“惟有一个兵拿枪扎他的肋旁…” - 约 19:34

尽管我们欢欣鼓舞地庆祝耶稣的降生和祂的救恩，但是要注意一个重要问题，我们的救恩是以可怕的代价换来的。神的恩典和救赎对我们来说是白白得来的，但这份奇妙的礼物唯有藉着我们主痛苦的受难才能实现，祂放下自己的生命，为我们偿付了罪的代价。

当我们唱“这位奇妙婴孩是谁”的诗歌，这是一首众所周知的、受人喜爱的诗歌，以古老的英国曲调“绿袖子”为背景，带我们重新回顾耶稣降生的故事。

第一节讲述了君王基督卑微降生的故事，正如我们这个月已经留意到的事实。第二节则直接指出了耶稣到来的原因。它唱出这个婴孩将带来救恩，并详细描述了祂为这份给我们的救恩而承受的痛苦。

“钉子、矛头要刺穿他，为我、为你承受十架。”这首歌用一句惊人的歌词描述了基督将为我们所有人承受的痛苦。这是一个谦卑的提醒，耶稣，“万王之王”，是在羞辱中出生的，必须受苦以救我们脱离罪的捆绑。而祂做这一切乃是心甘情愿的，皆出于祂对我们的大爱。

这首歌以一个简单的问题开始，其答案也很简单，却感人至深。“这位奇妙婴孩是谁？”祂就是耶稣，为拯救我们而生。

祷告

亲爱的耶稣，感谢你为救赎我们的罪而受苦。我们感谢你愿意为我们的缘故来到世上承受苦难。阿们。

约翰福音 19:28-37

28这事以后，耶稣知道各样的事已经成了，为要使经上的话应验，就说：“我渴了。”
29有一个器皿盛满了醋，放在那里。他们就拿海绒蘸满了醋，绑在牛膝草上，送到他口。
30耶稣尝了那醋，就说：“成了！”便低下头，将灵魂交付神了。
31犹太人因这日是预备日，又因那安息日是个大日，就求彼拉多叫人打断他们的腿，把他们拿去，免得尸首当安息日留在十字架上。
32于是兵丁来，把头一个人的腿，并与耶稣同钉第二个人的腿，都打断了。
33只是来到耶稣那里，见他已经死了，就不打断他的腿。
34唯有一个兵拿枪扎他的肋旁，随即有血和水流出来。
35看见这事的那人就作见证，他的见证也是真的，并且他知道自己所说的是真的，叫你们也可以信。
36这些事成了，为要应验经上的话说：“他的骨头一根也不可折断。”
37经上又有一句说：“他们要仰望自己所扎的人。”

What Child Is This

"Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear. . . ." - John 19:34

Though we celebrate Jesus’ birth and the gift of salvation with joy and gladness, it’s important to note that our salvation has come at a terrible cost. God’s grace and salvation are free to us, but these amazing gifts come only through the excruciating death of our Lord, who laid down his own life to pay the price of our sin for us.

As we sing "What Child Is This," a well-known and loved text set to the old English tune "Greensleeves," we again review the story of the birth of Jesus.

The first stanza tells the story of Christ the King’s humble birth, as we have noted a lot this month. And the second stanza points directly to the reason why Jesus came. It sings of the salvation this baby would provide, and it describes in detail the suffering he would endure to bring us salvation.

"Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you." In one stunning line this song describes the suffering that Christ would take on for us all. This is a humbling reminder that Jesus, the "King of kings," was born in humiliation and had to suffer to save us from our sin. And he did all of this willingly, out of his great love for us.

The song begins with a simple question, to which the answer too is simple—and yet deeply moving. "What child is this?" He is Jesus, born to save us.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for suffering to save us from our sin. We thank you for your willingness to come and suffer on our behalf. Amen.