究竟是谁杀害了耶稣? 其实大家不需再找下去了……. 是你和我! 为了替你和我的罪孽作救赎, 耶稣死在十字架上。罗马书3:23-25 很清楚地写道:

“因 为 世 人 都 犯 了 罪 ， 亏 缺 了 神 的 荣 耀 。 如 今 却 蒙 神 的 恩 典 ， 因 基 督 耶 稣 的 救 赎 ， 就 白 白 地 称 义 。神 设 立 耶 稣 作 挽 回 祭 ， 是 凭 着 耶 稣 的 血 ， 借 着 人 的 信 ， 要 显 明 神 的 义 。 因 为 他 用 忍 耐 的 心 ， 宽 容 人 先 时 所 犯 的 罪 。”

The bloodshed and gore depicted in The Passion Of The Christ may be criticized for being superfluous violence but the wickedness surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus that day was in fact a necessary evil.

Indeed it was a conspiracy by wicked men driven by ambitious and selfish reasons to hold control.

But really, did they have control? They did what they did only because God allowed it. There was a reason and a plan behind it all. It was a plan written by an omniscient God and executed by his obedient son.

In order to understand this, we must examine this drama in its proper perspective. Seeing this in its larger scheme of historical and cultural events reveals how and why this was part of a divine set-up which fell perfectly in place for godly purposes.

How can one man’s death pay the price for our sin? That is just how God set it up ever since he created the earth – that there is a price for sin and it is death. From the time of Adam and Eve, only the sacrifice of an animal could put us right with God again. The feast of Passover was so special and important because that this day signifies that a perfect lamb was sacrificed to deliver us and make amends for our sin. Jesus came as our sacrificial lamb.

So my friend, it is because of you and me that caused Jesus to die on the cross for our sin. But wait a minute! God presented him as a sacrifice.

“The Passion Of The Christ” claims to be a version closest to the truth, but again as in history, the suffering and death of Jesus creates such extreme passions for and against him and what he came for.

Then why was this prophet and rabbi from Galilee executed in the most inhumane manner of crucifixion? Who bears responsibility for this outrage and injustice? Who is guilty for this condemnation?

• • •

According to an article that just appeared in Christianity Today, more than 50 have been arrested due to the recent publication of a DVD and book about the church in China. I have been told that at least some of the house church leaders who agreed to be interviewed for the DVD only did so under the assumption that their testimony was for an historic archive which would not be made public until the political situation in China had changed.

The following Christianity Today article outlines what has happened in recent days: www.christianitytoday.com

Please pray for these brothers and sisters who now find themselves in the custody of an atheistic government who are determined to stamp out the house churches once and for all. They do not mind believers who are part of the state-controlled Three-Self Church, but they cannot stand those believers who refuse to come under their political control.

Please pray they will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to withstand whatever pressure and pain inflicted on them.

Pray God would empower them to witness for Jesus Christ to the authorities, other prisoners, and whoever they come into contact with. Fervently pray that this present crisis will cause the house churches of China to grow in grace and in number.