Слово на Пасху. Св. Иоанна Златоустого

Easter is celebrated by the Jews in memory of the liberation from Egypt and the deliverance of the firstborn from death. The very name "Easter" signifies the passing of death; this is the meaning it has in the Hebrew language. We also celebrate Easter, but not as deliverance from temporary death, like those, and not as liberation from temporary slavery, but as complete liberation from slavery to the devil. The death of the firstborn passed over those who sacrificed the representative lamb and anointed the parts of the doors with the blood; For us, death, which began from the primordial (man), will pass, not being able to hold back those who have tasted the sacrifices of the divine Lamb and are sealed with faith in the saving blood. Those have an earthly lamb, but we have a lamb from heaven - like Abraham, when he had a lamb sent by God to offer instead of a son - a Lamb truly sent from God from heaven, offered for us, so that we would no longer remain in the power of death through Christ, who is not possessed by it. God sent the Son, the Savior of the world, from heaven, says Jesus, who went down (John 6:42). And the Baptist testifies of Him, saying: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). the dumb lamb does not destroy sin, and as a result, the death that comes from sin; the most intelligent Lamb freed from sin, destroying death along with it. He does not lead us out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judea, but into an eternal possession from the corruptible world. He is the Lamb and at the same time the Shepherd, leading the sheep: I will go ahead, he says, leading them to eternal life. The beginning of the months for the Jews is the slaughter of a lamb and the exit from Egypt; For us, the beginning of life is the suffering of Christ and the removal with Christ from the world, because then we live when we die for the world, then we are reborn for God when we leave earthly birth. The lamb is indivisible, eaten in one house, in the spiritual Church, otherwise not received anywhere, just as carnal Jews are commanded not to take the meat of the lamb out of the house. Those who ate the Passover had unleavened bread; We have communion with Christ with a new, youthful and simple spirit, like unleavened bread that is new and simple. The bitter herbs with which they ate Easter then, pointing to our sorrows, through which we take part in the suffering of Christ, because torment is bitter, even if the fruit from it is sweet. They did not break the bones of the lamb, and this was commanded by the law, representing Christ, because, as the Gospel narrates, no one broke the holy legs of the Lord: that the Scripture might be fulfilled: the bone shall not be broken by Him (John 19:33, 36). They ate the meat at night and did not leave it for the day, because the death of Christ is remembered in the present age, but life appears in the future. The appearance of those who ate Easter - clothes belted at the hips, boots on their feet, sticks in their hands: the whole atmosphere of travelers preparing for a hasty journey; for us, this indicates the preparation of the soul for the transition from (this) world. Therefore, well-prepared and focused souls avoid the worries of life, being ready for the Divine procession to heaven. Our life as God, says the Apostle, is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We have taken faith and hope in Christ as a staff to lean on. A lamp has also been lit for our souls, just as the material lamp was lit for those. The law of Christ is a lamp for our souls: Your law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths (Ps. 119:105). And the Lord Himself speaks about this: let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning: and you are like a man who waits on his Lord (Luke 12:35, 36). It remains to be seen who ate Easter. None of the uncircumcised were allowed to eat the Passover; and if there were foreigners or slaves, they had to be circumcised. Likewise, no one can become a participant in Christ without cutting off human excesses and cleansing ourselves from the carnal defilements that we receive from our fathers by birth. The image of such circumcision was carnal circumcision. Therefore, the prophet Jeremiah said that your hardness of heart must be circumcised. So, let us hasten to blissful communion with Christ, through this we will become clean from worldly evils in order to be sanctified by spiritual virtues; Let us hasten, so as not to remain under the slavery of the ruler of this age, but to pass into the freedom of Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen 215. Full Collection created, St. Chrysostom in Russian transl., ed. 1902, vol. VIII, pp. 937–938. In the Migne edition this word is classified as spuria. You might be interested in: