“我们现在既然藉着基督的血被称为义，难道不更要藉着他，从神的震怒中被拯救出来吗？” – 罗 5:9（标准译本）
正如我们昨天提到过的，在复活节庆祝耶稣复活时，我们可能经常听到复活节兔子、彩蛋和巧克力。那些古老的世俗传统与耶稣赐给人新生命的福音信息毫无关系。但是，如果我们忘了把注意力聚焦在神通过祂的儿子耶稣的死和复活向我们所显明的奇妙之爱，这些事物就会分散我们的注意力。
默想耶稣的流血可能会让我们感觉不舒服。也许在每年的这个时候，我们更愿意去注意温馨美好的事物，比如巧克力或其他点心。但只有基督的牺牲才能偿还我们的罪债，并带给我们与神同在的平安。巧克力是没有救赎功效的。
我们从罪和死亡中蒙了救赎，是藉着神的羔羊耶稣所流的宝血。正如我们在这个月早些时候所看到的，神把祂的子民从埃及的奴役中拯救出来时，逾越节献祭的羔羊预指了神的独生子耶稣的牺牲。祂成了“背负世人罪孽的神的羔羊”（约1:29）。因祂的死，我们得生命。藉着祂所流的宝血，我们心灵得自由，罪污得洁净！
祷告
神啊，你藉着基督为我们在十字架上所流的宝血，把我们从罪的奴役中释放出来。藉着祂的死，我们可以在你里面享受整全的生命。奉祂的名祷告。阿们。
罗马书 5:1-11
1我们既因信称义，就藉着我们的主耶稣基督得与神相和。
2我们又藉着他，因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。
3不但如此，就是在患难中也是欢欢喜喜的。因为知道患难生忍耐，
4忍耐生老练，老练生盼望，
5盼望不至于羞耻，因为所赐给我们的圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里。
6因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。
7为义人死是少有的，为仁人死或者有敢做的；
8唯有基督在我们还做罪人的时候为我们死，神的爱就在此向我们显明了。
9现在我们既靠着他的血称义，就更要藉着他免去神的愤怒。
10因为我们做仇敌的时候，且藉着神儿子的死得与神和好，既已和好，就更要因他的生得救了。
11不但如此，我们既藉着我主耶稣基督得与神和好，也就藉着他以神为乐。
No Redemption Through Chocolate
“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” – Romans 5:9
As we noted yesterday, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at Eastertime, we may often hear about the Easter bunny and eggs and chocolate. Those old secular traditions have nothing to do with Jesus’ gift of new life for all who believe in him. But they can be distracting if we forget to focus on God’s amazing love shown to us through the death and rising of his Son, Jesus.
Reflecting on the shed blood of Jesus may make us uncomfortable. Perhaps we would rather focus on nicer, sweeter things—like chocolate or some other treat—at this time of year. But the sacrifice of Christ is the only thing that could pay the debt of our sin and bring us peace with God. There is no redemption through chocolate.
Our redemption from sin and death came through the shed blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. As we saw earlier this month, when God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, the sacrificed lamb of the Passover pointed ahead to the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s only Son. He became “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). By his death we have life. By his shed blood we are set free and cleansed from all sin!
Prayer
Lord God, you have freed us from sin through the blood of Christ shed on the cross for our sake. Through his death we can now enjoy full life in you. In his name we pray. Amen.
