一次聖誕慶典，為何有兩天——平安夜與聖誕節？

我自幼便是有信仰的人。然而今天，在聖誕平安夜，我心中忽然浮現一個溫柔的屬靈提醒，讓我停下來問一個看似簡單的問題：

為什麼紀念耶穌降生，會有平安夜，然後才是聖誕節？

答案，其實比現代習俗更為深遠。

在耶穌時代的猶太文化中——也是深深植根於聖經的生活節奏裡——新的一天是從日落開始，而不是午夜。聖經多次記載：「有晚上，有早晨……」

因此，在這種合乎聖經的時間觀裡，一天的開始，其實是前一晚。

而我們今日在**公曆（Gregorian calendar）**中所實踐的——先有平安夜，後有聖誕節——或許在不經意間，仍然回響著這個古老而屬靈的節奏。換句話說，平安夜不僅是聖誕節的前一晚，而是我們踏入聖誕節的開始。

這一點格外重要，因為耶穌正是在夜裡，靜靜地進入這個世界。牧羊人在黑夜中看守羊群時，天使顯現，宣告關乎萬民的大喜信息。光在黑暗中照亮，希望在黎明前來到。其後，遠方的博士踏上尋主之路，並非被熱鬧或權勢吸引，而是被信心與順服引導。聖誕的開始，不是喧囂與力量，而是等待——是天靠近地，也是神靠近人。

因此，每一個在世上的聖誕節，不僅是一個文化節慶，更是一個屬靈的記念，提醒我們耶穌為何而來。聖經清楚指出，祂的降生帶著明確的目的。正如 Crossway 一篇文章所整理的，耶穌來到世上，是為了：

揭露人對神的誤解與悖逆

成為拯救罪人的代贖

把光帶進黑暗的世界

得著父神的榮耀

（全文連結：https://www.crossway.org/articles/4-things-jesus-came-to-do/ ）

聖誕不只指向馬槽，更指向十字架，並且超越十字架，通往救贖與榮耀。

這正是為何「記念聖誕中的基督」依然重要。聖誕不只是情感或季節氣氛，而是一個提醒：盼望、喜樂、平安與愛——象徵於將臨期的燭光中——並非抽象的理念，而是因祂而成為真實的禮物。

無論你是從信仰、傳統，或靜靜的好奇心走近這個節期，平安夜都輕聲向我們提出一個問題：

如果我們所渴望的光，真的已經進入世界，而且至今仍然照亮著呢？

誠然，這是歡樂的季節；但更深一層，這也是一個記念——記念祂為何而來的季節。

而祂的好消息，昔日如此，今日亦然，是為萬國、萬民而來的。

#平安夜 #記念聖誕中的基督 #光進入世界 #好消息臨到萬民

One Christmas celebration. Why two days - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

I have been a person of faith since childhood. Yet today, on Christmas Eve, I felt a gentle spiritual nudge to pause and ask a simple question:

Why is there a Christmas Eve, followed by a Christmas Day, to remember the birth of Jesus?

The answer reaches deeper than modern tradition.

In Jewish culture—shaping daily life in Jesus’ time and rooted in the Bible—a new day begins at sunset, not at midnight. Scripture repeatedly tells us, “There was evening, and there was morning…”

So in this biblical understanding of time, the evening before a day is actually the beginning of that day.

What we practice today in the Gregorian calendar—marking Christmas Eve before Christmas Day—is, perhaps unknowingly, still echoing this ancient, biblical rhythm. In that sense, Christmas Eve is not merely the night before Christmas; it is our entrance into Christmas Day.

This matters, because Jesus entered the world quietly, in the night. Shepherds were watching their flocks in the darkness when angels appeared, announcing good news of great joy. Light broke into the night, and hope arrived before the dawn. In time, wise men from afar began their journey, seeking the Child, guided not by spectacle but by faith and obedience. Christmas did not start with noise or power, but with waiting—with heaven drawing near to earth, and God drawing near to us.

Each Christmas on earth, then, is not only a cultural celebration but a spiritual remembrance of why Jesus was born. Scripture reminds us that His coming was purposeful. As thoughtfully outlined in a recent Crossway article, Jesus came to:

Expose misunderstanding and disobedience

Provide a sacrifice for the salvation of sinners

Bring light into the world

Be glorified by the Father

(Full article: https://www.crossway.org/articles/4-things-jesus-came-to-do/ )

Christmas points us not just to a manger, but forward to the cross—and beyond that, to redemption and glory. This is why the invitation to “remember the Christ in Christmas” still matters. Christmas is more than sentiment or seasonality. It is a reminder that hope, joy, peace, and love—symbolized in the Advent candles—are not abstract ideals, but gifts made possible through Him.

Whether one approaches this season through faith, tradition, or quiet curiosity, Christmas Eve gently asks us to consider this:

What if the light we long for truly entered the world—and still does?

'Tis the season to be jolly, yes—but more deeply, 'tis the season to remember why He came.

And His good news, then as now, is for all nations.

#ChristmasEve #ChristInChristmas #LightIntoTheWorld #GoodNewsForAllNations