Homily on the Three-Day Resurrection

819 ^A to make him a faithful man, as he says concerning Lazarus: “Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” And a voice came from heaven saying: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:28). “I know that thou hearest me always; but because of the multitude standing by I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.” If, therefore, he endured anything, it was not for his own sake, nor for the sake of his Father, but that he might save the human race through the cross. And if you desire to know, beloved, the power of the cross, and how many things I could say to its praise, hear: The cross is the hope of Christians, the cross is the resurrection of the dead, the cross is the guide of the blind, the cross is the hope of those in despair, the cross is the way for the erring, the cross is the avenger of those who have suffered injury, the cross is the staff of the lame, the cross is the consolation of the poor, the cross is the bridle for the rich, the cross is the suppression of the proud, the cross is the repentance of those who live wickedly, the cross is a trophy against demons, the cross is the destruction of the devil, the cross is the teacher of infants, the cross is the support of the destitute, the cross is the pilot of those who sail, the cross is the harbor for those tossed by the storm, the cross is a wall for the obsessed, the cross is the father of orphans, the cross is the defender of widows, the cross is the judge of the unrighteous, the cross is the column of the righteous, the cross is the rest of the afflicted, the cross is the guardian of infants, the cross is the head of men, the cross is the end for the elders, the cross is light for those sitting in darkness, the cross is the magnificence of kings, the cross is the humanity of the barbarians, the cross is the freedom of slaves, the cross is the wisdom of the unlearned, the cross is the law of the unrighteous, the cross is the preaching of the prophets, the cross is the announcement of the apostles, the cross is the boast of martyrs, the cross is the exercise of monks, the cross is the chastity of virgins, the cross is the joy of priests, the cross is the foundation of the Church, the cross is the security of the world, the cross is the destruction of temples and altars, the cross is the ^B chasing away of the stench of sacrifices, the cross is the scandal of the Jews, the cross is the ruin of the impious, the cross is the strength of the infirm, the cross is the physician of the sick, the cross is the cleansing of lepers, the cross is the strengthening of the paralyzed, the cross is the bread of the hungry, the cross is the fountain of the thirsty, the cross is the clothing of the naked: but when I say nakedness, do not imagine it to be of the body, but rather the nakedness of faith. But when you have become a believer and have been baptized, then you shall be called clothed; and hear Paul saying: “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). But when you hear “Christ,” understand it not as God only, nor only his dispensation in the flesh, but both. For I have often said, and I shall not cease to say: For it is not wearisome for me to say it, and for you ^C it is safe. He is called Jesus, because he clothed himself in flesh; he is called Christ, which name is of his flesh; he is called the Word, because he is the word of God from God; he is called the Son, because he is from the Father; he is called the Only-begotten, because he is the only one from the only God; he is called God, because he is the Creator. For hear John saying: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God; all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1–3). Do you see that this is he who by a word extended the heaven, and adorned the varied multitude of the stars, and decorated the earth to the likeness of a meadow? This is he who gave light to the sun alone, and defined its course; this is he who determined the moon to the setting; this is he who founded the earth upon the waters; this is he who commanded the earth to produce the herb of the hay, and the fountains to spring forth as waters, the rivers to flow, the lakes to gather together; and he set a boundary to the sea by the sand, and commanded ^D the waters to bring forth living souls, and the winds to blow; he who weighed the mountains in a balance, commanded the clouds to move, and the insects, quadrupeds, reptiles, and birds to run about upon the earth. But what shall I say of the angels, of the archangels, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim, Principalities and Powers, orders, times, years, months, weeks, days, and hours and nights, of light, of darkness, and of the substance of things? But finally, he created man according to his own image and likeness, and placed him in paradise. And seeing the human race overcome by the malice of the devil, he wished to clothe himself in our first fruits, and to affix them to the cross, so that, just as the transgression was through the tree, so again there might be salvation through the tree. And incited by envy, the devil, because he himself had been cast out of heaven while Adam was dwelling in paradise, used the serpent as a certain tool, and through it he acted, and thus he spoke for the first time to those dwelling in paradise: for being incorporeal, he could not speak with those who were corporeal. And he said to Eve: “This tree is good and beautiful to eat of,” and, “In whatever day you eat from it, you shall be like gods” (Gen. 3:5–6), knowing all things. Therefore, when he had persuaded Eve, he deceived her; then she persuaded her husband, and they ate from the tree. And when they had eaten, they appeared naked: then God said to Adam, “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:9). When you hear “Where art thou?”, do not attribute ignorance to God; but he said “Where art thou?” because the devil had said to them, “On the day you eat, you shall be as gods”; as if they thought they would become gods, for that reason God said to him, “Adam, where art thou?” That is to say, “Have you eaten, and yet remained a man? Did I not command you not to eat from this tree? But you ate, and have transgressed.” This is what “Where art thou?” means. And they were covered with fig leaves, veiling the face of sin. And what does Adam say? “I heard thy voice walking in paradise, and I was hidden” (Gen. 3:10). And he said, “Why have you done this?” (Gen. 3:13). Then Adam said to God: “The woman, whom thou gavest to be with me, she seduced me” (Gen. 3:12). Then to Eve, “Who has done this?” What indeed did she say? “The serpent beguiled me.” O Eve, granted, I gave you to the man, but did I give you to the serpent? They excused themselves, wishing to escape the punishment; then God said to Adam: “Cursed be the earth in thy works; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread.” Then to the woman: “In sorrows thou shalt bring forth children; I will multiply thy sorrows; and thy conversion shall be toward thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” Then to the serpent: “Upon thy breast and thy belly shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life, and man shall rule over thee, and he shall watch thy head, and thou shalt watch his heel” (Gen. 3:14 ff.). But why did he curse the serpent that it should walk upon its breast and belly, and eat earth all the days of its life? He cursed the breast, because in it consists the heart, which devised evil; the belly, because through food he seduced; he ordered it to eat earth all the days of its life, because Adam was earthly from the earth. Therefore, three received the sentence, since three also had transgressed. Since the transgression had arisen from the tree, as I said before, for that reason he wished to affix these first fruits to the tree, so that just as the transgression was through the tree, so there might be salvation through the tree. Let us offer glory for all these things to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

MONITUM ON THE HOMILY ON THE RESURRECTION

ON THE THREE DAYS’ RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, A HOMILY

^A Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. The Lord is near; have no anxiety. The Lord has risen from the dead, and with him a great throng of the saints. Let us therefore celebrate joyfully and temperately; for this is truly the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it. Let us proclaim the resurrection of the Savior, or rather, let us cry out our own salvation; let us proclaim the remembrance of this saving day; let us proclaim the death of the devil, the captivity of the unclean demons, the salvation of Christians, the resurrection of the dead. For through the resurrection of Christ the fire of Gehenna is quenched, and the sleepless worm comes to an end; Hades is troubled, the devil mourns, sin is killed, evil spirits are driven away; those who are from the earth rise to the heavens; those who were in Hades are delivered from the bonds of the devil, and as they flee to God, they say to the devil: "O death, where is your victory? O Hades, where is your sting?"

The author of this holy feast and celebration for us is Christ, who is also the source of all good things for us. For he it was who made us in the beginning, and brought us from non-existence into being; he it is who even now has saved those who were perishing, has restored to life those who were dead, and has stripped away the tyranny of the devil. He has made us, who were servants to sin, free, having blotted out the bond that was against us; Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for our sake. ^B Regarding which, it is fitting for us also to say: "What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has rendered to me?" Being the only-begotten God, he willed to become man for our sake, and became obedient unto death, that he might rescue us from eternal death; the Master of the angels took on the form of a servant; the God Word took on flesh, and appeared as man, he who is co-form and consubstantial with the Father; and he endured these things that he might rescue us from unjust slavery and redeem us from dishonor. For this reason the Dispenser of our life consented to suffer in the flesh; for this reason the Fountain of immortality was buried, that he might grant eternal life to mortals.

And he was present on earth, doing good and healing the passions of men; but from the God-hating Jews he received unworthy returns. For our Lord Jesus Christ, through much goodness, cleansed lepers, granted sight to the blind, healed the lame, cast out demons, raised the four-day-old Lazarus from the dead, fed five thousand with five loaves, walked upon the sea, turned the water into wine, healed the woman with an issue of blood, brought back to life the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, and performed many other mysteries worthy of wonder. But the Jews, moved by envy and malice, at one time were stoning the Lord, at another were attempting to cast him down a precipice, and at the last they even led him to the cross.

But our Lord Jesus Christ did not imitate the wickedness of the blasphemous Jews; rather, he gave his back to the scourging, according to the prophet, and his cheeks to buffeting: and he did not turn his face from the shame of spitting; and at the last he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, not opposing, not speaking back. Being blasphemed, he did not revile in return; when suffering, he did not threaten; but he delivered himself to the one who judges justly. For he did not come at his first appearance to punish and take vengeance on the unbelievers, but he willed through long-suffering and patience to lead the deceived to the truth.

^C And learn the Lord’s goodness and his great kindness. The Jews were blaspheming him and saying to him: "You have a demon," but the Lord, being long-suffering, was driving demons out of men. The Jews were spitting in the face of the Savior, but he was healing their blind. The Jews were stoning Christ, but Christ was granting their lame the power to run; and he continued throughout, doing good to those who insulted him, and bestowing good things in place of evils upon those ungrateful and polluted men; and because he bore reproaches with great long-suffering, perhaps he was even considered weak—he who is attended by angels.

And that we may not, by saying many things, seem to drag out the discourse, let us come to the very heads of the matters. At the end, the King of glory was in fact led to the cross and death, and he was nailed to the wood—he who is glorified by the Cherubim and Seraphim, and worshiped by all the powers and angels; these things he endured meekly and patiently, providing us a pattern and becoming a Teacher of gentleness. For this reason, therefore, we also ought to bear bravely the threats of wicked men.

But even while hanging on the cross he displayed greater works and more miracles, so that even thus he might stop the madness of those who hate God, so that they might not have a pretext for their unbelief, nor say that they had crucified a mere man. First, Christ consented to be crucified and to be lifted into the air, that he might put to flight the demons in the air; he was hung on a tree, that he might heal the sin that previously came to men through a tree; and he was pierced in the side with a lance, because of the woman who was taken from the side of Adam. Since the serpent deceived Eve, and Eve prepared the way for Adam to be deceived (and a sentence went out against them both, and death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned), for this reason his side is wounded, that we might learn that the passion of Christ brought salvation not only to men, but also to women. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression; but she shall be saved through the bearing of children. What child-bearing, if not through the child-bearing of Mary? For she gave birth to the Savior Christ, not through union with a man, as Isaiah witnesses, but with the Holy Spirit overshadowing her, as Gabriel the archangel announced.

^D For this reason, therefore, the side of Christ is struck, that both the aforementioned things might be managed, and the mystery of baptism be proclaimed, and the grace which is to come might shine forth. For blood and water flow from the side of Christ, that it might both blot out the bond of sin against us, and that we might be cleansed by his blood, and recover paradise. O great mystery! The thief repented; there was need of water, that he might be baptized; he was hanging on the cross, there was no other place of baptism, no spring, no lake, no rain, no one to perform the initiation; for all the disciples had fled because of the fear of the Jews; but Jesus was not at a loss for waters, but even suspended on the cross he became the Creator of waters. Since it was not possible to enter into the kingdom, as a thief, without baptism, and it was necessary that he who had repented should not be deprived of baptism, the Savior brought forth water and blood from his pierced side, that he might both set the thief free from the evils hanging over him, and show his blood to be a ransom for them.

^A For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the defiled, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh (Heb. 9:13), how much more has the blood of Christ our Savior obtained the power to purify all Christians together?

If, therefore, one of the unbelievers says to you, "Why was Christ crucified?" say to him, "That he might crucify the devil." If he says to you, "Why was he suspended on wood?" say to him, "That he might mend the sin which had been born for men through wood in paradise." If, therefore, he says to you, "Why did he carry thorns?" say to him, "That he might eradicate the thorns and thistles of Adam; for he was condemned to groans and tremors, and to cultivating thorns and thistles." Jesus, therefore, since he was a lover of men, when he wished to provide for his own creation, endured all things for our sake, that he might free us from condemnation. For as he was born from a woman, so that he might delete the sin which had been born for men from a woman, ^B so too he is crowned with thorns, that he might render the earth, which had been badly cultivated through disobedience, more fruitful and cultivated by his own obedience.

But if he says to you, "Why did he drink gall and vinegar?" say to him, "That we might vomit forth the deadly poison of the dragon; for that gall has become my sweetness, and the vinegar my medicine." But if the unbeliever says again, "Why was he clothed in a scarlet cloak? Why did they approach him with bended knee?" say to him, "That even if they did not wish to, the Jews might worship him, and even against their will confess his kingdom on earth." Now, indeed, they worshipped him while mocking, not knowing what they were doing; but in the future resurrection, every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. Amen (Phil. 2:10).

^C That cloak also has a different significance; for it not only signified his kingdom, but also demonstrated the blood-thirstiness of the Jews and their inclination to slaughter. They also gave him a reed in his hand, that their sins might be written down. And these things were indeed done by those enemies of Christ, when they did not know who was being crucified, or rather, when they had voluntarily blinded themselves; but creation itself did not ignore its own Lord and Creator. For while the Savior was still hanging upon the cross, when the sensible sun saw the Sun of justice, Christ, afflicted by iniquitous injuries, not bearing that unworthy crime, it fled and poured darkness upon the earth; and it deemed it absurd to aid and enlighten those eyes which were perpetrating the greatest impiety. Nor indeed did the sun only flee, but also, not bearing the iniquity of those things which were being done, the earth was shaken, demonstrating and teaching that he who was being affixed to the cross was God; wherefore it could not bear it, but was indignant and did not wish, by its own mass, to support those enemies of God, the Jews.

^D For Cain did not so contaminate the earth with his brother's blood: the building of the tower of the giants did not so burden it: the Sodomites, perpetrating unspeakable deeds, did not defile it so, nor did they themselves who fashioned idols from it: the blood of Zechariah and Abel poured out did not burden it as much as the Jews, when they had dared to commit that great impiety. For this reason, even hard rocks were being split, that they might learn that this is the spiritual and living rock. For they drank, it says, of the spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). O the wickedness of the Jews! The rocks are split, and these dull-witted men are moved by nothing: inanimate things are shaken, and they do not believe in the animate; the veil of the temple is broken, that their desolation might thenceforth be demonstrated. For the veil was rent and those things which were in the temple were laid bare because of Christ who had said: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate (Matt. 23:38). For after the slaughter of Christ, all things holy and worthy of veneration among the Jews were indeed desolate; and the angels who were attending the temple departed from there, and betook themselves to the Church.

Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep rose with Christ, that we might learn that Christ did not rise from the dead alone, but that he raises up all who believe in him. This, to speak in summary, is the venerable festival of Pascha, and these are the mysteries of the Christians: we celebrate the festival for the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Therefore let us keep the feast, and let us eat not in the leaven of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8), believing in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the consubstantial, uncreated Trinity; believing in the resurrection, expecting the Lord to come again, not indeed humbly as before, but gloriously with heavenly splendor, with refulgent angels, with a trumpet, and with fear and joy: with joy indeed for the saints and the just, but with fear for the unrighteous and the sinful. May the God of peace deem us all worthy, found in good works and orthodox faith, to rise again with the saints, by the grace and benignity of his only-begotten Son, with whom is glory, honor, and adoration to the holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.