Christmas Joseph (Chinese/English)

Joseph, the other dreamer.
约瑟夫，另一个梦者。

My name is Joseph and I saw it all, I have a wife and several children, all great, but it is the oldest that is beyond remarkable.
我的名字叫约瑟夫，我看到了这一切，我有一个妻子和几个孩子，都很棒，但最年长的孩子是无与伦比的。

His name is Jesus, he is special beyond words, in every way.
他的名字叫耶稣，他在各方面都是特别的。

Let me tell you my story.
让我来讲一个故事给你

I am a carpenter, I work hard designing and crafting all kinds of things in wood, it is a very skilled job.
我是一名木匠，我努力设计和制作各种木制品，这是一份技术性的工作。

My parents were happy when I found a lovely young girl called Mary, a virgin, a sweet girl to be my wife. Preparations for the wedding were going well, when a really big problem arose, she was pregnant, how could this happen？ She told me this amazing story that an angel visited her and said the child was God’s son.
当我找到一位名叫玛丽的可爱的年轻女孩，一个处女，一个可爱的女孩成为我的妻子时，我的父母很高兴。婚礼的准备工作进行得很顺利，这个时候出现了一个大问题，她怀孕了，怎么会这样？她告诉我一个惊人的故事，一位天使拜访了她，说这个孩子是上帝的儿子。

People thought I was crazy, surely I should have her stoned to death, but something stopped me, God does things outside of our thinking you see, he works through humble servants like me and Mary.
人们认为我疯了，我肯定应该用石头把她砸死，但有些事情阻止了我，上帝做的事情超出了我们的想象，你看，他通过像我和玛丽这样的卑微的仆人工作。

I am a thoughtful person and so I decided to get rid of her quietly, but how to do this？ One night I had a dream, God himself spoke to me telling me to marry Mary and not be afraid of anyone.
我是一个深思熟虑的人，所以我决定悄悄地摆脱她，但如何做到呢？一天晚上，我做了一个梦，上帝自己对我说话，告诉我娶玛丽为妻，不要害怕任何人。

So I proceeded with our engagement, many in the town objected to Mary, so she went away to Elizabeth her cousin, who was also pregnant after years of trying.
因此，我继续我们的订婚，镇上很多人都反对玛丽，所以她去了她的表妹伊丽莎白那里，伊丽莎白经过多年的努力，也怀孕了。

When she returned, we had to go to my hometown of Bethlehem, as I am of the line of David, it was a long and dangerous journey, and Bethlehem was packed out with people, there was no room for us at any inn, one of the innkeepers, kindly gave us his stable and it was there that Jesus was born.
当她回来时，我们得去我的家乡伯利恒，因为我是大卫的后裔，这是一段漫长而危险的旅程，伯利恒挤满了人，任何旅馆都没有我们的房间，一个旅店老板好心地给了我们他的马厩，耶稣就是在那里出生的。

Even more incredible was the visit of the shepherds to us, they too, had heard from angels, my espoused wife had seen an angel and now these shepherds had.
更不可思议的是牧羊人对我们的拜访，他们也从天使那里听说了，我的妻子看到了天使，现在这些牧羊人也看到了
。
The law demanded we go up to Jerusalem to present Jesus at the temple, we offered the required sacrifice, but we were met by two people who spoke of Jesus in the most amazing way. Both Simeon and Anna, said things so amazing, we are pondering their true meaning years after.
律法要我们前往耶路撒冷，在圣殿里献祭耶稣，我们提供了所需的祭品，但我们遇到了两个人，他们用最令人惊奇的方式谈论耶稣。西面和亚拿所说的话是如此令人惊奇，我们在多年后仍在思考它们的真正含义。

We settled down to family life, but later on, we had a visit from three magi or astrologers from some far country, they had seen a star and had followed it to our home, they gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and they bowed down  and worshipped him, this child is extraordinary. This is beyond incredible, Jesus was being worshipped by these men, they indeed were wise, because wise men seek and worship Jesus.
我们开始了家庭生活，但后来，有三位来自远方国家的博士或占星家来拜访我们。他们看到了一颗星，并跟随它来到了我们家。他们给了耶稣黄金、乳香和没药作为礼物，然后鞠躬敬拜他。这个孩子很非凡。这简直令人难以置信，耶稣正受到这些人的敬拜。他们确实很有智慧，因为智者寻求并敬拜耶稣。

After they had gone back to their home country, another dream told me to go to Egypt, because something the wise men had told King Herod, he was killing all the babies under two years old, so we got out quick.
在他们返回他们的国家之后，另一个梦提示我去埃及，
因为智者告诉了希律王一些事情，他正在杀害所有两岁以下的婴儿，所以我们迅速逃离。

We returned from Egypt, but being warned in a dream, not to go to Bethlehem, we headed to Nazareth.
我们从埃及回来，但在梦中得到警示，不要去伯利恒。所以我们去了拿撒勒。

Every year we went to Jerusalem, with our children, when Jesus was twelve, he went missing.
每年我们都会带着孩子去耶路撒冷，当耶稣十二岁的时候，他失踪了。

Being the oldest, we thought he was with our party, so we continued to Nazareth, but after checking with all our co-travellers, we found out Jesus was missing.
作为最年长的，我们认为他和我们的聚会在一起，所以我们继续前往拿撒勒，但在与所有同行者核对后，我们发现耶稣不见了。

He is in Jerusalem on his own, his mother and I were beside ourselves with worry, we searched for three days, we asked everyone, no sign of him. Let’s try the temple, oh He will never be in there, we were amazed, there sitting in the midst of the temple was Jesus, asking questions of the leaders of Israel.
他独自一人在耶路撒冷，他的母亲和我担心的不得了，我们找了三天，问了每一个人，都没有他踪迹。“我们去圣殿看看吧。” 哦，他绝不可能在那里。我们很惊讶，耶稣正坐在圣殿中间，向以色列的领袖们提问。

No one would ever do that, but HIM.
从未有人这样做，除了他。

We scolded him, but he just looked up at us and said
我们责怪他，但他看向我们并且说

Didn’t you know I would be doing my father’s business
你们难道不知道我应当做我父亲的事吗？

He came back to Nazareth and was and is the perfect son, nothing upsets him, he is subject to us in all things, we couldn’t wish for a better son.
他回到拿撒勒，过去是且现在也是完美的儿子，没有什么能使他心烦意乱，他在一切事情上都顺服我们，我们不需要期待有一个比他更好的儿子。

Now tradition tells us that Joseph died, probably before Jesus started his earthly ministry.
现在传统告诉我们，约瑟去世了，可能在耶稣开始在地上传道之前。

What we do know that Joseph was an eye witness of Jesus, he saw him up close and personal.

我们确实知道约瑟是耶稣的目击者，他近距离、亲身地看到了耶稣。
Jesus was and is unique, he was conceived differently, lived differently, spoke differently, but he was perfectly human and perfectly God.. in human form.
耶稣过去和现在都是独一无二的，他的受孕方式不同，生活方式不同，说话方式也不同，但他既是完全的人，又是完全的神…… 以人的形式存在。

He was tempted in all points like we are, but without sin.
耶稣在各方面都曾像我们一样受试探，但他却没有犯罪。

Joseph knew Christ, my question this Christmas is.
约瑟认识耶稣，这个圣诞节我的问题是

Do you know Him?
你认识他吗？

During his earthly ministry, his family thought he was mad, his mother Mary believed in Him and later two of his half brothers were transformed by the power of his death and resurrection, they called themselves slaves of his.
在耶稣在地上传道期间，他的家人一度认为他疯了。然而，他的母亲马利亚始终相信他。后来，他的两个同母异父的兄弟也因他的死亡和复活的力量而发生转变，他们称自己是他的奴仆。

James and Jude and many others, had his transforming power let loose in their lives, it makes people who are sceptics believers, it makes persecutors like Paul into servants of God.
雅各和犹大以及许多其他人，都让耶稣的翻转的力量在他们的生命中释放出来。这使得原本持怀疑态度的人成为信徒，让像保罗这样的迫害者转变为上帝的仆人。

Trust in Christ’s transforming power this Christmas, Joseph and Mary, James and Jude had their lives transformed, millions and millions have seen their lives transformed.
在这个圣诞节，让我们相信基督的翻转的力量。约瑟和马利亚、雅各和犹大，他们的生命都被改变了。千百万的人也见证了自己的生命被翻转。

Jesus came to save his people from their sins, to bring life through his death and resurrection
耶稣降临是为了将他的子民从罪中拯救出来，通过他的死亡和复活带来生命。

Trust Him this Christmas.
在这个圣诞节来信靠他。

GOD BLESS YOU