“因是犹太人的预备日，又因那坟墓近，他们就把耶稣安放在那里。” - 约 19:42
你或许已经听过一种说法：“除了死亡和纳税外，世上再没有什么是必然的了”。虽然有些人可能会瞒税逃税，然而终究没有人能逃脱死亡。我们都是凡人，所以我们每一个人最终都会死亡。
在宣告耶稣被钉十字架之后，使徒信经跟着宣告，耶稣“受死，埋葬”，这诚然是我们预料中事。耶稣丧失生命迹象、冰冷的躯体被埋葬在坟墓里，就像终有一天我们的身体也会经历死亡和被埋葬一样。
我们不喜欢提及死亡。然而，每当有亲爱的家人或朋友去世时，我们便不得不去想到我们自己的终老、无可避免的死亡。在写给初期教会的一封书信中，使徒保罗称死亡为“仇敌”（哥林多前书 15:26），是相当贴切的。
没有任何语言能缓和我们对死亡的恐惧和担忧。然而，耶稣自己在肉身也经历死亡这个事实，可以成为我们的安慰。圣经教导我们，祂作为人在凡事上都和我们一样（参看希伯来书 2:17; 4:15）。衪吃早餐、喜爱美好的日子、会疲倦和需要睡觉、脚趾有时也会踢到绊脚的东西。祂也会死亡和被埋葬。
当我们因失去所爱的人、因面对无可避免的的死亡而忧伤时，我们知道这位为我们受死、并且从死里复活的救主必定常与我们同在，我们也就因此得安慰了。
祷告
耶稣啊，你为我们在十字架上受刑和受死。当我们有一天也要面对自己死亡的现实时，因为知道你必定时常与我们同在，我们便因此得安慰。阿们。
约翰福音 19:38-42
38这些事以后，有亚利马太人约瑟，是耶稣的门徒，只因怕犹太人，就暗暗地做门徒，他来求彼拉多，要把耶稣的身体领去。彼拉多允准，他就把耶稣的身体领去了。
39又有尼哥迪慕，就是先前夜里去见耶稣的，带着没药和沉香约有一百斤前来。
40他们就照犹太人殡葬的规矩，把耶稣的身体用细麻布加上香料裹好了。
41在耶稣钉十字架的地方有一个园子，园子里有一座新坟墓，是从来没有葬过人的。
42只因是犹太人的预备日，又因那坟墓近，他们就把耶稣安放在那里。
Dead And Buried
“Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” - John 19: 42
Maybe you have heard the expression “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” And although some people may cheat on their taxes, no one can ultimately cheat death. We are all mortal, so eventually we will all die.
As we would expect after the statement about Jesus’ being crucified, the Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus “died, and was buried.” Jesus’ lifeless, cold corpse was laid to rest in a grave, just as our bodies too will one day die and be buried.
We don’t like to talk about death. But every time a dear family member or a friend dies, we are forced to remember our own eventual, inevitable death. In a letter to the early church, the apostle Paul fittingly calls death the “enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
No words can completely salve the fear and dread we have of death. But we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus himself died. He was like us in every way, the Bible teaches (see Hebrews 2:17; 4:15). He ate breakfast, enjoyed beautiful days, got tired and needed sleep, and sometimes stubbed his toes. He also died and was buried.
We can also take comfort in knowing that our Savior, who died for us and also rose again, is with us as we grieve the loss of loved ones and face our own, inevitable death.
Prayer
Jesus, you suffered and died on the cross for us. As we face up to the reality that we too will die someday, we take comfort in knowing that you are with us always. Amen.
