經文: 「一粒麥子不落在地裡死了，仍舊是一粒；若是死了，就結出許多子粒來。愛惜自己生命的，就失喪生命；在這世上恨惡自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生。」— [聖經·約翰福音 12章24b-25節]
大自然教導我們一個真理：失去生命是另一個更真實、更高層次的生命開始。每一子粒，每一個種子，也向我們啟示，透過死亡，可以通往更美、更豐盛的生命。
耶穌基督就是最好的例證，若祂沒經過痛苦、折磨與死亡，祂就不能升天得榮耀，也無法將祂復活的生命，賞賜給屬祂的子民。在祂踏上十字架的刑場前，祂向門徒呼召：「若有人服事我，就當跟從我。」(約翰福音 12章26a節)，祂一再重覆：「在這世上恨惡自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生。」(約翰福音 12章25b節)。
或許有人認為，祂實在不需要犧牲這麼寶貴的生命，然後又再復活。但上帝定規如此：上帝把耶穌當作贖罪祭，耶穌也完全順服這條不改變的律-死亡像一扇門，藉此可通往另外一個豐碩生命的境界。
既意識到從亞當遺傳下來的敗壞老我本性，是如此頑強地糾纏著我們，我們豈不該極為感恩地頌讚救主耶穌的救贖大功，因為耶穌為我們開了一條又新又活的路，藉著與祂連結並同釘十字架，就把這個老我算為「死人」。我們也要心存感恩地回應上帝的呼召：天天背起自己的十字架，將老我釘死在十字架上；因為這是它本該受的懲罰；當然我們也相信永生上帝的靈，會在我們心中動工，使我們甘心樂意地與耶穌同死並與祂同復活，且使我們在祂復活的生命上有份。
遺憾的是，這樣的道理太少人了解。弟兄姐妹們，讓我們確信在人所不能的，在上帝凡事都能，也堅心相信復活的主，在各樣的事上，要幫助我們經歷與祂同死同復活的體驗，因為祂是一位又真又活且愛我們的上帝。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
[每日靈修 6月13日]
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
『 A Grain of Wheat 』
Scripture: “Verily, verity, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beard much fruit. He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” — [John 12:24-25]
All nature is the parable of how the losing of a life can be the way of securing a truer and a higher life. Every grain of wheat, every seed throughout the world, teaches the lesson that through death lies the path to beautiful and fruitful life.
It was so with the Son of God. He had to pass through death in all its bitterness and suffering, before He could rise to heaven and impart His life to His redeemed people. And here under the shadow of the approaching cross He calls His disciples: “If any man will serve Me, let him follow Me.” He repeats the words: “He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
One might have thought that Christ did not need to lose His holy life ere He could find it again. But so it was: God had laid upon Him the iniquity of us all, and he yielded to the inexorable law: Through death to life and to fruit.
How much more ought we, in the consciousness of that evil nature and that death which we inherited in Adam, be willing, yea, most grateful that there is a way open to us by which, in the fellowship of Christ and His cross, we can die to this accursed self! With what gratitude ought we to listen to the call to bear our cross, to yield our “old man” as crucified with Christ daily to that death which he deserves! Surely the thought that the power of the eternal Life is working in us, ought to make us willing and glad to die the death that brings us into the fellowship and the power of life in a risen Christ.
Alas, how little this is understood! Let us believe that what is impossible to man is possible to God. Let us believe that the law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, the Risen Lord, can in very deed make His death and His life the daily experience of our souls.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 13 June 」
