《尤兰提亚之书》英文版自 2006 年起在全球范围内属于公共领域.
翻译: © 2015 Urantia Foundation
THE CRUCIFIXION
十字架刑
1955 187:0.1 AFTER the two brigands had been made ready, the soldiers, under the direction of a centurion, started for the scene of the crucifixion. The centurion in charge of these twelve soldiers was the same captain who had led forth the Roman soldiers the previous night to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane. It was the Roman custom to assign four soldiers for each person to be crucified. The two brigands were properly scourged before they were taken out to be crucified, but Jesus was given no further physical punishment; the captain undoubtedly thought he had already been sufficiently scourged, even before his condemnation.
2015 187:0.1 在两个盗贼做好准备之后,士兵们在一个百夫长的指导下动身前往十字架刑的现场。掌管这十二人的百夫长是之前一夜领出罗马人士兵在客西马尼逮捕耶稣的同一首领。每个要被钉十字架的人指派四个士兵是罗马人的惯例。两个盗贼在被带出来钉十字架之前被适当鞭打了,不过耶稣并未给予进一步的身体惩罚;首领无疑认为,他甚至在他的定罪之前就已经受到足够的鞭打了。
1955 187:0.3 What Jesus is now about to do, submit to death on the cross, he does of his own free will. In foretelling this experience, he said: “The Father loves and sustains me because I am willing to lay down my life. But I will take it up again. No one takes my life away from me—I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up. I have received such a commandment from my Father.”
1955 187:0.4 It was just before nine o’clock this morning when the soldiers led Jesus from the praetorium on the way to Golgotha. They were followed by many who secretly sympathized with Jesus, but most of this group of two hundred or more were either his enemies or curious idlers who merely desired to enjoy the shock of witnessing the crucifixions. Only a few of the Jewish leaders went out to see Jesus die on the cross. Knowing that he had been turned over to the Roman soldiers by Pilate, and that he was condemned to die, they busied themselves with their meeting in the temple, whereat they discussed what should be done with his followers.
1. ON THE WAY TO GOLGOTHA
1. 在去各各他的路上
1955 187:1.1 Before leaving the courtyard of the praetorium, the soldiers placed the crossbeam on Jesus’ shoulders. It was the custom to compel the condemned man to carry the crossbeam to the site of the crucifixion. Such a condemned man did not carry the whole cross, only this shorter timber. The longer and upright pieces of timber for the three crosses had already been transported to Golgotha and, by the time of the arrival of the soldiers and their prisoners, had been firmly implanted in the ground.
1955 187:1.2 According to custom the captain led the procession, carrying small white boards on which had been written with charcoal the names of the criminals and the nature of the crimes for which they had been condemned. For the two thieves the centurion had notices which gave their names, underneath which was written the one word, “Brigand.” It was the custom, after the victim had been nailed to the crossbeam and hoisted to his place on the upright timber, to nail this notice to the top of the cross, just above the head of the criminal, that all witnesses might know for what crime the condemned man was being crucified. The legend which the centurion carried to put on the cross of Jesus had been written by Pilate himself in Latin, Greek, and Aramaic, and it read: “Jesus of Nazareth—the King of the Jews.”
1955 187:1.3 Some of the Jewish authorities who were yet present when Pilate wrote this legend made vigorous protest against calling Jesus the “king of the Jews.” But Pilate reminded them that such an accusation was part of the charge which led to his condemnation. When the Jews saw they could not prevail upon Pilate to change his mind, they pleaded that at least it be modified to read, “He said, ‘I am the king of the Jews.’” But Pilate was adamant; he would not alter the writing. To all further supplication he only replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
1955 187:1.4 Ordinarily, it was the custom to journey to Golgotha by the longest road in order that a large number of persons might view the condemned criminal, but on this day they went by the most direct route to the Damascus gate, which led out of the city to the north, and following this road, they soon arrived at Golgotha, the official crucifixion site of Jerusalem. Beyond Golgotha were the villas of the wealthy, and on the other side of the road were the tombs of many well-to-do Jews.
2015 187:1.4 通常,经由最长的路去往各各他是惯例,这样一大群人可以看到被定罪的罪犯,不过在这天他们却经由最直接的路线去往通向城外北边的大马士革门,沿着这条路,他们很快抵达了各各他,耶路撒冷的官方十字架刑地点。在各各他之外是富人的别墅,路的另一边则是许多富裕犹太人的坟墓。
1955 187:1.5 Crucifixion was not a Jewish mode of punishment. Both the Greeks and the Romans learned this method of execution from the Phoenicians. Even Herod, with all his cruelty, did not resort to crucifixion. The Romans never crucified a Roman citizen; only slaves and subject peoples were subjected to this dishonorable mode of death. During the siege of Jerusalem, just forty years after the crucifixion of Jesus, all of Golgotha was covered by thousands upon thousands of crosses upon which, from day to day, there perished the flower of the Jewish race. A terrible harvest, indeed, of the seed-sowing of this day.
2015 187:1.5 十字架刑并不是犹太人的惩罚方式。希腊人和罗马人从腓尼基人那里学会了这一执刑方法。甚至十分残忍的希律,也并未诉诸于十字架刑。罗马人从未将一个罗马公民钉十字架;只有奴隶和受异族统治的民族才会遭受这种不光彩的死亡方式。就在耶稣被钉十字架之后的四十年,耶路撒冷被围攻期间,整个各各他被成千上万的十字架所覆盖,上面每天都有犹太民族的精华死去。的确是这天所播种子的一种可怕收割。
1955 187:1.6 As the death procession passed along the narrow streets of Jerusalem, many of the tenderhearted Jewish women who had heard Jesus’ words of good cheer and compassion, and who knew of his life of loving ministry, could not refrain from weeping when they saw him being led forth to such an ignoble death. As he passed by, many of these women bewailed and lamented. And when some of them even dared to follow along by his side, the Master turned his head toward them and said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but rather weep for yourselves and for your children. My work is about done—soon I go to my Father—but the times of terrible trouble for Jerusalem are just beginning. Behold, the days are coming in which you shall say: Blessed are the barren and those whose breasts have never suckled their young. In those days will you pray the rocks of the hills to fall on you in order that you may be delivered from the terrors of your troubles.”
2015 187:1.6 当死刑队伍沿着耶路撒冷的狭窄街道经过时,听过耶稣充满勇气和慈悲的话语、了解他慈爱侍奉一生的许多心肠软的犹太女人,在看到他被带往这样一场不光彩的死刑时,忍不住哭了起来。当他经过时,这些女人中有许多痛哭并悲叹。当她们中有些人甚至敢于在他身旁跟随时,主转头朝向她们说道:“耶路撒冷的女儿们,不要为我哭泣,而是为了你们自己和你们的子女哭泣。我的工作就要完成了 -- 不久我就去我父那儿了 -- 不过耶路撒冷的可怕麻烦时期才刚开始。看哪,你们在其时说以下话语的日子就要到来了:未生育的和那些未曾乳养婴儿的有福了。在那些日子里,你们将要祈祷山上的岩石落在你们身上,为的是你们可从你们困境的恐怖中解脱出来。”[8][9]
1955 187:1.7 These women of Jerusalem were indeed courageous to manifest sympathy for Jesus, for it was strictly against the law to show friendly feelings for one who was being led forth to crucifixion. It was permitted the rabble to jeer, mock, and ridicule the condemned, but it was not allowed that any sympathy should be expressed. Though Jesus appreciated the manifestation of sympathy in this dark hour when his friends were in hiding, he did not want these kindhearted women to incur the displeasure of the authorities by daring to show compassion in his behalf. Even at such a time as this Jesus thought little about himself, only of the terrible days of tragedy ahead for Jerusalem and the whole Jewish nation.
2015 187:1.7 这些耶路撒冷的女人确实有勇气对耶稣显示同情,因为对正被带往钉十字架之人表现出友好情感是严格违反律法的。下层民众被允许戏弄、嘲笑和奚落被定罪之人,不过不允许表达任何同情。尽管耶稣在他朋友们躲藏的这一黑暗时刻感激这种同情的显示,但他却不想这些好心肠的女人因敢于代他表现出同情而招致当权者们的不悦。甚至在像这样一个时刻,耶稣仍很少考虑自己,只为耶路撒冷和整个犹太民族在将来的可怕悲惨岁月着想。
1955 187:1.8 As the Master trudged along on the way to the crucifixion, he was very weary; he was nearly exhausted. He had had neither food nor water since the Last Supper at the home of Elijah Mark; neither had he been permitted to enjoy one moment of sleep. In addition, there had been one hearing right after another up to the hour of his condemnation, not to mention the abusive scourgings with their accompanying physical suffering and loss of blood. Superimposed upon all this was his extreme mental anguish, his acute spiritual tension, and a terrible feeling of human loneliness.
2015 187:1.8 当主在去十字架刑的路上步履艰难地走向前时,他是非常疲倦的;他几近筋疲力尽了。自从在伊利亚·马可家的最后晚餐以来,他既未吃过食物,也为喝过水;他也未被允许享有一刻的睡眠。此外,还有一场接一场的审讯,直至他被定罪的时刻,更不用说虐待鞭打及其伴随的肉体痛苦和失血了。叠加在所有这一切之上的是他极度的心智痛苦,他严重的精神紧张和一种可怕的人类孤独感。
1955 187:1.9 Shortly after passing through the gate on the way out of the city, as Jesus staggered on bearing the crossbeam, his physical strength momentarily gave way, and he fell beneath the weight of his heavy burden. The soldiers shouted at him and kicked him, but he could not arise. When the captain saw this, knowing what Jesus had already endured, he commanded the soldiers to desist. Then he ordered a passerby, one Simon from Cyrene, to take the crossbeam from Jesus’ shoulders and compelled him to carry it the rest of the way to Golgotha.
1955 187:1.10 This man Simon had come all the way from Cyrene, in northern Africa, to attend the Passover. He was stopping with other Cyrenians just outside the city walls and was on his way to the temple services in the city when the Roman captain commanded him to carry Jesus’ crossbeam. Simon lingered all through the hours of the Master’s death on the cross, talking with many of his friends and with his enemies. After the resurrection and before leaving Jerusalem, he became a valiant believer in the gospel of the kingdom, and when he returned home, he led his family into the heavenly kingdom. His two sons, Alexander and Rufus, became very effective teachers of the new gospel in Africa. But Simon never knew that Jesus, whose burden he bore, and the Jewish tutor who once befriended his injured son, were the same person.
1955 187:1.11 It was shortly after nine o’clock when this procession of death arrived at Golgotha, and the Roman soldiers set themselves about the task of nailing the two brigands and the Son of Man to their respective crosses.
2. THE CRUCIFIXION
2. 十字架刑
1955 187:2.1 The soldiers first bound the Master’s arms with cords to the crossbeam, and then they nailed his hands to the wood. When they had hoisted this crossbeam up on the post, and after they had nailed it securely to the upright timber of the cross, they bound and nailed his feet to the wood, using one long nail to penetrate both feet. The upright timber had a large peg, inserted at the proper height, which served as a sort of saddle for supporting the body weight. The cross was not high, the Master’s feet being only about three feet from the ground. He was therefore able to hear all that was said of him in derision and could plainly see the expression on the faces of all those who so thoughtlessly mocked him. And also could those present easily hear all that Jesus said during these hours of lingering torture and slow death.
1955 187:2.2 It was the custom to remove all clothes from those who were to be crucified, but since the Jews greatly objected to the public exposure of the naked human form, the Romans always provided a suitable loin cloth for all persons crucified at Jerusalem. Accordingly, after Jesus’ clothes had been removed, he was thus garbed before he was put upon the cross.
2015 187:2.2 要从那些被钉十字架的人身上脱下所有衣服是惯例,不过由于犹太人极为反对赤裸人体的公开曝露,罗马人总是为所有在耶路撒冷被钉十字架的人提供一条合适的腰布。相应地,在耶稣的衣服被脱掉之后,他在被放上十字架之前也以此方式被装束起来。
1955 187:2.3 Crucifixion was resorted to in order to provide a cruel and lingering punishment, the victim sometimes not dying for several days. There was considerable sentiment against crucifixion in Jerusalem, and there existed a society of Jewish women who always sent a representative to crucifixions for the purpose of offering drugged wine to the victim in order to lessen his suffering. But when Jesus tasted this narcotized wine, as thirsty as he was, he refused to drink it. The Master chose to retain his human consciousness until the very end. He desired to meet death, even in this cruel and inhuman form, and conquer it by voluntary submission to the full human experience.
1955 187:2.4 Before Jesus was put on his cross, the two brigands had already been placed on their crosses, all the while cursing and spitting upon their executioners. Jesus’ only words, as they nailed him to the crossbeam, were, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He could not have so mercifully and lovingly interceded for his executioners if such thoughts of affectionate devotion had not been the mainspring of all his life of unselfish service. The ideas, motives, and longings of a lifetime are openly revealed in a crisis.
1955 187:2.5 After the Master was hoisted on the cross, the captain nailed the title up above his head, and it read in three languages, “Jesus of Nazareth—the King of the Jews.” The Jews were infuriated by this believed insult. But Pilate was chafed by their disrespectful manner; he felt he had been intimidated and humiliated, and he took this method of obtaining petty revenge. He could have written “Jesus, a rebel.” But he well knew how these Jerusalem Jews detested the very name of Nazareth, and he was determined thus to humiliate them. He knew that they would also be cut to the very quick by seeing this executed Galilean called “The King of the Jews.”
1955 187:2.6 Many of the Jewish leaders, when they learned how Pilate had sought to deride them by placing this inscription on the cross of Jesus, hastened out to Golgotha, but they dared not attempt to remove it since the Roman soldiers were standing on guard. Not being able to remove the title, these leaders mingled with the crowd and did their utmost to incite derision and ridicule, lest any give serious regard to the inscription.
2015 187:2.6 犹太人领袖中的许多人,当他们得知彼拉多如何通过将这一题词放在耶稣的十字架上来寻求嘲弄他们时,匆忙出去到各各他,不过他们不敢尝试去移除它,因为罗马人士兵在站岗。由于无法移掉这一头衔,这些领袖与人群混在一起,用尽全力煽动嘲笑和奚落,以免任何人认真对待这一题词。
1955 187:2.7 The Apostle John, with Mary the mother of Jesus, Ruth, and Jude, arrived on the scene just after Jesus had been hoisted to his position on the cross, and just as the captain was nailing the title above the Master’s head. John was the only one of the eleven apostles to witness the crucifixion, and even he was not present all of the time since he ran into Jerusalem to bring back his mother and her friends soon after he had brought Jesus’ mother to the scene.
1955 187:2.8 As Jesus saw his mother, with John and his brother and sister, he smiled but said nothing. Meanwhile the four soldiers assigned to the Master’s crucifixion, as was the custom, had divided his clothes among them, one taking the sandals, one the turban, one the girdle, and the fourth the cloak. This left the tunic, or seamless vestment reaching down to near the knees, to be cut up into four pieces, but when the soldiers saw what an unusual garment it was, they decided to cast lots for it. Jesus looked down on them while they divided his garments, and the thoughtless crowd jeered at him.
1955 187:2.9 It was well that the Roman soldiers took possession of the Master’s clothing. Otherwise, if his followers had gained possession of these garments, they would have been tempted to resort to superstitious relic worship. The Master desired that his followers should have nothing material to associate with his life on earth. He wanted to leave mankind only the memory of a human life dedicated to the high spiritual ideal of being consecrated to doing the Father’s will.
2015 187:2.9 罗马人士兵拿走主的衣服是很好的。不然,若他的追随者们得到了这些衣服,他们便会忍不住诉诸于迷信的遗物崇拜。主希望他的追随者们不应有任何物质性的东西与他世上生涯联系在一起。他只想把一个人献身于被圣化来履行父之意志的高等灵性理想的生活之记忆留给人类。
3. THOSE WHO SAW THE CRUCIFIXION
3. 看过十字架刑的那些人
1955 187:3.1 At about half past nine o’clock this Friday morning, Jesus was hung upon the cross. Before eleven o’clock, upward of one thousand persons had assembled to witness this spectacle of the crucifixion of the Son of Man. Throughout these dreadful hours the unseen hosts of a universe stood in silence while they gazed upon this extraordinary phenomenon of the Creator as he was dying the death of the creature, even the most ignoble death of a condemned criminal.
1955 187:3.2 Standing near the cross at one time or another during the crucifixion were Mary, Ruth, Jude, John, Salome (John’s mother), and a group of earnest women believers including Mary the wife of Clopas and sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and Rebecca, onetime of Sepphoris. These and other friends of Jesus held their peace while they witnessed his great patience and fortitude and gazed upon his intense sufferings.
1955 187:3.3 Many who passed by wagged their heads and, railing at him, said: “You who would destroy the temple and build it again in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, why do you not come down from your cross?” In like manner some of the rulers of the Jews mocked him, saying, “He saved others, but himself he cannot save.” Others said, “If you are the king of the Jews, come down from the cross, and we will believe in you.” And later on they mocked him the more, saying: “He trusted in God to deliver him. He even claimed to be the Son of God—look at him now—crucified between two thieves.” Even the two thieves also railed at him and cast reproach upon him.
1955 187:3.4 Inasmuch as Jesus would make no reply to their taunts, and since it was nearing noontime of this special preparation day, by half past eleven o’clock most of the jesting and jeering crowd had gone its way; less than fifty persons remained on the scene. The soldiers now prepared to eat lunch and drink their cheap, sour wine as they settled down for the long deathwatch. As they partook of their wine, they derisively offered a toast to Jesus, saying, “Hail and good fortune! to the king of the Jews.” And they were astonished at the Master’s tolerant regard of their ridicule and mocking.
1955 187:3.5 When Jesus saw them eat and drink, he looked down upon them and said, “I thirst.” When the captain of the guard heard Jesus say, “I thirst,” he took some of the wine from his bottle and, putting the saturated sponge stopper upon the end of a javelin, raised it to Jesus so that he could moisten his parched lips.
1955 187:3.6 Jesus had purposed to live without resort to his supernatural power, and he likewise elected to die as an ordinary mortal upon the cross. He had lived as a man, and he would die as a man—doing the Father’s will.
2015 187:3.6 耶稣有意不求助他的超自然能力而活着,他同样选择作为十字架上的一个普通凡人而死去。他作为人活过,他也会作为人而死去 -- 即履行父的意志。
4. THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
4. 十字架上的盗贼
1955 187:4.1 One of the brigands railed at Jesus, saying, “If you are the Son of God, why do you not save yourself and us?” But when he had reproached Jesus, the other thief, who had many times heard the Master teach, said: “Do you have no fear even of God? Do you not see that we are suffering justly for our deeds, but that this man suffers unjustly? Better that we should seek forgiveness for our sins and salvation for our souls.” When Jesus heard the thief say this, he turned his face toward him and smiled approvingly. When the malefactor saw the face of Jesus turned toward him, he mustered up his courage, fanned the flickering flame of his faith, and said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And then Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say to you today, you shall sometime be with me in Paradise.”
1955 187:4.2 The Master had time amidst the pangs of mortal death to listen to the faith confession of the believing brigand. When this thief reached out for salvation, he found deliverance. Many times before this he had been constrained to believe in Jesus, but only in these last hours of consciousness did he turn with a whole heart toward the Master’s teaching. When he saw the manner in which Jesus faced death upon the cross, this thief could no longer resist the conviction that this Son of Man was indeed the Son of God.
2015 187:4.2 主在凡世死亡剧痛中间有时间倾听这个逐渐相信的盗贼的信仰坦承。当这个盗贼寻求拯救时,他找到了解救。在这之前,他多次被迫相信耶稣,不过只有在这些最后的有意识时刻中,他怀着全心转向主的教导。当他见到耶稣在十字架上面对死亡的态度时,这个盗贼不再抵制这个人子确实是神子的确信。
1955 187:4.3 During this episode of the conversion and reception of the thief into the kingdom by Jesus, the Apostle John was absent, having gone into the city to bring his mother and her friends to the scene of the crucifixion. Luke subsequently heard this story from the converted Roman captain of the guard.
2015 187:4.3 在这个盗贼改变信仰以及被耶稣接受进入王国的插曲期间,使徒约翰由于进入城中带他母亲及她的朋友们到十字架刑现场而并不在场。路加随后从改变信仰的罗马人守卫首领那儿听说了这一故事。
1955 187:4.4 The Apostle John told about the crucifixion as he remembered the event two thirds of a century after its occurrence. The other records were based upon the recital of the Roman centurion on duty who, because of what he saw and heard, subsequently believed in Jesus and entered into the full fellowship of the kingdom of heaven on earth.
2015 187:4.4 使徒约翰讲述了关于十字架刑的事,因为他在其发生之后的三分之二世纪之后记得这一事件。其他记录则基于当值的罗马人百夫长的再述之上,他由于所见所闻,随后相信了耶稣,并进入到世上天国的全然友伴身份中。
1955 187:4.5 This young man, the penitent brigand, had been led into a life of violence and wrongdoing by those who extolled such a career of robbery as an effective patriotic protest against political oppression and social injustice. And this sort of teaching, plus the urge for adventure, led many otherwise well-meaning youths to enlist in these daring expeditions of robbery. This young man had looked upon Barabbas as a hero. Now he saw that he had been mistaken. Here on the cross beside him he saw a really great man, a true hero. Here was a hero who fired his zeal and inspired his highest ideas of moral self-respect and quickened all his ideals of courage, manhood, and bravery. In beholding Jesus, there sprang up in his heart an overwhelming sense of love, loyalty, and genuine greatness.
2015 187:4.5 这个年轻人,这个悔过的盗贼,被那些颂扬这样一种抢劫生涯作为一种反抗政治压迫和社会不公的有效爱国抗议的人,引入到一种充满暴力和恶行的生活中。这种教导,加上冒险的冲动,引领许多原本善意的年轻人加入到这些大胆的抢劫远征中。这个年轻人曾将巴拉巴视为一个英雄。此时他看到他错了,在他身边的十字架上这儿,他看到了一个真正的伟人,一个真正的英雄。在这儿是一个点燃了他的热情,激发了他最高的道德自尊观念,并鼓舞了他所有关于胆量、男子气概和勇气之理想的英雄。在注视耶稣过程中,在他心中涌起了一种充满热爱、忠诚和真正伟大的压倒性感觉。
1955 187:4.6 And if any other person among the jeering crowd had experienced the birth of faith within his soul and had appealed to the mercy of Jesus, he would have been received with the same loving consideration that was displayed toward the believing brigand.
2015 187:4.6 若嘲笑的人群中间任何其他人在其灵魂中经历了信仰的生成,并呼求耶稣的仁慈,他本会收到那向逐渐相信的盗贼展现的同样慈爱关心。
1955 187:4.7 Just after the repentant thief heard the Master’s promise that they should sometime meet in Paradise, John returned from the city, bringing with him his mother and a company of almost a dozen women believers. John took up his position near Mary the mother of Jesus, supporting her. Her son Jude stood on the other side. As Jesus looked down upon this scene, it was noontide, and he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” And speaking to John, he said, “My son, behold your mother!” And then he addressed them both, saying, “I desire that you depart from this place.” And so John and Jude led Mary away from Golgotha. John took the mother of Jesus to the place where he tarried in Jerusalem and then hastened back to the scene of the crucifixion. After the Passover Mary returned to Bethsaida, where she lived at John’s home for the rest of her natural life. Mary did not live quite one year after the death of Jesus.
2015 187:4.7 就在悔过的盗贼听了耶稣他们终有一日应在天堂相遇的许诺之后,约翰从城中返回了,随身带了他的母亲和一队接近十二名女性的信奉者。约翰占据了靠近耶稣母亲玛利亚的位置,支持她。她的儿子犹大站在另一边。当耶稣低头看到这一场景时,是正午了,他一边对他母亲说,“女人,看你的儿子!”一边对约翰说话,说,“我的孩子,看你的母亲!”之后,他向他们二人致辞,说,“我希望你们从这个地方离开。”这样约翰和犹大带着玛利亚从各各他离开了。约翰带着耶稣的母亲去到他在耶路撒冷的逗留之地,之后赶忙回到了十字架刑的现场。在逾越节之后,玛利亚返回了伯赛大,她在那儿住在约翰家度过了她自然生命的余下部分。玛利亚在耶稣死后并未活过一年。[28]
1955 187:4.8 After Mary left, the other women withdrew for a short distance and remained in attendance upon Jesus until he expired on the cross, and they were yet standing by when the body of the Master was taken down for burial.
2015 187:4.8 在玛利亚离开之后,其他女人后退了一小段距离,留下守望耶稣,直到他在十字架上断气,当主的身体被拿下来去埋葬时,她们还在一旁站立。
5. LAST HOUR ON THE CROSS
5. 十字架上的最后时刻
1955 187:5.1 Although it was early in the season for such a phenomenon, shortly after twelve o’clock the sky darkened by reason of the fine sand in the air. The people of Jerusalem knew that this meant the coming of one of those hot-wind sandstorms from the Arabian Desert. Before one o’clock the sky was so dark the sun was hid, and the remainder of the crowd hastened back to the city. When the Master gave up his life shortly after this hour, less than thirty people were present, only the thirteen Roman soldiers and a group of about fifteen believers. These believers were all women except two, Jude, Jesus’ brother, and John Zebedee, who returned to the scene just before the Master expired.
1955 187:5.2 Shortly after one o’clock, amidst the increasing darkness of the fierce sandstorm, Jesus began to fail in human consciousness. His last words of mercy, forgiveness, and admonition had been spoken. His last wish—concerning the care of his mother—had been expressed. During this hour of approaching death the human mind of Jesus resorted to the repetition of many passages in the Hebrew scriptures, particularly the Psalms. The last conscious thought of the human Jesus was concerned with the repetition in his mind of a portion of the Book of Psalms now known as the twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second Psalms. While his lips would often move, he was too weak to utter the words as these passages, which he so well knew by heart, would pass through his mind. Only a few times did those standing by catch some utterance, such as, “I know the Lord will save his anointed,” “Your hand shall find out all my enemies,” and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus did not for one moment entertain the slightest doubt that he had lived in accordance with the Father’s will; and he never doubted that he was now laying down his life in the flesh in accordance with his Father’s will. He did not feel that the Father had forsaken him; he was merely reciting in his vanishing consciousness many Scriptures, among them this twenty-second Psalm, which begins with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And this happened to be one of the three passages which were spoken with sufficient clearness to be heard by those standing by.
2015 187:5.2 在一点之后不久,在猛烈沙暴的渐增黑暗中间,耶稣开始失去了人类意识。他充满仁慈、宽恕和劝诫的最后话语已经说完了。他最后的愿望 -- 关于对他母亲的照料已被表达了。在这个接近死亡的时刻期间,耶稣的人类心智诉诸于对希伯来经文、尤其是《诗篇》中许多段落的重复。人类耶稣的最后一个有意识的想法,与他在心中重复《诗篇》中一部分、现在称为第二十、 第二十一和第二十二篇有关。尽管他的双唇会时常移动,但他却非常虚弱而无法说出话语,因为这些他如此烂熟于心的段落会穿过他的脑海。只有几次站在旁边的那些人捕捉到一些话,诸如,“我知道上主会拯救他的受膏者,”“你的手必会找出我的所有敌人,”以及“我的神,我的神,你为何离弃我?”耶稣并未有一刻对他依照父的意志而活怀有最轻微的怀疑;他从未怀疑他此时是依照他父的意志放下他肉身中的生命。他并未感觉父离弃了他;他只是在他逐渐消失的意识中背诵许多经文,它们中间这第二十二篇,以“我的神,我的神,你为何离弃我?”开头,这碰巧是三段以足够清晰度所说而被站在旁边的那些人听到的段落中的一段。[30][31][32][33]
1955 187:5.3 The last request which the mortal Jesus made of his fellows was about half past one o’clock when, a second time, he said, “I thirst,” and the same captain of the guard again moistened his lips with the same sponge wet in the sour wine, in those days commonly called vinegar.
1955 187:5.4 The sandstorm grew in intensity and the heavens increasingly darkened. Still the soldiers and the small group of believers stood by. The soldiers crouched near the cross, huddled together to protect themselves from the cutting sand. The mother of John and others watched from a distance where they were somewhat sheltered by an overhanging rock. When the Master finally breathed his last, there were present at the foot of his cross John Zebedee, his brother Jude, his sister Ruth, Mary Magdalene, and Rebecca, onetime of Sepphoris.
1955 187:5.5 It was just before three o’clock when Jesus, with a loud voice, cried out, “It is finished! Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And when he had thus spoken, he bowed his head and gave up the life struggle. When the Roman centurion saw how Jesus died, he smote his breast and said: “This was indeed a righteous man; truly he must have been a Son of God.” And from that hour he began to believe in Jesus.
1955 187:5.6 Jesus died royally—as he had lived. He freely admitted his kingship and remained master of the situation throughout the tragic day. He went willingly to his ignominious death, after he had provided for the safety of his chosen apostles. He wisely restrained Peter’s trouble-making violence and provided that John might be near him right up to the end of his mortal existence. He revealed his true nature to the murderous Sanhedrin and reminded Pilate of the source of his sovereign authority as a Son of God. He started out to Golgotha bearing his own crossbeam and finished up his loving bestowal by handing over his spirit of mortal acquirement to the Paradise Father. After such a life—and at such a death—the Master could truly say, “It is finished.”
1955 187:5.7 Because this was the preparation day for both the Passover and the Sabbath, the Jews did not want these bodies to be exposed on Golgotha. Therefore they went before Pilate asking that the legs of these three men be broken, that they be dispatched, so that they could be taken down from their crosses and cast into the criminal burial pits before sundown. When Pilate heard this request, he forthwith sent three soldiers to break the legs and dispatch Jesus and the two brigands.
1955 187:5.8 When these soldiers arrived at Golgotha, they did accordingly to the two thieves, but they found Jesus already dead, much to their surprise. However, in order to make sure of his death, one of the soldiers pierced his left side with his spear. Though it was common for the victims of crucifixion to linger alive upon the cross for even two or three days, the overwhelming emotional agony and the acute spiritual anguish of Jesus brought an end to his mortal life in the flesh in a little less than five and one-half hours.
6. AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION
6. 十字架刑之后
1955 187:6.1 In the midst of the darkness of the sandstorm, about half past three o’clock, David Zebedee sent out the last of the messengers carrying the news of the Master’s death. The last of his runners he dispatched to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany, where he supposed the mother of Jesus stopped with the rest of her family.
1955 187:6.2 After the death of the Master, John sent the women, in charge of Jude, to the home of Elijah Mark, where they tarried over the Sabbath day. John himself, being well known by this time to the Roman centurion, remained at Golgotha until Joseph and Nicodemus arrived on the scene with an order from Pilate authorizing them to take possession of the body of Jesus.
2015 187:6.2 在主的死亡之后,约翰将由犹大主管的女人们送到了伊利亚·马可的家中,她们在那儿度过了安息日。约翰自己,由于到此时已为罗马人百夫长所熟知,留在各各他,直到约瑟夫和尼哥德姆带着彼拉多授权他们拿走耶稣遗体的命令抵达现场。
1955 187:6.3 Thus ended a day of tragedy and sorrow for a vast universe whose myriads of intelligences had shuddered at the shocking spectacle of the crucifixion of the human incarnation of their beloved Sovereign; they were stunned by this exhibition of mortal callousness and human perversity.
2015 187:6.3 就这样,对一个庞大宇宙来说,充满悲惨和痛苦的一天结束了,它的无数智能存有因他们挚爱君王的人类化身令人震惊的十字架刑场景而战栗;他们被凡人的麻木不仁和人类反常行为的这种表现惊呆了。