earliest reliable tradition tells us was written by a guy named John Mark.

早期可信的傳統告訴我們, 約翰馬可寫了這本書

Now, Mark didn’t just grab a bunch of random stories about Jesus and throw them together.

他可不是隨便把耶穌的故事湊一湊而已

He’s designed this book to address some really specific questions about whether or not Jesus was the Jewish Messiah.

他是要闡述耶穌是否為猶太人的彌賽亞

So let’s stop right there, because that’s a term a lot of people like me are not familiar with.

讓我來解釋一下"彌賽亞", 這個大家都不太瞭解的詞

The Messiah was a royal figure, sometimes called ‘the son of god’,

"彌賽亞"是尊貴的形象, 有時我們稱為"上帝的兒子"

that Israel was expecting to come and set up a Kingdom here on earth.

以色列人期待祂的到來和祂在地上的王國

Around the time of Jesus, Israel was occupied by Rome

在耶穌的年代, 羅馬統治以色列

and so many Jews were hoping that the Messiah would come and overthrow the Romans and rule as King.

猶太人期盼"彌賽亞"到來成為王並推翻羅馬

But Jesus didn’t overthrow the Romans, in fact, he was killed by them.

但耶穌並沒有推翻羅馬, 反被他們殺了

And that brings us to the very issues Mark is trying to get at in his book.

所以馬可想要在福音書中解釋這個問題

So in the first half, he focuses on WHO Jesus is, 'is he really the messiah?'

福音書的前半部, 在討論耶穌是誰, 他真的是"彌賽亞"嗎?

And then in the second half he's addressing HOW Jesus became the Messianic king

福音書的後半部, 在討論耶穌如何成為"彌賽亞"

and right here in the middle of the book is this pivotal story that brings the two halves together,

福音書的中間是故事的重點, 聯結了前半部和後半部

and Jesus answers both of these questions.

耶穌解釋了這兩個問題

So lets talk about the first half of the book - Who Jesus is

我們先來討論前半部, "耶穌是誰"?

So Mark, makes his beliefs about Jesus very clear from the first line of the book:

馬可開宗明義就表明他對耶穌的確信

“the beginning of the good news about Jesus, the messiah, the son of God”.

"上帝的兒子, 耶穌基督福音的起頭"

One of the next stories is Jesus getting baptized,

接著耶穌受洗

and God’s voice announces from heaven: “This is my Son”.

上帝的聲音從天上來, 說"你是我的愛子,我喜悅你"

So it couldn’t really be more clear, they’re presenting Jesus as the Messiah.

這很清楚地說明耶穌是"彌賽亞"

Yes, but, as you’re reading through the first half of Mark, you’ll notice something really interesting start to happen.

不過, 有意思的事要發生了

Jesus is healing all these different people, and constantly telling them to keep quiet about who he is.

耶穌開始醫治許多人, 卻請他們不要告訴別人

This happens so many times in Mark’s account, it’s very strange.

這樣的狀況不斷出現, 真的很奇特

Yeah, why keep it a secret?

為什麼不能說?

Remember, lots of Jews had lots of different expectations about what the messiah would be and do,

猶太人對"彌賽亞"有不同的期望和期許

so Jesus doesn’t want people to misunderstand what it means for him to be the Messiah.

所以耶穌不希望猶太人誤解"彌賽亞"的本義

So, with that in mind, we now get to the pivotal story at the center of the book

所以我們來到故事的重點

where Jesus takes his disciples away and asks, “Who do you all say that I am.”

耶穌問他的門徒:"你們說我是誰?"

And Peter says what everyone has been saying “your are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

如同其他人一樣的想法, 彼得回答說:"你是基督"

But then something new happens, Jesus starts explaining to them How he’s going to become the messianic King,

耶穌開始解釋他會如何成為"彌賽亞"

and it’s not what they expected:

但並不是猶太人所期待的樣子

he says he’s going to ‘suffer and die’ and rule by being a servant, or in his words,

耶穌說他是一個僕人, 他會"受苦然後死亡",

The Son of Man didn’t come to be served but to become a servant and give his life as a ransom for many.”

上帝的兒子不被人服侍而是服侍別人, 並為眾人贖罪

Peter’s so startled by this he rebukes Jesus because there is no way he is going to let Jesus die.

耶穌的解釋讓彼得吃了一驚, 彼得不可能讓耶穌去送死

And Jesus responds, Get behind me Satan. Which is really intense.

但耶穌說:"撒旦, 退我後邊去吧!", 如此激動地述說

It really is, but it highlights how important it for Jesus that his disciples come to understand who he really is;

這也突顯出耶穌希望門徒瞭解真正的他

so in this pivotal section, Jesus tries 3x to have this conversation with them, and each they respond in confusion, and even fear.

在這關鍵的段落, 耶穌用三次不同的對話和門徒敘說

and each they respond in confusion, and even fear.

門徒們都很困惑和驚慌

OK, so this launches us into the second half of the book where Mark addresses the question of how Jesus becomes the messianic king.

接著我們來到了後半部, 馬可告訴我們耶穌如何成為"彌賽亞"

this is the last week of Jesus’ life, where Jesus goes to to Jerusalem,

這是耶穌在世的最後一週, 耶穌正要前往耶路撒冷

gets into conflict with the religious leaders and gets arrested…

他和宗教領袖有衝突後被抓走

He’s put on trial as someone claiming to be king of the Jews.

他因自稱為猶大的王而遭受審判

He’s even given a crown and purple robe, like a king would get, but it’s all a cruel joke,

為了嘲笑他, 他們讓耶穌戴上荊棘皇冠, 身穿紫袍

then he is mocked and beaten and hung on the cross where he dies.

他被嘲弄鞭打, 釘死在十字架上

And at this crucial scene there is a new character

這時有個人出現在故事中的重要環節

A Roman Soldier

一位羅馬士兵

who suddenly gets everything that is going on...

他突然瞭解一件事

he says “surely this is the Son of God”

他說: "耶穌就是上帝的兒子"

which is crazy, it’s an enemy who’s first putting it all together, that Israel’s messianic king is the crucified Jesus.

竟然是敵人最先瞭解, 被釘的耶穌就是以色列人的"彌賽亞"

That is the structure of the book of Mark, but the book doesn’t end with Jesus dead on the cross.

這就是馬可福音的大綱, 但並未結束在耶穌被釘死

No, on the 3rd day some women go to visit Jesus’ tomb,

在第三天, 幾位婦人去看耶穌的墓

only to find that the it’s empty and there’s this angel standing there instructing them

她們發現墓是空的, 有位天使告訴她們說:

“go and tell” this good news that Jesus is alive from the dead.

"去傳好消息", 因為耶穌復活了

But instead they run away, and don’t tell anyone because they are afraid... And that is how the book ends.

但她們因為害怕而逃跑, 也沒跟任何人說,

Which is a really abrupt ending.

這結局真的很突兀

Yeah, so abrupt that later scribes did add an ending that brings more closure to the story,

所以後來又加上一些敘述讓故事比較完整

you’ll find that story in your bible with a footnote that it was added much later.

在聖經中你會看到一個註脚, 那是後來才加上去的

But Mark’s a brilliant storyteller, and he intentionally ended the book abruptly,

馬可是一個很棒的敘述者, 他出奇不意地結束故事

All through the book the disciples have been confused about Jesus’ plan to give up his life,

在整本福音書中, 我們看到耶穌的門徒不瞭解為什麼耶穌會死

the story in the middle and now here at the end.

不論是在福音書的中間或結束

it's like Mark is acknowledging just how startling this claim really is.

馬可好像在確認這驚人的故事

and he wants you the reader to wrestle with it for yourself:

他希望讀者可以想想

is the crucified Jesus really the Messiah they have been waiting for?

"被釘的耶穌是否就是那位彌賽亞"?