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Psalm 37:4 is not mainly a formula for getting whatever you want from God. It describes a changed heart that finds its deepest joy in God Himself.

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." — Psalm 37:4

How do you fulfill this command?

1. Make God Himself your greatest delight.
To "delight" in the LORD means to find your joy, satisfaction, and treasure in Him—not merely in what He can give you.

Ask yourself: "If God gave me nothing else, would I still want God?"

2. Know Him through His Word.
Psalm 1 connects delight in God with delight in His law:

"His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." — Psalm 1:2

Read Scripture not merely to find promises you can claim, but to know God's character, will, and ways.

3. Spend time with God in prayer.
Prayer becomes less about presenting a shopping list and more about fellowship with your Father.

You can pray:

"Lord, change what I desire. Teach me to want what You want. Let my heart find its greatest joy in You."

4. Surrender your desires to Him.

Psalm 37:5 immediately continues:

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act."

So Psalm 37:4–5 belongs together: delight → surrender → trust.

You can have legitimate desires—family, financial provision, a home, meaningful work, ministry, relationships, etc. But place them in God's hands rather than making them the source of your happiness.

5. Let God reshape your desires.

This is perhaps the deepest meaning of the verse.

As you increasingly delight in God, your desires themselves begin to change. You may still desire the same things, but you increasingly desire them according to God's will and for His glory.

Compare:

"I want this because it will make me happy."

with:

"Lord, I would love to have this, but above everything else, I want Your will."

6. Don't interpret "He will give" as "God must give me everything I ask for."

The surrounding psalm emphasizes trusting God rather than envying people who seem prosperous (Psalm 37:1–7). The promise is ultimately about the faithful person's relationship with God, not a guarantee of material prosperity.

Jesus expresses a similar principle:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." — Matthew 6:33

A practical daily pattern

You could practice Psalm 37:4 like this:

Morning:
"Lord, You are my treasure today. Help me delight in You."

Bible:
Read a portion of Scripture and ask, "What does this show me about God?"

Prayer:
Tell God honestly what you desire.

Surrender:
"Father, I give this desire to You. If it is good and according to Your will, provide it. If not, change my desire."

During the day:
When something you want becomes more important than God, deliberately return your attention to Him.

Evening:
Thank Him for who He is—not only for what He provided.

The beautiful paradox

The more you delight in God, the less you need your desires to be fulfilled in order to be satisfied.

And paradoxically, that is often when your desires become more aligned with God's purposes.

Psalm 37:4 is therefore not:

"Love God so that He gives you what you want."

It is closer to:

"Find your deepest joy in God, entrust your life to Him, and allow Him to shape—and fulfill according to His will—the desires of your heart."

That is the heart of Psalm 37:4.

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Psalm 90:10 should not be read as saying that every Israelite in Moses' time normally lived exactly 70 years.

Psalm 90 is traditionally attributed to Moses, and verse 10 says:

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years..." — Psalm 90:10, KJV

That is 70 years, with 80 years for those with exceptional strength.

What did Moses mean?

The Hebrew wording is:

שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ (shenotenu) — "our years"

שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה (shiv'im shanah) — "seventy years"

וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת (ve'im bigvurot) — "and if by strength"

שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה (shemoneem shanah) — "eighty years"

The psalm is reflecting on human mortality and the brevity of life, especially in the context of God's judgment and human sinfulness (Psalm 90:7–9), rather than establishing an official Israelite life-expectancy standard.

Was 70 actually the normal lifespan?

Probably not.

We need to distinguish between life expectancy at birth and the age reached by someone who survived childhood. Ancient populations had very high infant and childhood mortality, which pulled the average life expectancy at birth down substantially.

At the same time, ancient Israelites certainly could live into their 70s, 80s and beyond. The Bible gives examples:

Moses — 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7)

Aaron — 123 years (Numbers 33:39)

Joshua — 110 years (Joshua 24:29)

Abraham — 175 years (Genesis 25:7)

Those exceptional ages also show why Psalm 90:10 shouldn't be interpreted as a biological maximum.

An important point about Moses

If Moses wrote Psalm 90, there's an interesting contrast:

Psalm 90:10:

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten..."

Deuteronomy 34:7:

"And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died..."

So Moses himself lived 50 years beyond the 70 years mentioned in Psalm 90:10.

This strongly suggests that 70–80 is a poetic/general description of ordinary human longevity, not a statement that humans could not live longer.

Why 70?

The context is particularly important. Psalm 90 begins:

"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations." (v.1)

Then it contrasts God's eternity with human mortality:

"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday..." (v.4)

And then:

"Thou carriest them away as with a flood..." (v.5)

The psalmist is emphasizing: God is eternal; human beings are temporary.

So verse 10 essentially says, Even if a person has a relatively long life, it is still short compared with God's eternity.

In other words, Psalm 90:10 is more about the brevity and frailty of human life than about establishing that Jews in Moses' day had a 70-year life expectancy.

And the following verse makes the point explicit:

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." — Psalm 90:12

That is the practical conclusion: because our lives are short and uncertain, we should live wisely before God.

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Yes—there are documented and firsthand testimonies of people who say a gospel tract was instrumental in their conversion. In many cases, the tract was not the only influence, but it was the thing that brought the gospel to them at a decisive moment.

Here are several striking examples:

1. Hudson Taylor — missionary to China

Hudson Taylor, one of the most influential missionaries to China, is widely reported in Christian missionary literature as having come to faith while reading a gospel tract. His conversion happened when he was a teenager, after he picked up a Christian booklet in his father's library and began reading it.

His later missionary work became enormously influential in China. Christian sources specifically cite his conversion as an example of how God used printed gospel literature.

2. A truck driver saved while alone

One particularly powerful testimony comes from Jerry Alford, who said he was a lost truck driver and had not been attending church.

Someone gave him a gospel tract, which he put into his duffle bag and forgot about. Weeks later, while lying in bed, he remembered the tract, found it and read it.

According to his testimony, he understood from it that he was a sinner, that Christ had paid his sin debt, and that he needed to trust Christ. He then prayed and placed his faith in Jesus.

There was no preacher present, no church service and no person explaining the gospel to him at that moment—only the tract.

3. A woman who found a tract in a café restroom

Free Tract Society reports the testimony of Theresa Usura, a woman from Santa Barbara who found a gospel tract in the restroom of Harry's Plaza Café.

According to the ministry's account, she read the tract and came to faith. Her changed life subsequently influenced her husband, who also became a Christian. The account says that eventually both became pastors.

That's a remarkable illustration of how the distributor might never know what happened after leaving a tract behind.

4. A woman who received a tract while drunk

A testimony published by the Bezeugen Tract Club describes a young woman who was walking along the sidewalk in Deep Ellum while drunk when someone handed her a gospel tract.

She apparently felt compelled to keep it rather than throw it away.

The next day, when sober, she read it. According to her testimony, she became convicted, repented and trusted in Jesus Christ.

She later encountered Christians at a trade-days booth and told them what had happened. She encouraged them to keep distributing tracts.

5. A man in Kenya finds a tract in a sugar-cane field

This is one of the more extraordinary accounts.

A ministry reports that a Kenyan man named Clapperton Muchanga was in a sugar-cane field contemplating suicide. He had found a rope and a tree and was preparing to leave a suicide note.

Then he noticed a piece of paper lying in the field.

It was a gospel tract.

The tract asked where he would spend eternity. According to the account, he began crying. A Christian evangelist happened to pass nearby, heard him and stopped to speak with him about Christ.

The man reportedly turned to Christ and subsequently became involved in Christian ministry, including establishing churches and an orphanage.

Even if one treats the ministry's later numerical claims cautiously, the basic testimony illustrates something important: a tract can reach someone at a moment when the person who distributed it is nowhere around.

6. A Filipino testimony from Lanao del Norte

There is also a testimony from Jade Pabriga of Lanao del Norte, Philippines.

She describes herself as a devoted Catholic in 1996 and says she strongly disagreed with street preaching and tract distribution.

One day, while a man was street preaching, a young boy approached her and gave her a gospel tract. The boy spoke to her about salvation through faith in Jesus. She rejected what he told her and walked away.

But the encounter apparently stayed with her. The following year, a friend shared Scripture with her and asked:

"If you die today, would you go to heaven?"

Her testimony continues with her eventual conversion to Christ. The tract wasn't the entire story, but it was one of the early seeds in the process.

7. A 37-year testimony connected to a tract

An older testimony published in Assembly Testimony describes a person who attended Christian meetings for several weeks.

After one meeting, a Christian spoke personally with him and gave him a gospel tract containing Romans 10:9.

When he got home, he went to his bedroom and began thinking seriously about the verse and the gospel. He testified that he came to understand that salvation was through Christ and experienced assurance and peace.

The testimony was published decades later, with the person saying 37 years had passed since his conversion.

The interesting pattern

These testimonies show several different ways a tract can function:

Tract → immediate conversion

Tract → later reflection → conversion

Tract → conversation with another Christian → conversion

Tract → church attendance → hearing preaching → conversion

Tract → one person's life changed → family members eventually reached

So I wouldn't think of a tract as competing with personal evangelism.

Think of it as seed.

Jesus' parable of the sower is particularly appropriate:

"A sower went out to sow his seed."
— Matthew 13:3, NKJV

You may hand someone a tract at 2 p.m. and never see that person again. They might throw it away. Or they might put it in their pocket, forget about it, discover it three months later, read it at 2 a.m. during a crisis—and encounter the gospel.

You may never know what happened.

That's actually one of the remarkable things about tract evangelism.

And there is a particularly encouraging testimony from a Christian who said he was saved through a tract: the person who gave him the tract apparently had no idea what happened afterward. Years later, the recipient was still following Christ.

From a Christian perspective, that fits beautifully with Paul's words:

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase."
— 1 Corinthians 3:6, NKJV

The Christian distributes the seed.

God gives the increase.

news at www.mikeligalig.com

Yes. Gospel tracts can be effective in evangelism and "soul winning," but their effectiveness depends greatly on what happens around the tract—not simply on handing someone a piece of paper.

Why gospel tracts can be effective

They put the gospel directly into someone's hands.
A person may forget a conversation, but can read a tract later, privately and repeatedly.

They reach people you cannot personally talk to.
A tract can be left in appropriate public places, given to workers, travelers, neighbors, or someone who is unwilling to have a conversation.

They can start conversations.
A simple question such as "May I give you something about Jesus?" can open the door to a much deeper discussion.

They work beyond the moment of distribution.
Someone might initially ignore the tract but read it days or months later. You often won't know what ultimately happened.

There is biblical precedent for communicating God's message in written form.
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes written revelation and the proclamation of God's Word. Paul also instructed believers to communicate the gospel publicly and personally.

But a tract isn't magic

The New Testament model is broader than simply distributing literature.

Jesus sent His disciples to preach, Paul reasoned with people, and Philip personally explained Scripture to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–39).

Paul summarized the importance of hearing the gospel:

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
— Romans 10:17, NKJV

A tract can therefore be one means by which someone hears the Word.

And ultimately, Christians don't convert people by their own persuasive ability. Paul said:

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase."
— 1 Corinthians 3:6, NKJV

A particularly effective approach

Instead of simply handing someone a tract and walking away, you could use this pattern:

1. Connect → 2. Ask → 3. Share → 4. Give the tract → 5. Invite further conversation

For example:

"Hi. May I give you something about Jesus? It's just a short gospel message."

If they accept:

"Do you already have a personal relationship with Christ?"

If they want to talk, you can explain the gospel personally and then give them the tract to read afterward.

That combines personal evangelism + Scripture + written follow-up.

And don't measure success only by immediate conversions

From a Christian theological perspective, your responsibility is to faithfully proclaim Christ. The response ultimately belongs to God.

Some people will reject the message. Others may read the tract later. Someone else may become the person who eventually leads them to Christ.

A tract that appears to accomplish nothing today may become significant much later.

So yes—gospel tracts remain a legitimate and potentially powerful evangelistic tool, especially when the content is biblically sound and the distribution is accompanied, when possible, by genuine personal interaction and prayer.

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Love One Another

A Devotional

Jesus said two important things about our love for each other. First, that all people will know we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:34). Second, our unity in Him will let the world know that God had sent Him into the world (John 17:23).

Jesus said the world will know He has come by how His followers love each other. We should love one another in such a way that those who do not believe in Jesus would be astounded and curious to learn more about Him. 

Jesus knew this world would be full of anger, strife, and conflict. This is all the more reason it should be a priority to love other people with the same love God has for us. Loving others unveils to the world the great and loving God who loved us first.

Years after Jesus' resurrection, the apostle John wrote three short letters to followers of Jesus. And in his first letter, he takes the time to talk to them about how to love, and why it matters. John wrote: "...love is from God ... if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another ... we love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:7, 11, 19) 

He even goes as far as to say, "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20, ESV) 

There's no way around this. John makes it clear that our love for one another is proof that God's love is in us. So if we say that we love God, then we should be committed to showing love to each other.

As you reflect on today's verse, ask yourself: Is there anyone in my life that I need to show love to today? Is there anyone I need to forgive? In what ways can I love my brothers and sisters in Jesus?

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

Jhn 21:1  這些事以後，耶穌在提比哩亞海邊又向門徒顯現。他怎樣顯現記在下面：

Jhn 21:2  西門彼得、（稱為低土馬的）多馬、（加利利的迦拿人）拿但業、西庇太的兩個兒子，和其他兩個門徒，都在一處。

Jhn 21:3  西門彼得對他們說：「我打魚去。」他們說：「我們也和你同去。」他們就出去，上了船，那一夜並沒有打着甚麼。

Jhn 21:4  天將亮的時候，耶穌站在岸上，門徒卻不知道是耶穌。

Jhn 21:5  耶穌就對他們說：「孩子，你們有魚沒有？」他們回答說：「沒有。」

Jhn 21:6  耶穌說：「你們把網撒在船的右邊，就必得着。」他們便撒下網去，竟拉不上來了，因為魚甚多。

Jhn 21:7  耶穌所愛的那門徒就對彼得說：「是主！」那時西門彼得(赤着身子，)一聽見是主，就束上一件外衣，跳入海裏。

Jhn 21:8  其餘的門徒，因離岸不遠，約有一百公尺，就留在船上把那網魚拉了過來。

Jhn 21:9  他們上了岸，就看見那裏有炭火，上面有一條魚，又有餅。

Jhn 21:10  耶穌對他們說：「把剛才打的魚，拿幾條來。」

Jhn 21:11  西門彼得就上船把網拉到岸上。那網滿了大魚，共一百五十三條；魚雖這樣多，網卻沒有破。

Jhn 21:12  耶穌說：「你們來吃早飯。」門徒中沒有一個敢問他「你是誰」，因為知道是主。

Jhn 21:13  耶穌就來拿餅和魚給他們。

Jhn 21:14  耶穌從死裏復活以後，這是第三次向門徒顯現。

Jesus and Peter

Jhn 21:15  他們吃完了早飯，耶穌對西門彼得說：「約翰的兒子西門，你愛我比這些愛我更深嗎？」彼得說：「主啊，是的，你知道我愛你。」耶穌對他說：「你餵養我的小羊。」

Jhn 21:16  耶穌第二次對他說：「約翰的兒子西門，你愛我嗎？」彼得說：「主啊，是的，你知道我愛你。」耶穌說：「你牧養我的羊。」

Jhn 21:17  耶穌第三次對他說：「約翰的兒子西門，你愛我嗎？」彼得因為耶穌第三次問他「你愛我嗎」就憂愁，對耶穌說：「主啊，你是無所不知的，你知道我愛你。」耶穌說：「你餵養我的羊。

Jhn 21:18  我告訴你嚴肅的真理，你年少的時候，自己束上帶子，隨意往來；但年老的時候，你要伸出手來，別人要把你束上，帶你到你不願意去的地方。」

Jhn 21:19  （耶穌說這話，是指着彼得要怎樣死來榮耀 神。）說了這話，耶穌就對彼得說：「你跟從我吧！」

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

Jhn 21:20  彼得轉過來，看見耶穌所愛的那門徒跟着。（就是在晚飯的時候，靠着耶穌胸膛，說「主啊，賣你的是誰」的那門徒。）

Jhn 21:21  彼得看見他，就問耶穌說：「主啊，他又怎麼樣呢？」

Jhn 21:22  耶穌對他說：「我若要他活到我再來，與你有何關係？你跟從我吧！」

Jhn 21:23  於是這話流傳在弟兄姐妹中間，說那門徒不會死；其實耶穌不是對他說他不死，乃是說：「我若要他活到我再來，與你有何關係？」

Jhn 21:24  為這些事作見證，並且記載這些事的，就是這門徒；我們也知道他的見證是真的。

Jhn 21:25  耶穌所行的事還有許多，若是一一的都寫出來，我想，所寫的書就是世界也容不下了。

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The Resurrection

Jhn 20:1  七日的第一日清早，天還黑的時候，抹大拉的馬利亞來到墳墓那裏，看見石頭從墳墓移開了，

Jhn 20:2  就跑去見西門彼得和耶穌所愛的那個門徒，對他們說：「有人把主從墳墓裏挪去了，我們不知道放在那裏！」

Jhn 20:3  彼得和那門徒就往墳墓那裏去；

Jhn 20:4  兩個人同跑，那門徒比彼得跑得快，先到了墳墓，

Jhn 20:5  彎腰往裏面看，見細麻布條放在那裏，只是沒有進去。

Jhn 20:6  西門彼得隨後也到了，直進墳墓裏去，就看見細麻布條放在那裏，

Jhn 20:7  又看見耶穌的裹頭巾沒有和細麻布條放在一起，而是捲着放在別處。

Jhn 20:8  先到墳墓的那門徒也進去，看見就信了。

Jhn 20:9  （因為他們還不明白聖經的意思，就是耶穌必要從死裏復活。）

Jhn 20:10  於是兩個門徒各自回家去了。

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Jhn 20:11  馬利亞卻站在墳墓外面哭，哭的時候，彎腰往墳墓裏看，

Jhn 20:12  見兩個穿着白衣的天使坐在原來安放耶穌身體的地方，一個在頭，一個在腳。

Jhn 20:13  天使對她說：「婦人，你為甚麼哭？」她說：「有人把我主挪了去，我不知道放在那裏。」

Jhn 20:14  說了這話，她轉過身來，看見耶穌站在那裏，可是她不知道那就是耶穌。

Jhn 20:15  耶穌問她說：「婦人，為甚麼哭？你找誰呢？」馬利亞以為是看園的，就對他說：「先生，若是你把他移了去，請告訴我你把他放在那裏，我便去取他。」

Jhn 20:16  耶穌說：「馬利亞。」她就轉過來，用希伯來話對他說：「拉波尼！」（拉波尼就是老師的意思。）

Jhn 20:17  耶穌說：「不要摸我，因我還沒有升上去見我的父。你往我的弟兄那裏去，告訴他們說：『我要升上去見我的父，也是你們的父，見我的 神，也是你們的 神。』」

Jhn 20:18  抹大拉的馬利亞就去告訴門徒說：「我已經看見了主！」她又將耶穌對她說的話告訴他們。

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

Jhn 20:19  當日（就是七日的第一日）晚上，門徒聚集在一起，因怕猶太人的領袖，把門都鎖上了。耶穌來站在他們當中，對他們說：「願你們平安！」

Jhn 20:20  說了這話，就把手和肋旁給他們看。門徒看見主，就喜樂了。

Jhn 20:21  耶穌又對他們說：「願你們平安！父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們。」

Jhn 20:22  說了這話，就向他們吹一口氣，說：「你們受聖靈。

Jhn 20:23  你們赦免誰的罪，誰的罪就赦免了；你們留下誰的罪，誰的罪就留下了。」

Jesus and Thomas

Jhn 20:24  當耶穌來的時候，那十二個門徒中（稱為低土馬）的多馬沒有和他們在一起。

Jhn 20:25  那些門徒對他說：「我們已經看見主了！」多馬卻說：「我非看見他手上的釘痕，用指頭探入那釘痕，又用手探入他的肋旁，我總不信。」

Jhn 20:26  過了八日，門徒又聚集在屋裏，多馬也和他們在一起。門雖鎖上了，耶穌來站在他們當中，說：「願你們平安！」

Jhn 20:27  又對多馬說：「伸出你的指頭來摸摸我的手，伸出你的手來探入我的肋旁。不要不信，總要信。」

Jhn 20:28  多馬說：「我的主！我的 神！」

Jhn 20:29  耶穌對他說：「你因看見了我才信嗎？那些沒有看見就信的有福了！」

The Purpose of This Book

Jhn 20:30  耶穌在門徒面前，另外行了許多神蹟，沒有記在這書上。

Jhn 20:31  但這裏記着的，要叫你們信耶穌是基督，是 神的兒子；並且因着信，你們就可以因他的名得生命。



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Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

Jhn 19:1  說了這話，他又出來到猶太人的領袖那裏，對他們說：「我查不出控告他的理由。」

Jhn 19:2  兵丁用荊棘編作冠冕戴在他頭上，給他穿上紫袍，

Jhn 19:3  又再三挨近他說：「猶太人的王萬歲！」他們又不停的掌摑他。

Jhn 19:4  彼拉多又出來對猶太人的領袖說：「我帶他出來見你們，叫你們知道我找不到控告他的理由。」

Jhn 19:5  耶穌出來，戴着荊棘冠冕，穿着紫袍。彼拉多對他們說：「看，就是這個人！」

Jhn 19:6  當祭司長和衛士看見他，就喊着說：「釘他十字架！釘他十字架！」彼拉多說：「你們自己把他釘十字架吧！我查不出他有甚麼罪來。」

Jhn 19:7  猶太人的領袖回答說：「我們有律法，按那律法，他是該死的，因他自稱為 神的兒子！」

Jhn 19:8  彼拉多聽見這話，越發害怕。

Jhn 19:9  又進總督府內，對耶穌說：「你是那裏來的？」耶穌卻不回答。

Jhn 19:10  彼拉多說：「你不對我說話嗎？豈不知我有權柄釋放你，也有權柄把你釘十字架嗎？」

Jhn 19:11  耶穌回答說：「若不是從上頭賜給你的，你就亳無權柄辦我；所以把我交給你的那人罪就更重了。」

Jhn 19:12  從那時起，彼拉多想要釋放耶穌，無奈猶太人的領袖喊着說：「你若釋放這個人，就不是凱撒的朋友！凡自稱為王的，就是背叛凱撒了！」

Jhn 19:13  彼拉多聽見這話，就帶耶穌出來，到了一個地方，名叫「鋪華石處」（希伯來話叫厄巴大），坐上審判席。

Jhn 19:14  （那日是逾越節的預備日，約是正午。）彼拉多對猶太人的領袖說：「看，這是你們的王！」

Jhn 19:15  他們喊着說：「除掉他！除掉他！釘他在十字架上！」彼拉多說：「我可以把你們的王釘十字架嗎？」祭司長回答說：「除了凱撒，我們沒有王！」

The Crucifixion

Jhn 19:16  於是彼拉多將耶穌交給他們去釘十字架。他們就把耶穌帶走了。

Jhn 19:17  耶穌背着自己的十字架出來，到了一個地方，名叫「髑髏地」（希伯來話叫各各他）。

Jhn 19:18  他們就在那裏釘他在十字架上，還有兩個人和他一同釘，一邊一個，耶穌在中間。

Jhn 19:19  彼拉多又寫了一個牌子安在十字架上，牌子上寫着：「猶太人的王，拿撒勒人耶穌。」

Jhn 19:20  因為耶穌被釘十字架的地方與城相近，牌子又是用亞蘭文、拉丁文、希臘文三種文字寫的，有許多耶路撒冷的猶太居民能讀上面寫的。

Jhn 19:21  猶太人的祭司長就對彼拉多說：「不要寫『猶太人的王』，要寫『這人自稱：我是猶太人的王。』」

Jhn 19:22  彼拉多說：「我所寫的，我已經寫上了。」

Jhn 19:23  兵丁既已將耶穌釘在十字架上，就拿他的衣服分為四份，每兵一份，留下他的裏衣；（這件裏衣是上下一片織成的，沒有縫口。）

Jhn 19:24  他們就彼此說：「不要撕開它，讓我們擲骰子，看誰得着。」這要應驗經上的話說：「他們分了我的外衣，為我的裏衣擲骰子。」兵丁果然作了這事。

Jhn 19:25  當時站在耶穌十字架旁邊的，有他母親、他母親的姊妹、革羅罷的妻子馬利亞，和抹大拉的馬利亞。

Jhn 19:26  耶穌看見母親和他所愛的那門徒站在旁邊，就對他母親說：「婦人，看，這是你的兒子！」

Jhn 19:27  又對那門徒說：「看，這是你的母親！」從那時起，那門徒就接她到自己家裏去了。

The Death of Jesus

Jhn 19:28  這事以後，耶穌知道各樣的事已經成了，（為要應驗經上的話，）就說：「我渴了。」

Jhn 19:29  有一個盛滿了酸酒的器皿放在那裏，他們就拿海綿蘸滿了酸酒，綁在牛膝草上，送到他口。

Jhn 19:30  耶穌受了那酸酒，就說：「成了。」便低下頭來，交出了他的靈魂。

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

Jhn 19:31  因這日是預備日，為免屍首在安息日留在十字架上（又因那安息日是個重要的日子），猶太人的領袖就求彼拉多叫人打斷他們的腿，把屍首拿下來。

Jhn 19:32  於是兵丁來了，一個接一個地把與耶穌同釘十字架二人的腿都打斷了。

Jhn 19:33  只是來到耶穌那裏，見他已經死了，就不打斷他的腿。

Jhn 19:34  但有一個兵拿槍刺他的肋旁，隨即有血和水流出來。

Jhn 19:35  看見這事的那人就作見證（他的見證是真的，他也知道自己所說的是真的），叫你們也可以信。

Jhn 19:36  這些事的發生，為要應驗經上的話說：「他的骨頭一根也不折斷。」

Jhn 19:37  經上又有一句說：「他們要仰望自己所刺的人。」

Jesus Is Buried

Jhn 19:38  這些事以後，有亞利馬太人約瑟，是耶穌的門徒（因畏懼猶太人的領袖，就暗中的作門徒），來求彼拉多，要把耶穌的身體領去。彼拉多允准，他就把耶穌的身體領去了。

Jhn 19:39  先前在夜裏去見耶穌的尼哥底母，帶着約有三十三公斤重的沒藥和沉香前來。

Jhn 19:40  他們就照猶太人殯葬的習俗，把耶穌的身體用細麻布條加上香料裹好了。

Jhn 19:41  在耶穌釘十字架的地方，有一個園子，裏面有一座新墳墓，是從來沒有葬過人的。

Jhn 19:42  因為是猶太人的預備日，那墳墓就在附近，他們就把耶穌安放在那裏。

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Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

Jhn 18:1  耶穌說了這些話，就同門徒出去，過了汲淪溪，在那裏有一個園子，他和門徒進去了。

Jhn 18:2  （賣耶穌的猶大也知道那地方，因為耶穌和門徒經常在那裏聚會。）

Jhn 18:3  於是猶大領了一隊兵和祭司長並法利賽人的衛士，拿着燈籠、火把和兵器，來到園裏。

Jhn 18:4  耶穌既知道將要臨到自己的一切事，就出來，對他們說：「你們找誰？」

Jhn 18:5  他們回答說：「找拿撒勒人耶穌。」耶穌說：「我就是。」（出賣他的猶大也同他們站在那裏。）

Jhn 18:6  耶穌一說「我就是」，他們就退後倒在地上。

Jhn 18:7  他又問他們說：「你們找誰？」他們說：「找拿撒勒人耶穌。」

Jhn 18:8  耶穌說：「我已經告訴你們，我就是。你們若找我，就讓這些人去吧。」

Jhn 18:9  這是要應驗耶穌從前說的話：「你所賜給我的人，我沒有失落一個。」

Jhn 18:10  當時西門彼得帶着一把刀，就拔出來，將大祭司的奴僕砍了一刀，削掉他的右耳。（那奴僕名叫馬勒古。）

Jhn 18:11  耶穌就對彼得說：「收刀入鞘吧！我父給我的杯，我豈可不喝呢？」

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

Jhn 18:12  那隊兵和千夫長並猶太人領袖的衛士就拿住耶穌，把他捆綁了，

Jhn 18:13  先帶到亞那面前，因為亞那是本年作大祭司該亞法的岳父。

Jhn 18:14  （這該亞法就是從前向猶太人的領袖提議，說一個人替百姓死是對他們有益的那位。）

Peter Denies Jesus

Jhn 18:15  西門彼得和另一個門徒跟着耶穌，（那門徒是大祭司所認識的，他就同耶穌進到大祭司的院子。）

Jhn 18:16  彼得卻站在門外；大祭司所認識的那個門徒出來，和看門的使女說了一聲，就領彼得進去。

Jhn 18:17  那看門的使女對彼得說：「你不也是這人的門徒嗎？」他說：「我不是。」

Jhn 18:18  （因為天氣冷，奴僕和衛士生了炭火，站在那裏烤火取暖。彼得也同他們站着烤火取暖。）

The High Priest Questions Jesus

Jhn 18:19  與此同時，大祭司盤問耶穌有關他的門徒和他的教導。

Jhn 18:20  耶穌回答說：「我向來是公開的對世人說話，我常在會堂和殿院裏，就是猶太人聚集的地方，教訓人；我並沒有在暗中說甚麼。

Jhn 18:21  你為甚麼問我呢？可以問那些聽過我講話的人，我所說的，他們都知道。」

Jhn 18:22  耶穌說了這話，旁邊站着的一個衛士摑了他一巴掌，說：「你是這樣回答大祭司的嗎？」

Jhn 18:23  耶穌說：「我若說的不是，你可以指證那不是；我若說的是，你為甚麼打我呢？」

Jhn 18:24  然後亞那就把耶穌解到大祭司該亞法那裏，仍是捆綁着解去的。

Peter Denies Jesus Again

Jhn 18:25  那時，西門彼得正在院裏站着烤火取暖，有人對他說：「你不也是他的門徒嗎？」彼得不承認，說：「我不是！」

Jhn 18:26  有一個大祭司的奴僕，是彼得削掉耳朵那人的親屬，說：「我不是看見你同他在園子裏嗎？」

Jhn 18:27  彼得又不承認。立時雞就叫了。

Jesus Before Pilate

Jhn 18:28  眾人將耶穌從該亞法那裏解往羅馬總督府去。（那時天還早，）他們自己卻不進總督府，免得染了污穢，不能吃逾越節的筵席。

Jhn 18:29  彼拉多就出來，到他們那裏說：「你們告這人甚麼罪呢？」

Jhn 18:30  他們回答說：「這人若不是作惡的，我們就不把他交給你。」

Jhn 18:31  彼拉多說：「你們自己帶他去，按着你們的律法審問他吧!」猶太人的領袖說：「我們沒有判死刑的權柄。」

Jhn 18:32  （這要應驗耶穌所說自己將要怎樣死的話了。）

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

Jhn 18:33  於是彼拉多回到總督府，叫耶穌來，問他說：「你是猶太人的王嗎？」

Jhn 18:34  耶穌回答說：「這話是你自己說的，還是別人對你講論我說的呢？」

Jhn 18:35  彼拉多說：「我豈是猶太人呢？你本國的人和祭司長把你交給我，你作了甚麼事呢？」

Jhn 18:36  耶穌回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要反抗，使我不至於被交給猶太人的領袖；只是我的國不屬這世界。」

Jhn 18:37  彼拉多就對他說：「這樣，你是王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「你說我是王。我是為此而生，也為此來到世間，為真理作見證。凡屬真理的人，都聽我的話。」

Jhn 18:38  彼拉多說：「真理是甚麼呢？」

Jhn 18:39  但你們有個慣例，在逾越節要求我給你們釋放一個人，你們要我給你們釋放猶太人的王嗎？」

Jhn 18:40  他們喊着說：「不要這人，要巴拉巴！」（這巴拉巴是個革命份子。）當下彼拉多將耶穌重重的鞭打了。

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The High Priestly Prayer

Jhn 17:1  耶穌說了這話，就舉目望天說：「父啊，時候到了，願你榮耀你的兒子，好讓兒子也榮耀你；

Jhn 17:2  正如你曾賜他權柄，管理凡有血氣的，叫他可以將永生賜給你所賜給他的人。

Jhn 17:3  認識你是獨一的真神，並且認識你所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。

Jhn 17:4  我在地上已經榮耀你，因我已完成了你所託付我的工作。

Jhn 17:5  父啊，現在求你使我同你享榮耀，就是未造世界以先，我同你所有的榮耀。

Jhn 17:6  「你從世上賜給我的人，我已將你的名顯明與他們；他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我，他們也遵守了你的道。

Jhn 17:7  如今他們知道凡你所賜給我的，都是從你那裏來的；

Jhn 17:8  因為你所賜給我的道，我已經賜給他們；他們領受了，又確實知道我是從你那裏來的，並且信你差了我來。

Jhn 17:9  我為他們祈求，我不為世人祈求，卻為你所賜給我的人祈求，因他們本是你的。

Jhn 17:10  凡我有的都是你的，你有的也是我的，並且我因他們得了榮耀。

Jhn 17:11  從今以後，我不在世上，他們卻在世上，我往你那裏去。聖父啊，求你因你所賜給我的名保守他們，叫他們合而為一，像我們一樣。

Jhn 17:12  我與他們同在的時候，我憑你所賜給我的名保守了他們，也護衛了他們，其中除了那滅亡之子，沒有失落一個，好叫經上的話得應驗。

Jhn 17:13  但是現在我往你那裏去，我趁還在世的時候說這話，是叫他們心裏充滿我的喜樂。

Jhn 17:14  我已將你的道賜給他們，世界又恨他們，因為他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。

Jhn 17:15  我不求你叫他們離開世界，只求你保守他們脫離那惡者。

Jhn 17:16  他們不屬世界，正如我不屬世界一樣。

Jhn 17:17  求你用真理使他們成聖，你的道就是真理。

Jhn 17:18  你怎樣差我到世上，我也照樣差他們到世上。

Jhn 17:19  我為他們的緣故，自己分別為聖，叫他們也因真理成聖。

Jhn 17:20  「我不但為這些人祈求，也為那些因他們的見證信我的人祈求，

Jhn 17:21  使他們都合而為一；正如父你在我裏面，我在你裏面，使他們也在我們裏面，叫世人可以信你差了我來。

Jhn 17:22  你所賜給我的榮耀，我已賜了給他們，使他們合而為一，像我們合而為一。

Jhn 17:23  我在他們裏面，你在我裏面，使他們完完全全的合而為一，叫世人知道你差了我來，也知道你愛他們如同愛我一樣。

Jhn 17:24  「父啊，我在那裏，願你所賜給我的人也同我在那裏，叫他們看見你所賜給我的榮耀，因為在創立世界以前，你已經愛我了。

Jhn 17:25  公義的父啊，縱使世人不認識你，我卻認識你，這些人也知道你差了我來。

Jhn 17:26  我已將你的名指示他們，還要繼續指示他們，好讓你所愛我的愛存在他們裏面，我也在他們裏面。」



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