料婴儿的十几岁的女儿交谈。

这幅插图上有一个深渊，两边各有一个悬崖。一个悬崖代表死亡，上面有一个人的形像；另一个悬崖代表生命，上面有一个神的符号。深渊代表罪，它将我们与神隔开。然后，插图中的十字架代表耶稣，架在深渊之上。我使用今天的经文向这对母女解释说，只要我们相信耶稣，我们就能跨过深渊，出死入生。

我问她们：「在死亡、生命、桥梁这幅图中，你们处于什么位置呢？」她们指了指桥的中间——横跨深渊一半的位置。我接着解释说，耶稣用的是过去完成式，祂说：「已经出死入生了」——这意味着我们现在已经因着信耶稣得着了永生。虽然她们对此不是很确定，但有兴趣继续了解。

在死亡、生命和桥梁（耶稣）之间，你处于什么位置呢？

祷告

主耶稣，求祢坚固我们的信心，使我们相信唯有祢能使我们出死入生，求祢今天赐给我们永生的确据。奉祢的名祷告，阿们。

CROSSING THE BRIDGE FROM DEATH TO LIFE

“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and . . . has crossed over from death to life.”                        —John 5:24

I was with a group going house to house in the Philippines to share the way of salvation. We used simple tracts that featured the Bridge Illustration—showing Jesus as the bridge from death to life. In the doorway of a palm-thatched house I spoke with a middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter, who was nursing an infant.

The illustration pictured a chasm with a cliff on each side. One cliff represented death, with a figure of a man on it; and the other cliff represented life, with a symbol for God on it. The chasm represented sin, which separates us from God. The illustration then showed a cross—representing Jesus—bridging the chasm. Focusing on our text-verse for today, I explained to the mother and daughter that by putting our faith in Jesus, we cross that bridge from death to life.

“Where are you in relation to life, death, and the bridge?” I asked them. They pointed to the center of the bridge—halfway across the chasm. I went on to explain that Jesus spoke in the past tense, saying, “has crossed over”—and this means that we already have eternal life right now through faith in Jesus. They weren’t so sure about that, but they were interested to learn more.

Where are you in relation to death, life, and the bridge (Jesus)?

Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith to trust in you alone to bring us from death to life, and please give us the assurance of eternal life today. In your name, Amen.