(Based on the website http://jesus-is.org/)
If I asked you to complete the following sentence, how would you do so?
下記の文を完成してくださいと言われたら、どうしますか？
Jesus is _________.
イエスは _________.
Some of you might give a very Christian answer like ‘Lord’ or ‘Saviour’ or ‘Son of God’ or ‘Messiah’.
Some of you might not really know and give an answer like ‘Not sure’, ‘A guy who lived a long, long time ago’, ‘a wise man’, ‘ the founder of a religion’, ‘a teacher’ etc.
Some people give angry responses: ‘a liar’, ‘a deceiver’, ‘imaginary’, ‘irrelevant’, ‘evil’
Regardless of how you complete this sentence, one thing I can tell you without any doubt is that the way you complete it [this sentence] (including non-completion) will shape the rest of your life, one way or another.
この文をどのように完成させるか（完成させないのも含めて）があなたの残りの人生を何らかの方法で形作るのです。
Today, I want to help you complete this sentence.
We Christians like to talk about Jesus. To do this we sometimes for help use:
私たちクリスチャンはイエスについて話すのが好きです。
diagrams (image)
graphs (image)
pictures (image)
symbols (image)
figurative images (image)
cartoons (image)
movie clips (image)
colours (image)
numbers (image)
music (image)
But sometimes these can become distractions rather than clear answers to who Jesus really was and is.
Today, I’m not going to use any of these. I’d like to [simply] pair it right back and use the simplest, most reliable and accurate means of explaining Jesus: words. The words of the Bible.
今日はこれらのものを使わないで、ただ言葉だけを使いたいと思います。
The Bible provides us with a complete and very reliable record of Jesus life and teachings on earth. And Jesus’ teachings can, simply put, be divided into two categories:
イエスの教えは簡単に２つのカテゴリーに分けられます：
1. Teachings about God and man
神と人についての教え
2. Teachings about Himself
イエスご自身についての教え
1. Teachings about God and Man
神と人についての教え
Jesus taught a lot about God and the kingdom of heaven.
He taught us that God is a God of great love and justice. A God who is willing to sacrifice a great deal to find people where they are and bring them into his love.
神は偉大な愛の神だと教えられました。
He taught us that God is a God who cares very much for the underdog – for the down and out, the marginalised, the weak, the lost, the scared, the hurting, the suffering.
神は苦しんでいる者をとても気にかけてくださる神だと教えられました。
He taught us how to pray.
どのように祈るかを教えられました。
He taught us that God is not about rules to follow but a relationship to enjoy.
神は従うべきルールについてではなく、楽しむ関係だと教えられました。
He taught us to be active in bringing justice and generosity into our societies.
社会に正義と寛大さを積極的にもたらすことを教えられました。
He taught us that we are to love one another – even our enemies – just as God loves us. What a beautiful, simple, life-changing teaching!
神が私たちを愛するように私たちも互いに愛し合うべきだと教えられました。私たちの敵でさえも。
He taught us that we should freely forgive each other just as God forgives us when we turn to Him.
私たちが神に立ち返るとき神が私たちを赦してくださるように私たちも互いを惜しみなく赦しあうべきだと教えられました。
What makes these teachings all the more remarkable and powerful is that Jesus dramatically demonstrated this love. It wasn’t just talk.
これらの教えがいっそう注目すべきで力があるのはイエスがこの愛を劇的に実践したからです。語るだけではありませんでした。
He went out of His way to care for and love the unloved. To accept the unacceptable.
He physically healed the sick.
He physically provided for people when they were in need.
愛されていない者を思いやり愛するために力を尽くしました。
病んでいる者を癒しました。
困っている人たちに必要なものを与えました。
And so we see Jesus’ life and teachings about God and man. And these words and acts of love made Him extremely popular at the time and remain to this day extremely popular teachings and memories.
But there is more to Jesus.
しかしそれだけではありません。
2. Jesus also taught us about Himself. And here’s where it gets tricky for some people.
イエスはご自身についても教えられました。そしてここでひっかかる人もいるのです。
Listen carefully because what I’m about to share with you is literally life-changing.
Jesus said: “I have authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man:
“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven…I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
Matthew 9:2,6
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
Jesus said:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. John 11:25,26
These statements are, frankly, outrageous.
これらの発言ははっきり言ってとんでもないものです。
– Jesus claims equality with God in being able to forgive sins.
イエスは罪を赦すことができる神と平等をと主張します。
– He claims to be the only way to God. Not one of many. The only way.
神への唯一の道だと主張します。たくさんある中の一つではなく、唯一の道だと。
‐ And he claimed that if any believed in Him they would never die (spiritually) – they were assured of eternal life in heaven.
イエスを信じる者は決して死なない（霊的に） と主張します。天国での永遠の命を保証されました。
It’s outrageous statements like these that stir such emotion and provoke the sort of responses that we saw at the start.
(image)
This request to complete the sentence (“Jesus is _________”) is not a new one. In fact, Jesus, asked it himself. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?”
They gave some interesting answers to that but then Jesus made it personal. He turned to Peter and said, “What about you? Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
And Jesus told Him that this was true – not a cold, academic truth but one upon which the whole Christian faith would be established.
(“イエスは_________”)という文を完成させなさいというのは新しいことではありません。実際、イエスご自身が尋ねています。
What about you? Who do you say that Jesus is?
あなたはどうですか？イエスを誰だと言いますか？
Before you answer that, let me address something that should be on your mind.
How do we know that what Jesus was saying is true? If we can be sure it’s true then maybe we can believe that He really is the Son of God, the Messiah, the only way to God and the giver of eternal life.
イエスが言っていることが本当だとどうしたら分かりますか？それが本当だと確信できるならイエスは本当に神の御子、メシヤ、神への唯一の道、永遠の命を与える方だと信じることができるでしょう。
But if we can’t be sure that these things are true, then why should we base our life on such teachings?
しかしこれらのことが本当だと確信できないのなら、そのような教えに人生を土台とできるでしょうか？
Good question.
Now here comes the good news.
いい質問です。
ここにいい知らせがあるのです。
Jesus proved it.
He proved His claim to deity. He proved His power. He proved His authority. He proved that His love is the real deal when He died on the cross and then rose from the dead. This is the proof. This is the gospel! This is Christianity.
イエスはそれを証明しました。
神であることを証明しました。力を証明しました。権威を証明しました。イエスの愛は十字架で死なれ、死からよみがえったときに本物だと証明しました。これが福音です。これがキリスト教です。
When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for our sins.
When he rose from the dead, he brought with Him new life for all who believe in Him.
イエスは十字架の上で死なれたとき、私たちの罪の代価を払われました。
死からよみがえったとき、信じる者にはみな新しい命をお与えになりました。
This is how we know it’s true. Jesus rose from the dead, witnessed physically by hundreds at the time and witnessed spiritually by millions of people around the world to this day because Jesus is as alive today as He was on that resurrection morning 2,000 years ago.
イエスは2000年前の復活の朝と同じように今日も生きているのです。
Jesus is alive today to bring the love of God into people’s lives, to bring forgiveness for sins, to bring release from the bondage of sin habits, to bring healing to people’s bodies and minds, guidance for living, comfort for the afflicted, fellowship for the lonely, joy for the sad and peace for the tormented.
イエスは神の愛を人々の人生に、罪の赦し、罪の習慣の束縛からの解放、人々の心と身体の癒し、人生の手引き、悩める者に慰め、孤独な者に交わり、悲しむ者に喜び、苦しむ者に平安をもたらすために今日も生きているのです。
2,000 years ago, Jesus gave an invitation to those who were listening to Him. He said,
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11
Today, the risen Jesus gives exactly the same invitation:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11
Today, I would like to give an invitation to those who have never known Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. He lived a perfect life, was killed and three days later rose from the dead. And He lives today! This is the gospel. Jesus is resurrected. We serve a risen Lord! By his death, he removed our sins from us and made us right with God. By His resurrection He gives us new, full life both now and for eternity. But these gifts of forgiveness and new life must be received by repentance and faith. If you would like to receive the forgiveness of sins, the promise of new life and to live a life filled with and led by the Spirit of God, I invite you to come forward in a minute and take communion, marking your entry into a new life in Christ.
今日はイエス・キリストをまだ知らない人に招きをしたいと思います。イエス・キリストは人となられた神です。罪なき人生を生き、殺され、3日後によみがえりました。そして今生きています！これが福音です。死によって、イエスは私たちの罪を取り去り、神と正しい関係にしてくださいました。復活によって、イエスは新しい豊かな人生を今、そして永遠に与えてくれます。しかしこれらの赦しと新しい人生の賜物は悔い改めと信仰によって受け入れなければなりません。罪の赦しと新しい人生の約束を受け入れ、神の御霊に満たされ、導かれた人生を生きたい人は、キリストにある新しい人生の中に入るしるしとして、あとで前に出てきて、聖餐式にあずかってください。
You can’t add God to your collection of loves and trusts. When you give your life to Christ you forsake all else.
あなたの愛と信頼のコレクションに神を加えることはできません。人生をキリストにゆだねるとき、ほかのすべてのことは捨てるのです。
In a minute I will ask you all to come forward and receive the elements of communion.
The bread and the wine are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ and taking them marks a person’s entrance into and surrender to the body of Christ and the life of His church. If you have never taken communion before or haven’t for a long time but tonight would like to commit or re-commit your life to Christ, I invite you to come forward with the others and receive prayer and the elements.
このあとすぐに聖餐式にあずかるよう前に出てきてもらいます。パンとぶどう酒はイエス・キリストの体と血の象徴で、それらを受けることによりキリストの体とキリストの教会生活に入り、ゆだねることを示します。今までに聖餐式を受けたことがないけれども、今晩、キリストに人生をゆだねたい、または長いことあずかっていないけれども、もう一度キリストに人生をゆだねたいと思う方は、いっしょに前に出てきて祈ってもらい聖餐にあずかってください。
Take a moment to examine your lives and when you are ready, please come forward.
自分の生き方をよく省みる時間を取って、準備ができたら前に出てきてください。