4 月 14 日 预苦期圣周 星期一

(罗雅各牧师 信望堂)

经文-以赛亚 42：1-9

42 “看哪，我的仆人，我所扶持、所拣选，心里所喜悦的，我已将我的灵赐给他，他必将公理传给外邦。 2 他不喧嚷，不扬声，也不使街上听见他的声音。 3 压伤的芦苇他不折断，将残的灯火他不吹灭，他凭真实将公理传开。 4 他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理，海岛都等候他的训诲。” 5 创造诸天，铺张穹苍，将地和地所出的一并铺开，赐气息给地上的众人，又赐灵性给行在其上之人的神耶和华，他如此说： 6 “我耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你做众民的中保[a]，做外邦人的光， 7 开瞎子的眼，领被囚的出牢狱，领坐黑暗的出监牢。 8 我是耶和华，这是我的名。我必不将我的荣耀归给假神，也不将我的称赞归给雕刻的偶像。 9 看哪，先前的事已经成就，现在我将新事说明，这事未发以先，我就说给你们听。”

经文反思

这是整个救赎历史中的一段重要经文。在应许的受苦仆人降临之前，上帝告诉我们，他已经向我们宣布了这些 “新事”（第 9 节）。在苦仆降临之后，通过他在十字架上的服事和复活的胜利，我们现在庆祝圣周。在这里，我们作为上帝的子民也被邀请 “向耶和华唱新歌”（第 10 节）。

在这段经文中，虽然上帝的子民仍在他们的俘虏手中，但 “新歌 ”以一种重要的方式预言了摩西在《出埃及记》第 15 章中的歌声。当时，以色列人唱着上帝拯救的新歌。本周，当我们经历基督的受难直至复活时，我们再次 “向耶和华唱新歌”，唱出救赎之歌。

这一次，歌声比以往更响亮，因为主神已派遣他的独生子成为拯救者。受苦的仆人将上帝的子民从罪与死亡的地牢中拯救出来，打开他们的眼睛，让他们看到上帝的伟大荣耀，成为他们的盟约之主，并差遣他们成为万国的光。

祷告

天父，在圣周来临之际，我们因您通过耶稣基督--受苦的仆人--赐给我们的救赎新歌而喜乐。通过祂的牺牲，您将我们从罪和死亡中拯救出来。天父，求您更新我们的心灵，让爱和崇拜充满我们的主和救赎主耶稣基督。天父，求你开启我们的眼睛，让我们看见你伟大的荣耀，加深我们对我们的盟约之主耶稣基督的信心。坚固我们，使我们成为万民之光，宣扬耶稣基督的福音。奉祂的名祷告。阿门。

应用

在这个预苦期，你可以学会:

参加本周所有的教会聚会，在力所能及的范围内服务。记念我们的主和救赎主，他是服侍我们的受苦仆人。试着在服事的同时敬拜。

更新我们的心思意念。通过圣周礼拜，让我们再次敬拜和崇拜拯救我们的神子耶稣。让我们再次承诺为他而活，作为他的盟约子民为他服务。

向人们介绍耶稣 万民之光已经降临。几乎每个人都知道本周有耶稣受难日和复活节主日。每天向你遇到的 2-3 个人介绍耶稣和他的救赎，邀请他们到你的教会参加礼拜。

14 April The Monday in Holy Week

(Rev Jacob Law Hope Methodist Church)

Scripture – Isaiah 42:1-9

1Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[a] till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it

and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 “I am the LORD; I have called you[b] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. 9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Reflections on the Scripture

This is an important passage in the whole salvation history.

Before the coming of the promised Suffering Servant, God told us that he had announced these “new things” to us (v. 9). After the coming of the Suffering Servant, through his ministry on the Cross and victory in His Resurrection, we now celebrate the Holy Week. Here, we, also as God’s people, are invited to “sing to the Lord a new song” (v. 10).

In this text, although God’s people were still in the hands of their captors, the “new song” is prophesied in a significant way that which rhythms Moses’ song in Exodus 15. Back then, the Israelites sang a new song of God’s deliverance. This week, as we walk through the Passion of Christ to His Resurrection, we again “sing to the Lord a new song” of salvation.

This time, the song is greater than before, for the Lord God has sent his One and Only Son to be the Deliverer. The Suffering Servant saves God’s people from the dungeon of sin and death, opens their eyes to see God’s great glory, be their Covenant Lord and sends them to be the light for the nations.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we come to the Holy Week, we rejoice in the new song of salvation that You have given us through Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant. Through His sacrifice, You have now redeemed us from sin and death. Father, renew our hearts and fill them with love and adoration of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Father, open our eyes to see Your great glory and deepen our faith in Christ, our Covenant Lord. Strengthen us to be light for the nations, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Applications

In this season of Lent, you can learn to:

1. Attend all church services this week, serve in areas you can. Remember our Lord and Redeemer, he is the Suffering Servant who serves us. Try to serve AND WORSHIP at the same time.

2. Renew our hearts and minds. Through the Holy Week service, let us once again worship and adore Jesus, the Son of God who saves us. Let us renew our commitment to live for him and serve him as his Covenant people.

3. Tell people about Jesus. The light of the nations has already come. Almost everyone knows this week has Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Every day tell 2-3 people you meet about Jesus and his salvation, invite them to your church to attend services.