Making Peace in Jesus 在耶稣里缔造和平

[Dexu Xia]

God was pleased . . . to reconcile to himself all things . . . by making peace through [Christ’s] blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20

Today's Scripture    Colossians 1:15-20

Today's Insights    Colossians 1:15-20 has been abused by false teachers who attempt to claim that the Son of God is a created being. So, what does Paul mean when he says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (v. 15)? Did Jesus have a beginning? The immediate context provides the answer. “In him [the Son] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth . . . ; all things have been created through him and for him” (v. 16). The next verse says, “He is before all things” (v. 17). This makes it clear that the Son (Jesus the Messiah) wasn’t the first to be created among all created things, as some false teachers say. Rather, He is preexistent with the Father and hence was present at the creation of all things. The Creator isn’t a created being.

Today's Devotional    High-wire artist Philippe Petit became famous in 1971 when he walked a tightrope between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Three years later, he got arrested for an unauthorized walk between the Twin Towers that once distinguished New York’s skyline. But in 1987, Petit’s walk looked different. At the invitation of Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, Petit walked across the Hinnom Valley on a high wire as a part of that year’s Israel Festival. At the midway point, Petit released a pigeon to symbolize the beauty of peace. A strange and dangerous stunt, but all for the cause of peace. Petit later said, “For a moment, the entire crowd had forgotten their differences.”

Petit’s high-wire walk reminds me of another breathtaking moment—the one that occurred when Jesus’ body hung between heaven and earth. The apostle Paul tells us, “God was pleased . . . to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through [Christ’s] blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). Paul writes that “once [we] were alienated from God” (v. 21), but no longer. Far from a spectacle to promote peace, Jesus the Messiah actually made peace by shedding His blood on the cross. His was a feat never to be surpassed, as there is no need. His peace is everlasting.

Reflect & Pray    What does the word peace mean to you? How would you say you’re experiencing the peace of Jesus?

 Praise to You, dear Jesus, for Your everlasting gift of peace.

By John Blasé

因为父喜欢叫一切的丰盛在他里面居住。 既然借着他在十字架上所流的血，成就了和平，便借着他叫万有，无论是地上的天上的，都与自己和好了。歌罗西书 1:19-20

今日经文     歌罗西书 1:15-20

今日心得    一些假教师滥用歌罗西书1章15-20节，试图声称神子耶稣是被创造的。那么，当保罗说“子是那不能看见之神的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先”（15节）时，他的意思是什么？耶稣有开始吗？直接的上下文提供了答案。“万有都是靠他造的：天上的、地上的……一概都是藉着他造的，又是为他造的”（16节）。下一节说：“他在万有之先”（17节）。这就清楚地表明，圣子（弥赛亚耶稣）并不是像某些假教师所说的那样，是所有受造物中第一个被创造的。相反，从太初他就与圣父同在，因此祂参与万物的创造，是造物主，不是被创造的。

 今日灵修     1971 年，走钢丝艺术家菲利普·珀蒂走钢丝，在巴黎圣母院的塔楼之间走钢丝，一举成名。三年后，他因未经授权在曾经是纽约天际线的双子塔之间行走而被捕。但在 1987 年，珀蒂的走钢丝看起来有所不同。应耶路撒冷市长泰迪·科勒克的邀请，珀蒂走钢丝穿越欣嫩谷，作为当年以色列节的一部分。在中途，珀蒂放飞了一只鸽子来象征和平之美。这是一个奇怪而危险的特技，但都是为了和平。佩蒂特后来说：“一瞬间，整个人群都忘记了他们的分歧。”

佩蒂特的高空走钢丝，让我想起了另一个惊心动魄的时刻：耶稣的身体悬在天地之间时发生的一幕。使徒保罗告诉我们：“既然借着基督在十字架上所流的血成就了和平，便乐意……叫万有，无论是地上的、天上的，都与自己和好了”（歌罗西书 1:19-20）。保罗写道：“我们从前与神隔绝”（21节），但现在情况不同了。十字架上的弥赛亚耶稣远非促进和平的奇观，而是通过在十字架上流血来真正实现了和平。他的壮举是永远无法超越的，因为祂在十字架上一次被献，就永远完成救赎。他的平安是永恒的。

 反思与祈祷   平安这个词对你来说意味着什么？你会如何描述你正在体验耶稣的平安？

亲爱的耶稣，我赞美你，感谢你赐予我们永恒的平安。

作者：约翰·布莱斯