少儿圣经故事:好牧人/The good shepherd

（单词翻译）

??Do you know anything about sheep？If you do, then you know that is not the animal you would choose to be like! Sheep are pretty dumb and helpless. They get lost easily, they can't defend themselves against other animals. They cannot take care of themselves and find their own food. Sheep are easily frightened. That's why sheep need a shepherd. Today, we read about a shepherd.

??The Bible says that once when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, He was looking at a crowd of people walking around in the wilderness¹. Do you think Jesus saw them as rich and poor, old and young, sick and well, pretty or ugly, smart or dumb？No. The Bible says Jesus had compassion² on them for He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. They were like lost sheep, lost in their sin. How the Lord Jesus loved them! He knew they were helpless and needed a shepherd. And the Good Shepherd knew He had come to help them. But not just the people way back then. For the Lord Jesus knows all about you, and loves you too, and wants to help you!

??John 10：11 tells how the Lord Jesus helps us."I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." John 10：11. Let's read it together now. We know the good shepherd means Jesus. Let's say his name where it says ？the good shepherd." JESUS is the good shepherd. JESUS gives his life for the sheep. And who are the sheep？Yes! Us! Jesus was really saying, "I will take YOUR punishment for sin. And that means I will die in your place." Even though Jesus proved He was the Good Shepherd by His love for people, still some in that very crowd hated Him. They did not believe He was the Son of God, even though they saw the wonderful miracles He did, and heard His wonderful words. They did not want to follow the Lord Jesus, and kept on going their own way."Why do you listen to Him？" they asked the rest of the crowd. Do you know what some of them did？John 10：31, 39 tells us："Then the Jews took up stones？to stone him.？" " they tried again to take him：but he escaped out of their hand." Later, however, they arrested the Lord Jesus and brought Him to trial.

??Do you think Jesus' enemies gave Him a fair trial？When Pilate, the Roman governor, questioned Jesus, he could find no fault in Him. Why couldn't he？Because Jesus is the perfect Son of God, and He had done nothing wrong. Evil men came as false witnesses to lie to Pilate. Although Jesus knew they were lying, He did not open His mouth to defend Himself. The angry people shouted out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Finally Pilate was persuaded to let the crowd have their way, and they led Jesus out to crucify Him. Do you think Jesus could have stopped all this？After all, He is the Son of God Who has the power to do ANYTHING. Yes, and Let's just read how Jesus used His power. John 10：17-18 tells us："" my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and have power to take it again." It was the power of love Jesus was showing now.

??Soldiers took the Lord Jesus to a hill called Mount Calvary to crucify Him. To die by crucifixion meant they nailed the Lord Jesus by His hands and feet to a rough wooden cross. It was a slow and very painful death to die. There was a crowd gathered ？round to watch His death. Most were enemies of the Lord Jesus and in Matthew 27：40-42 we read that they cried out, "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. The chief priests mocked him, with the scribes and elders, saying, "He saved others; but he cannot save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." They didn't understand, did they, boys and girls, that Jesus was not trying to save Himself. He was willing to die to save you and me. Let's say our Bible verse again, John 10：11. Jesus used His power to stay on that cross. He knew the blood that came from His head, His hands and His feet would be the payment for your sin. Leviticus 17：11 says, ？" for it is the blood that makes an atonement (or payment) for your souls."

??Finally Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" and He gave up His life. The Good Shepherd had given His life for you and me. Later friends came and took Jesus' body down from the cross and buried Him in a rich man's burial place, called a sepulchre, or tomb. It was a cave-like place, and instead of a door, a big stone was rolled in front of the opening.

??Jesus' enemies again went to Pilate. In Matthew (27：63; 20：19) we read their words to Pilate："Sir, we remember that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, "After three days I will rise again." Command that the tomb be guarded until the third day, because his disciples³ may try to come by night and steal his body and tell all the people that he is risen from the dead." Was Jesus a deceiver？Was he lying when He said, "I have the power to lay down my life and I have the power to take it again？" We will see! Pilate sent guards to watch the tomb day and night. Did they have the power to keep Jesus from coming back to life？Perhaps everyone thought they did, but the Bible says very early on the 3rd day there was a great earthquake, and a mighty⁴ angel came from Heaven and rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb. There was no one in the tomb!! Jesus was risen from the dead! The frightened soldiers ran into the city to tell the news. Jesus WAS alive, for He DID have the power to come back to life! 40 days later the Lord Jesus went back to Heaven, to His special place of honor at the right hand of God. He is still the Good Shepherd!

??If you have received the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He is your Good Shepherd! He has saved you from your sin and He is caring for you every day. One day you will be with Him in Heaven.

??But maybe you never knew you needed Jesus to be your Shepherd. You are that sheep that is still lost and going his own way, far away from God. Without the Lord Jesus, you will be lost forever in your sin, never able to be with God in Heaven. Jesus came to give His life to save you from that sin. I Corinthians 15：3 says, "Christ died for our sin." The Lord Jesus is alive in Heaven now, waiting to save you from sin, waiting to become YOUR Good Shepherd. Romans 10：9 says, "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Like a little lost sheep, you can call out to Jesus and ask Him to save you right now. Will you go right now to ？How to Be a Child of God？"

??If you have believed on the Lord Jesus and asked Him to save you, He is already your

??Good Shepherd forever! Jesus says in John 10：27-28："My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me：And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Let's remember that wonderful truth by using our hand. Open your hand out wide. Think of this hand as being the Lord Jesus' hand. The thumb can be you. Now bend your thumb toward the middle of your hand, and close all the other fingers over it. Think of how you are SAFE FOREVER in the hand of your Good Shepherd. Can anyone remove you from the hand of Jesus' No! But now open your other hand out wide. Imagine your OTHER hand is God the Father. Now place your other hand over the first one as you listen to this verse from John 10：29："My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." You're in Jesus' hand and the Father's! You are double safe FOREVER! Can Satan pull you out of those wonderful hands？??When you are afraid, or feel lonely, when others make fun of you as a Christian⁵, remember Jesus' promise. He also says in Hebrews 13：5 "I will never leave thee."

??Talk to your Good Shepherd all through the day. That's called prayer. And when you read your Bible, That's called ？listening？to your Good Shepherd, for He speaks to you through His Word. Most of all, OBEY your Good Shepherd, for He knows what's best for you! Aren't you glad you have a Good Shepherd Who loves and cares for you every day？Let's thank Him right now for all His goodness to us.

??小朋友们, 你知道羊有什么特点吗？如果你知道的话, 我相信你一定不愿意当一只羊。羊实在很笨, 又没有什么本事, 它们很容易就走丢, 而且如果有别的动物欺负它们, 它们也不会保护自己。 它们甚至不能自己找东西吃, 而且还很容易就被吓到。所以, 羊需要牧人来照看它们。今天, 我们就要讲到牧人的故事。

??圣经里说当主耶稣在世上的时候, 有一次, 他看到许多的人在旷野里走, 他并没有把他们分成穷人, 富人, 老人, 年轻人, 生病的, 健康的, 好看的, 难看的, 聪明的, 或者是笨的。圣经里说主耶稣就怜悯他们, 因为他们如同羊没有牧人一般。他们就象迷失的羊, 迷失在他们的罪里。主耶稣好爱他们!他知道他们需要一个牧人来帮助他们。主耶稣这位好牧人知道他来的目的就是要帮助他们。不仅仅是那个时候的人, 主耶稣也认识你, 也一样爱你, 而且也愿意来帮助你。

??约翰福音10章11节讲到主耶稣要怎样帮助我们, 他说："我是好牧人, 好牧人为羊舍命。"我们知道好牧人就是耶稣。所以这句话可以这样说："耶稣是好牧人, 耶稣为羊舍命。"那羊是谁呢？对!就是我们!耶稣实际在说："我为你承担对罪的惩罚, 我要代替你死, "虽然耶稣对人的爱证明他就是好牧人, 但是在那群人中还是有人恨他。他们不相信他就是神的儿子, 虽然他们已经看到了他所行的神绩, 听见他所说的话。他们还是不想跟随耶稣, 只想走他们自己的路。他们对别的人说："你们为什么要听他的呢？"你知道吗？约翰福音10章31, 39节告诉我们："犹太人又拿起石头来要打他。"他们又要拿他, 他却逃出他们的手走了。"后来, 他们还是把耶稣抓起来审判他。

??你觉得那些恨耶稣的人会公平地审判他吗？当罗马的巡府彼拉多审问耶稣的时候, 他找不到耶稣有什么罪。为什么呢？因为耶稣是神完美的儿子, 他从来没有犯过罪。但是有恶人到彼拉多面前来做假见证。虽然耶稣知道他们在说谎, 但他并没有为自己辩解。愤怒的人群喊叫著说："钉他十字架!钉他十字架!"最后彼拉多向这些人屈服, 把耶稣带出去钉十字架。　　主耶稣能够阻止他们吗？当然!因为他是神的儿子, 他是无所不能的。让我们看看耶稣有怎样的权能。约翰福音10章17-18节说："我父爱我, 因我将命舍去, 好再取回来。没有人夺我的命去, 是我自己舍的。我有权柄舍了, 也有权柄取回来, 这是我从我父所受的命令。"耶稣所表现的是爱的能力。

??士兵们把主耶稣带到加略山去钉十字架。钉十字架是非常残酷的刑罚。他们把耶稣的手和脚钉在粗糟的木制十字架上。被钉的人要经历长久的痛苦才会慢慢死去。很多人围著看他死。很多是恨耶稣的人。马太福音27章40-42节讲到, 这些人说："你如果是神的儿子, 就从十字架上下来吧!"祭司长和文士并长老也是这样戏弄他, 说："他救了别人, 不能救自己。他是以色列的王, 现在可以从十字架上下来, 我们就信他。"小朋友们, 这些人实在是不懂, 耶稣并没有要救他自己。他情愿用他的死来拯救我们。让我们再说一遍今天的圣经经节：约翰福音10章11节："我是好牧人, 好牧人为羊舍命。"耶稣没有从十字架上下来。他知道从他额头, 他的手和脚所流出的血将成为为我们赎罪的代价。利未记17章11节说："我把这血赐给你们, 可以…为你们的生命赎罪。"

??最后, 耶稣说："成了!" , 就把他的生命舍了。这位好牧人为你为我舍了生命。后来, 耶稣的朋友来把他的身体从十字架上取下来, 埋葬在一个有钱人的坟墓里。这个坟墓就象一个洞穴, 它没有门, 而是滚一块大石头挡在门口。

??那些恨耶稣的人又去到罗马的巡府彼拉多那里。在马太福音(27：63;20：19), 我们读到他们对彼拉多说："大人, 我们记得那诱惑人的还活著的时候, 曾说：'三日后我要复活'。因此, 请吩咐人将坟墓把守妥当, 直到第三日, 恐怕他的门徒来把他偷了去, 就告诉百姓说：'他从死里复活了。'"耶稣真的是诱惑人的吗？当他说："我有权柄[将生命]舍了, 也有权柄取回来。"他是在骗人吗？让我们接著看。彼拉多派人日夜看守坟墓。他们能使耶稣不复活吗？也许他们这样认为。但圣经说第三天的一大清早, 有一个大地震, 有天使从天上下来, 把石头从坟墓门口滚开。坟墓是空的, 耶稣已经从死里复活了。看守的人吓得浑身乱战, 赶快跑到城里去报告。耶稣复活了, 因为他有权柄将生命取回来。40天后, 耶稣回到天上, 坐在神的右边。他仍然是我们的好牧人。

??如果你已经相信主耶稣, 他就是你的好牧人。他把你从罪中拯救出来, 并每天看顾你。有一天, 你将要在天上和他永远在一起。

??也许你从来不知道你需要耶稣做你的好牧人。你就象一只迷失的羊, 远离神而走自己的路。没有耶稣, 你就永远失丧在罪中, 不能到天上与神在一起。耶稣来, 把命舍了, 就是要把你从罪中拯救出来。哥林多前书15章3节说："基督为我们的罪死了。"主耶稣现在在天上活著, 他正等待著把你从罪中拯救出来, 并成为你的好牧人。罗马书10章9节说："你若口里认耶稣为主, 心里信神叫他从死里复活, 就必得救。"就象一只迷失的羊羔, 你可以对耶稣说话, 让他现在就来拯救你。请你现在就去听："怎样成为神的孩子" , 并照那里所说的去做。

??如果你已经相信主耶稣, 并让他来拯救你, 他就早已经成为你的好牧人到永远。耶稣在约翰福音10章27-28节说："我的羊听我的声音, 我也认识他们, 他们也跟著我;我又赐给他们永生, 他们永不灭亡, 谁也不能从我手里把他们夺去。"让我们来用手记住这个真理。把手张开, 想象这就是主耶稣的手。大拇指就是你。现在把拇指握在手心, 把手纂起来。在好牧人的手中, 你是多么地安全。谁能把你从耶稣的手中抢走呢？没有人!把你另外一只手张开, 想象这只手代表天父。当你听到下面这个经节, 就用这只手纂住第一只手。约翰福音10章29节说："我父把羊赐给我, 他比万有都大, 谁也不能从我父手里把他们夺去。"你在耶稣和天父的手里, 你的安全就有双保险。撒但能把你从这一双手里夺去吗？??当你害怕, 或觉得孤单的时候, 当别人因为你是基督徒而嘲笑你的时候, 记住耶稣的应许。他在希伯莱书13章5节说："我总不撇下你, 也不丢你。"

??每一天, 你要和你的好牧人说话, 这叫做祷告。当你读圣经的时候, 你就是在伶听好牧人对你说话。他通过圣经对你说话。最重要的, 要顺服你的好牧人, 因为他知道什么对你是最好的。我们有一个这么好的牧人, 每天来爱我们, 看顾我们。让我们现在就来感谢!