“他受害之后，用许多的凭据将自己活活地显给使徒看，四十天之久向他们显现，讲说神国的事。” – 徒 1:3
耶稣从坟墓里复活以后，本可以对使徒谈论任何的事情。祂可以谈谈手和脚被钉子楔住是什么感觉，以及死而复生、重新呼吸是什么感觉。
尽管耶稣可能已经提及这些事情，但我们知道祂与最亲密的信徒特别地谈到了神的国。祂在公众面前整整三年事奉都在宣扬和指向神的国以及它将为每个相信的人所带来的整全的生命。
神的国意味着所有相信耶稣为救主的人都能拥有永恒的、整全的生命，祂的死已经偿还了我们所有的罪债。藉着这个应许，耶稣赋予了祂的跟从者对未来国度的异象。
祂想帮助他们明白，他们所参与的不是一种由法律和规矩指导的陈腐的宗教仪式，而是一场在上帝主权治理下展开的现实中的新运动，这场运动通过耶稣的受难和复活进入了人类历史。
耶稣知道，我们的异象会塑造我们的生活方式，更重要的是，它决定了我们愿意为之献身的事物。
当祂谈到神的国，是为了叫跟从祂的人对未来之事心存敬畏。
祷告
圣灵啊，求你更新和增加我对神国的异象，让我知道神的国是什么，以及它能透过我的生命和在我的生命里做成什么工。阿们。
使徒行传 1:1-3
1提阿非罗啊，我已经作了前书，论到耶稣开头一切所行所教训的，
2直到他藉着圣灵吩咐所拣选的使徒以后，被接上升的日子为止。
3他受害之后，用许多的凭据将自己活活地显给使徒看，四十天之久向他们显现，讲说神国的事。
Imagining
“After his suffering, he . . . gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” – Acts 1:3
Jesus could have talked to his apostles about all kinds of things after he had risen from the grave. He could have talked about what it was like to have nails driven into his hands and feet, and what it was like to come back to life and breathe again.
While Jesus might have mentioned those things, we know that he especially talked with his closest followers about the kingdom of God. His entire three years in the public eye were all about proclaiming and pointing to God’s kingdom and the full life it offers for everyone.
The kingdom of God means full life forever for all who believe in Jesus as the Savior whose death has paid for all our sin. And with this promise Jesus captured his followers’ imagination.
He wanted to help them understand that what they were signing up for was not a stale form of religion, directed by laws and rituals, but a new movement of God’s realm and reality that has entered human history through Jesus’ suffering and resurrection.
Jesus knew that what captures our imagination will shape how we live—and, more importantly, what we are willing to die for.
He talked about the kingdom of God so that his followers would be prepared to have a deep sense of awe over what was about to happen.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, please renew and grow my imagination of what the kingdom of God is and what it can do in and through my life. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
