《每日箴言靈修》2021年12月1日

歷世期待的耶穌(以賽亞書61:1-3) https://youtu.be/rbtgG1Wh5Pw
「耶和華…差遣我… 報告被擄的得釋放，被囚的出監牢。報告耶和華的恩年… 安慰一切悲哀的人。」 - 賽 61:1-2

「歷世期待基督耶穌，懇求來臨施拯救；赦我罪孽，去我驚憂，賞賜屬天真自由。」查爾斯-韋斯利（1744年）的這首讚美詩的開頭幾句就抓住了將臨期的核心，我們在其中期待並慶祝基督——世界的救主的來臨（見約 3:16）。
http://chinesetodays.org/sites/default/files/devotion_audio/2017c/211201.mp3

將臨期在幾天前就開始了，在許多教堂裡，人們已經開始唱起這首歌，旨在慶祝基督的來臨。這首歌說的是先知以賽亞在彌賽亞——神應許給祂百姓的救主——到來之前的盼望。百姓在流亡中，因著得釋放、得祝福、得安慰的主題帶來了巨大的希望。

這首歌重點是宣告耶穌基督是救主，祂為我們帶來了盼望：使我們從罪中得著釋放，並在基督裡找到安息。它幫助我們記住當時神百姓所渴望的，它也幫助我們記住我們所渴望的：基督將再次降臨，終結所有的痛苦和悲傷，賜給我們豐盛的生命，直到永遠。

每當我們面臨困境時，我們可以帶著熱切的盼望唱這首歌，相信耶穌會再次來臨。我們渴望祂再來，釋放世界脫離一切的苦難，並安慰所有哀傷的人。
[禱告]
歷世期待的耶穌，祈求你到我們心中來。把我們從罪惡和苦難中釋放出來，使我們在你裡面找到安慰和安息。阿們。
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"He has sent me . . . to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor . . . to comfort all who mourn. . . ." - Isaiah 61:1-2
"Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee." These opening lines of a hymn by Charles Wesley (1744) capture the spirit of Advent, in which we anticipate and celebrate Christ’s coming as the Savior of the world (see John 3:16).

The season of Advent began a few days ago, and in many churches people have already sung this song to focus their celebration of Christ’s coming. This song speaks to the hope the prophet Isaiah had before the coming of the Messiah, the promised Savior of God’s people. The people were in exile, and the theme of being set free and blessed and comforted offered great hope.

Focusing on Jesus Christ as the Savior, this song offers us hope as well: to be set free from our sin and to find our rest in Christ alone. It helps us to remember what God’s people longed for. It also helps us to remember what we long for: that Christ will come again to end all suffering and sorrow and give us full life forever.

Whenever we are dealing with difficult situations, we can sing this song with fervent hope, trusting that Jesus will come again. We long for his return to free the world from all its suffering and to comfort all who mourn.
[Prayer]
Long-expected Jesus, come to our hearts, we pray. Free us from our sin and suffering, that we may find comfort and rest in you. Amen.