“信我的人就如经上所说:‘从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。’” – 约7:38
当耶稣在井边遇到一位撒玛利亚妇人时,祂向她宣告说祂可以赐下永生的“活水”(约 4:10-14;见 10月13日)。
在约翰福音第七章中,耶稣再次教导了有关“活水”的主题,这一次祂说的是“活水的江河”从相信祂的人里头流出。
此外还有一些经文有助于我们进一步理解耶稣在此处所说的“活水”。这个意象来自旧约的一些先知,指向在新天新地中与神同在的永生。
例如,先知以赛亚宣告耶和华是你的拯救者时说,“你们必从救恩的泉源欢然取水。”(赛 12:1-3)。以赛亚书58:11 补充说,有耶和华引导你,你必像“水流不绝的泉源”。此外,先知以西结描述了从耶路撒冷神的圣殿流出一条河的异象。河水从涓涓细流开始,越流越宽,越流越深。当它流到远处的盐海时,“(海水)也变甜了。这河水所到之处,百物都必存活。”(结 47:9)。这个异象也指向新约中“生命河的水”(启 22:1-2)。
在约翰福音第七章中,耶稣是在说祂的信徒会藉着圣灵的恩赐获得生命之水。他们可以走向地极——甚至一切死荫之地——向他人分享新的生命。
祷告
神的灵啊,求你引领我们将新生命带进这世上的死荫之处和垂危之处。奉耶稣的名,阿们。
约翰福音 7:37-39
37节期的末日,就是最大之日,耶稣站着高声说:“人若渴了,可以到我这里来喝!
38信我的人就如经上所说,从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。”
39耶稣这话是指着信他之人要受圣灵说的。那时还没有赐下圣灵来,因为耶稣尚未得着荣耀。
Rivers Of Living Water
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” – John 7:38
When Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well, he talks with her about “living water” that he can give for eternal life (John 4:10-14; see Oct. 13).
In John 7, Jesus teaches again about “living water,” and this time he speaks of “rivers of living water” flowing from people who believe in him.
Some other Bible passages help us to understand more about the “living water” Jesus introduces here. This imagery draws from some Old Testament prophets and points ahead to eternal life with God in the new heaven and earth.
The prophet Isaiah, for example, talks about recognizing the Lord as your salvation and says, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-3). Isaiah 58:11 adds that with the Lord as your guide, you will be “like a spring whose waters never fail.” In addition, the prophet Ezekiel describes a vision of a river flowing from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The water begins as a trickle, but it grows wider and deeper as it flows. And when it reaches the Dead Sea far away, it “makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live” (Ezekiel 47:9). This vision also points to a New Testament vision of “the river of the water of life” (Revelation 22:1-2).
In John 7, Jesus is saying that his followers have the water of life in them through the gift of the Holy Spirit. And they can go out into the world—even to all its dead places—to share the gift of new life with others.
Prayer
Spirit of God, lead us to bring new life into the dead and dying places of your world, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳