34. 耶穌基督作中保 Jesus Christ as Mediator
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
中保就是中間人，是居于雙方或多方之間去平息爭論的人。根據圣經，人類與神為敵，悖逆、反叛、不順從神的律法，以致神的忿怒臨到我們。若要想改變這種光景，或將人類從這個災難的處境中救贖出來，我們便需要與神和好。
為要促成神與人和好，父神委派并差遣祂的兒子作我們的中保。基督絕不亞于神圣尊榮的神自己——祂就是道成肉身的神。祂取了人性，甘心順服，以滿足神律法的要求。
這和好的工作并非由基督發起，為要說服父神放下怒氣，而是父神與子神在永恒中已完全同意，要讓子神成為我們的中保。連天使也不夠資格向我們代表神，只有神自己能。
神子自己取了人性，以道成肉身的方式，來完成對亞當墮落子孫的救贖之工。基督借著完全的順服，滿足了神律法的要求，使我們因此得著永生；并且，祂藉著在十字架上的代贖之死，滿足了神的烈怒對我們的要求。從積極和消極兩方面來看，基督都滿足了與神和好的要求。祂用自己的血，為我們與神立了一個新約，并成為我們的大祭司，每日為我們代禱。
一個有能力的中保，能夠在發生沖突和矛盾的雙方間建立起和平，這正是身為完全之中保的耶穌所扮演的角色。保羅宣告說，我們是藉著基督所作和好的工作，才得以與神相和：「我們既因信稱義，就藉著我們的主耶穌基督得與神相和。」（羅5：1）
基督的中保工作，遠超越世間所有的中保。摩西是舊約的中保，作神與人間的調停者，向以色列民頒布律法，但耶穌遠超越摩西。希伯來書作者這樣說：「他比摩西算是更配多得榮耀，好像建造房屋的比房屋更尊榮。因為房屋都必有人建造，但建造萬物的就是神。摩西為仆人，在神的全家誠然盡忠，為要證明將來必傳說的事。但基督為兒子，治理神的家；我們若將可夸的盼望和膽量堅持到底，便是他的家了。」（來3：3-6）
總結
1. 中保的工作是使發生矛盾的雙方得以和好。
2. 基督以神人的身分，使我們與父神和好。
3. 基督與父神在亙古之先已經協定，由基督作我們的中保。
4. 基督為中保的工作，遠超越眾先知、天使和摩西。
思考經文：
羅8：33-34；提前2：5；來7：20-25；來9：11-12
Jesus
Christ as Mediator
A
mediator is a go-between. He is one who stands between two or more persons or
groups who are in a dispute and tries to reconcile them. In biblical terms,
human beings are described as being at enmity against God. We rebel, revolt,
and refuse to obey the law of God. As a result, God's wrath is upon us. For
this catastrophic situation to be changed or redeemed it is necessary that we become
reconciled to God.
To
effect our reconciliation, God the Father appointed and sent His Son to be our
Mediator. Christ brings to us nothing less than the divine majesty of God
Himself—He is God incarnate. Yet He took upon Himself a human nature and willingly
submitted Himself to the demands of God's law.
Christ
did not initiate reconciliation in an attempt to persuade the Father to put
aside His wrath. Rather, in the eternal counsel of the Godhead there was
complete agreement between the Father and the Son that the Son should come as
our Mediator. No angel could adequately represent God to us; only God Himself
could do that.
In
the Incarnation, the Son took upon Himself human nature in order to accomplish
the redemption of Adam's fallen seed. By His perfect obedience, Christ
satisfied the demands of God's law and merited eternal life for us. By His
submission to the atoning death on the cross, He satisfied the demands of God's
wrath against us. Both positively and negatively Christ satisfied the divine requirements
for reconciliation. He brought about a new covenant with God for us by His
blood and continues daily to intercede for us as our High Priest.
An
effective mediator is one who is able to make peace between parties who are in
conflict or estranged from each other. This is the role Jesus performed as our
perfect Mediator. Paul declared that we have peace with God through Christ's
work of reconciliation: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).
The
mediating work of Christ is superior to all other mediators. Moses was the
mediator of the Old Covenant. He served as God's go-between, giving the
Israelites the law. But Jesus is superior to Moses. The author of Hebrews
declares,
For
this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who
built the house has more honor than the house . . . And Moses indeed was
faithful in all His house as a servant . . . but Christ [was faithful] as a Son
over His own house, whose house we are." (Hebrews 3:3-6)
1. A mediator works to bring about
reconciliation between estranged parties.
2. Christ as the God-man reconciles us to
the Father.
3. Christ and the Father are agreed from
eternity that Christ should be our Mediator.
4. Christ's work of mediation is superior
to prophets, angels, and Moses.
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