Scripture Reading : Mark 16:1-14
Theme : The Resurrection of the Servant
After the angel announced to the women (both named Mary) that Jesus is risen, He appeared to different groups of people as proof that He is alive, resurrected by the power of God.
- Appearance to Mary. According to the last part of the Gospel, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene on Sunday, the first day of the week. However, Jesus’ disciples did not believe Mary’s report.
- Appearance to Two. The Gospel of Luke gives a more complete description of the appearance of Jesus to two of the disciples (not the Eleven). Mark 16:12 tells us that “he appeared in another form”, which Luke elaborates as “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16). Again, when these two men brought a report to the other disciples, they did not believe the two men.
- Appearance to the Eleven. The Gospel of Mark notes that there were only eleven of them, since Judas was no longer with them (he committed suicide – Matthew 27:3-10). Jesus rebuked the disciples who did not believe the reports from others who saw Him alive. This is one of the strongest proof that the disciples did not all have hallucinations of seeing Jesus alive, as some critics have asserted, because they did not believe that He is alive in the first place.
Praying the Scripture
- It is because Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday that the early church gathered on Sunday to worship Jesus, commemorating Sunday as the Lord’s Day. Christians certainly ought to remember the Lord every day, but let us not use this as an excuse to compromise gathering on Sundays for corporate worship (Hebrews 10:25). Let us pray that we will be committed on Sundays (& every day) to worship the Lord and celebrate His resurrection.
- Let us pray for discernment, that we will recognize the Lord is at work in our lives all the time.
- The resurrection is a fact that occurred. The disciples were fearful and hid after Jesus died, but later came out and preached the Gospel boldly, with most of them being martyred because of the Gospel they proclaimed. Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Let us pray that if we truly believe in the resurrection of the Lord, then we should be bold to preach the Gospel to unbelievers.
经文：马可福音16:1-14
主题：仆人的复活
天使向妇女们（两位名马利亚的）宣告耶稣已经复活之后，耶稣也向不同人显现，证明祂确实是活着的，且由神的大能复活。
- 向马利亚显现。根据福音的最后一部，耶稣首先在周日，即一周的第一天，向抹大拉的马利亚显现。然而，耶稣的门徒不相信马利亚的话。
- 向二人显现。路加福音对此（耶稣向两个门徒显现，不是十一个）给予更全面的叙述。马可福音16:12告诉我们，耶稣“变了形象，向他们显现”；路加福音则补充说“他们的眼睛迷糊了，不认识他”（路24:16）。当这两人向其他门徒说这事的时候，他们也不相信这两人。
- 向十一门徒显现。马可福音记载那时只有十一个门徒，因为犹大已经离开了（他自尽了—太27:3-10）。耶稣责备众门徒不信人说他们看见耶稣是活着的。这是其中一个强而有力的证据，说明门徒见耶稣复活并不是幻觉，如一些评论家所坚持，因为他们就是不信耶稣复活了。
用经文祷告
- 正是因为耶稣在周日复活，初期教会才会在周日聚集敬拜耶稣，纪念周日为主日。基督徒当每日纪念主，但我们不可用此为借，妥协周日群体的敬拜（来10:25）。让我们祷告我们会委身于周日（与每一天）敬拜主，庆祝祂的复活。
- 让我们求有分辨的心，意识主在我们生命中无时无刻的工作。
- 复活是历史上的事实。耶稣死后，门徒们丧胆躲藏，但后来却放胆传福音，最后多数因他们所宣告的福音被杀了。耶稣曾对多马说：“那没有看见就信的有福了！”（约20:29）。让我们祷告若我们真实相信主的复活，我们就要放胆向非信徒传福音。
