以赛亚书9:6 因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
婴孩的软弱、依赖、有限…，对比于全能神的创造、掌权、无可抵挡…，一位婴孩何以能被称为「全能的神」？先知以赛亚宣告令人难以置信的真理：全能的神，选择以看似软弱的方式临到人间。
「全能的神」的希伯来文אֵל גִּבּוֹר (El Gibbor)，El代表独一真神、至高者，Gibbor则是大能的勇士、得胜者、战士；以赛亚书10:21毫无争议地将这婴孩指向耶和华自己，祂是大有能力的全能神。
耶稣有能力，却常施予「人无力的深处」。人被污鬼附着，祂一句话，鬼就离开（马可福音1:23-27）；风浪前门徒恐惧，祂一句话，风就平静（马可福音4:36-39）；坟墓前众人悲叹，祂一句话，死人复活（约翰福音11:43-44）。
God will not let you go. The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, or flee his thoughts.
You need not win his love; you already have it. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him; he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and has reached this verdict: he loves you still. No discovery will disillusion him. No rebellion will dissuade him. He loves you with an everlasting love. God’s love—never failing, never ending.
以赛亚书9:6 因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
2025年的圣诞过去了，让我们从以赛亚先知的宣告里，在新的一年开始时来认识这位新生王的特质。
因有一婴孩为我们而生；有一子赐给我们。政权必担在祂的肩头上；祂名称为「奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君」。（以赛亚书9:6）
「奇妙」的希伯来文פֶּלֶא (peleʾ)常用来形容只有神才能做、或人难以理解的作为；指的是超越人类理解范围的神圣作为或属性。「策士」指的是谋略者、咨询者、引导道路的人，能提供正确指引、解决问题并制定有效策略的人。
「奇妙策士」在现代中文译本译为「奇妙导师」，英译常为「Wonderful Counselor」(ESV, KJV, NIV)或「Wise Guide」(BBE)。耶稣在三年行踪里如何显出祂是「奇妙策士」？
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV).
No man had more reason to be miserable than Jesus, yet no one was more joyful. He was ridiculed. Those who didn’t ridicule him wanted favors. Then they wanted to kill him. He was accused of a crime he had never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. They crucified him. He left as he came—penniless.
He should have been miserable and bitter. But he wasn’t. He was joyful! He possessed a joy that possessed him. I call it a sacred delight. Sacred because it’s not of the earth. Delight because it’s just that: the joy of God. He offers it to you, my friend—a sacred delight!
诗篇71:7 许多人以我为怪，但祢是我坚固的避难所。
在每天生活的周遭，我们偶会遇见行为超乎寻常的「怪人」，经历过往未曾见过的「怪事」，当然也会出现「怪天气」、听见「怪消息」…；有趣的是，圣经里也有一节怪怪的经文：
「许多人以我为怪，但祢是我坚固的避难所。」（诗篇71:7）
「以我为怪」的希伯来原文「מוֹפֵת」(mo-faith’)指的是「奇蹟」、「记号」、「模范」或「异象」，在某些语境中可以指「令人惊奇的记号」，但也可能带有「异常」、「不寻常」、「怪异」的意思。
诗人在诗篇71篇可能想表达：他的人生经历（如：苦难、年老、病痛）使他成为众人眼中的「异象」或「怪异的存在」，他被视为神蹟般的经历，也可能被人误解、嘲笑或排斥。因此，「以我为怪」在语意上诠释出，诗人在人群中被视为不寻常或特别的存在。
“And Joseph took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).
Joseph was literally willing to tank his reputation. And he did – he traded it in for a pregnant fiancée and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship. He placed God’s plan ahead of his own. Rather than make a name for himself, he made a home for Christ. And because he did, a great reward came his way.
“And he called his name Jesus!” Of all the saints, sinners, prodigals, and preachers who’ve spoken the name, Joseph—a blue-collar, small-town construction worker—said it first. Joseph cradled the wrinkle-faced prince of heaven, and with an audience of angels and pigs, he whispered, “Jesus, Jesus, you’ll be called Jesus.”
以赛亚书46:3-4 你们自从生下，就蒙我保抱，自从出胎，便蒙我怀搋。直到你们年老，我仍这样；直到你们发白，我仍怀搋。我已造作，也必保抱；我必怀抱，也必拯救。
一个月前摄护腺癌手术后，在家休养，复原顺利，但接下来的挑战是要穿上「它」（尿布，比较文雅的字眼是复健裤），学习控制排尿；医生说需要几个月，有可能要达半年。于是，我拿出行事历，取消了会议、出差，乖乖待在家里，跟学生视讯讨论研究进度。
两星期后，开始试着迎接挑战，穿着「它」到学校半天，跟学生、研究员实体讨论，学习与「它」相处，同时适时的更换「它」。
昨天再跨出一大步，搭高铁到台北开会，换装一次、两次…七次，终于回到台南；旅程中，造访了高铁台南站、高铁、会议中心…的洗手间、残障厕所，发现这些未曾去过的地方，好方便，也好干净。
约翰福音10:11 我是好牧人，好牧人为羊舍命。
在庆祝圣诞节的夜晚，我坐在教会的最后一排椅子上，听见有一个程式设计师分享她的故事，她之前天天提心吊胆，担心衣服穿错颜色，或有些日子不宜做某些事，自己却做了！会有不好事情发生，她越来越不快乐。
直到有一天，她的好朋友对她『情绪勒索』，星期天请她到台南的一间老教堂做礼拜，她听到教会的诗歌就一直感动哭不停，整场礼拜都在哭…。
她接受了耶稣对她的爱，之后，她再也不担心『做错事』，碰到不顺利的事情也不再『责备自己』，身旁的弟兄姊妹每个星期都会一同祈祷，生命完全的不同！
爱就爱了！
As Christmas draws near, the words “peace” and “joy” turn up everywhere. Yet it often seems the world is anything but peaceful or full of joy. Tight budgets. Family feuds. Global uncertainty.
Not too unlike the first Christmas two thousand years ago. And yet, God broke through the chaos with a bold proclamation: “Peace! Peace on earth. Good will to men”
This Christmas story reminds us that in the midst of noise, interruptions, too-thin paychecks, and family unrest, God gives us peace. When your world is at war… peace. When the stock market crashes… peace. When a promise is broken… peace.
Are your nights not-so-silent? Then I encourage you to remember the angel’s words to the startled shepherds: peace. For that night, the Savior of the world was born in Bethlehem. So in the midst of holiday busyness, disturbing news reports, and changing relationships, I hope you’ll take a moment to receive God’s greatest gift. The Prince of Peace: Jesus. When we receive him as our Savior, his peace is born in our hearts.
Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. On this day, can I share words from my favorite Christmas cards?
“He became like us, so we could become like Him.” “Angels still sing and the star still beckons.” And from Isaiah 9:6, “God has given a Son to us. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, and Prince of Peace.”
And my favorite: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”
Merry Christmas, everybody!
如果您希望通过电子邮件，收看我们的最新文章，我们将会为您订阅『福音快讯』，每周五发送。