Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again. 

耶稣是上帝成为人来到世上，让人能与上帝和好。

The kingdom of God has come near. Mark 1:15

上帝的国近了！-马可福音1章15节

Nearly every time an angel appears in the Bible, the first words he says are “Don’t be afraid!” Little wonder. When the supernatural makes contact with planet Earth, it usually leaves the human observers flat on their faces in fear. But Luke tells of God making an appearance in a form that doesn’t frighten. In Jesus, born with the animals and laid in a feeding trough, God takes an approach that we need not fear. What could be less scary than a newborn baby?

在圣经中，每次天使出现所说的第一句话，几乎都是“不要怕！”这实在不足为奇，因为当人们亲眼看到上帝的使者降临，第一个反应总是惊惶恐惧。但路加却告诉我们，上帝以一种不会让人感到害怕的样式来到世上。上帝藉着在马棚里出生并躺卧在马槽中的耶稣，找到了让我们不再害怕的方式。试问有谁会害怕初生的婴孩呢？

On Earth Jesus is both God and man. As God, He can work miracles, forgive sins, conquer death, and predict the future. But for Jews accustomed to images of God as a bright cloud or pillar of fire, Jesus also causes much confusion. How could a baby in Bethlehem, a carpenter’s son, a man from Nazareth, be the Messiah from God?

耶稣在世上是完全的人也是完全的神。祂是神，能施行神迹、使罪得赦、胜过死亡，亦能预言未来。但犹太人通常只知道，上帝的形象是明亮的云柱或火柱，因此耶稣令他们十分困惑：降生在伯利恒的小婴孩，一个木匠的儿子，一个拿撒勒人，怎么可能是上帝所应许的弥赛亚呢？

Why does God take on human form? The scene of twelve-year-old Jesus debating rabbis in the temple gives one clue. “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers,” Luke tells us (2:47). For the first time, ordinary people could hold a conversation with God in visible form.

上帝为何要降世为人呢？耶稣十二岁在圣殿里与犹太教师辩论的景象，为我们提供了一个线索。路加福音告诉我们：“凡听见祂的，都希奇祂的聪明和祂的应对”（2章47节）。这是有史以来，平民百姓第一次能看见上帝，直接与祂谈话。

Jesus can talk to anyone—His parents, a rabbi, a poor widow—without first having to announce, “Don’t be afraid!” In Jesus, God draws near.

在世上，耶稣可以与任何人说话，包括祂的父母、犹太教师或穷寡妇，祂都不需要先说：“不要惧怕！”藉着耶稣，上帝来到你我身边。

Heavenly Father, we pause at Christmas to remember how Your Son came to us in the form of a helpless baby . . . and we worship in amazement and wonder that God came near to us.

天父上帝，在圣诞节临近之际，我们记念祢的儿子竟成为无助的婴孩，来到我们中间。上帝竟来亲近我们，让我们不禁惊叹敬拜！

Luke 2:42-52    NIV

2 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

路加福音 2:42-52 

2 当他十二岁的时候，他们按着节期的规矩上去。 43 守满了节期，他们回去，孩童耶稣仍旧在耶路撒冷，他的父母并不知道， 44 以为他在同行的人中间。走了一天的路程，就在亲族和熟识的人中找他， 45 既找不着，就回耶路撒冷去找他。 46 过了三天，就遇见他在殿里，坐在教师中间，一面听一面问 。47 凡听见他的，都稀奇他的聪明和他的应对。 48 他父母看见就很稀奇。他母亲对他说：“我儿，为什么向我们这样行呢？看哪，你父亲和我伤心来找你！” 49 耶稣说：“为什么找我呢？岂不知我应当以我父的事为念吗？” 50 他所说的这话，他们不明白。 51 他就同他们下去，回到拿撒勒，并且顺从他们。他母亲把这一切的事都存在心里。52 耶稣的智慧和身量，并神和人喜爱他的心，都一齐增长。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

The Feast of the Passover Jesus and His family attended was one of three annual feasts that Israelite males were required to attend (see Exodus 23:14–17). It’s estimated that 100,000 or more visitors would make their way to Jerusalem for this special occasion. At twelve years of age, Jesus was one year away from His entrance into Israelite manhood when He would become fully responsible for keeping the law. Today’s reading records Jesus’s unexplained absence from His family (Luke 2:43–45), but He was well aware of His mission (v. 49). This early scene in the temple where people were amazed at His teaching (v. 47) contrasts sharply with a later account where they would not be amazed but would try to kill Him (19:45–47).

耶稣及其家人所过的逾越节，乃是以色列男子每年需要参加的三大节期之一（参阅出埃及记23章14-17节），估计有超过10万人会在这节期前往耶路撒冷。那年的逾越节，耶稣正值十二岁，距祂作以色列成人还有一年的时间，仍无须全面遵守律法。在今天阅读的经文中，讲到耶稣并未告知父母就单独行动（路加福音2章43-45节），但祂清楚知道自己的使命（49节）。那时，人们对耶稣在圣殿中的教导感到惊讶（47节），而与往后的情景形成鲜明的对比。因为多年后，人们不再对耶稣的教导感到惊讶，反倒企图要杀死祂（19章45-47节）。

整理：于姊妹