Беседа о кресте и распятии Господнем. Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

We celebrate today, beloved, a holiday and triumph, since our Lord was nailed to the cross. Do not be surprised that we celebrate, while this event is regrettable; This is how everything spiritual is: it is contrary to human custom. So that you know this for sure, the cross was formerly the name of condemnation and punishment, but now it has become a revered and desired object: before the cross was an instrument of shame and execution, but now it has become a source of glory and honor. And that the cross really is glory, listen to Christ, who says: Father, glorify Me with the glory that I had with you before the world was not (John 17:5), calling the cross glory. The cross is the head of our salvation; the cross is the cause of countless blessings. Through him we, who were previously inglorious and rejected, are now accepted among the sons; through him we no longer remain in error, but have come to know the truth; through him we, who previously worshiped trees and stones, now came to know the Creator of all; through him we, who were slaves of sin, are brought into the freedom of righteousness; through him the earth finally became heaven. He freed us from error, he led us to the truth, he brought about reconciliation between God and people; he, having extracted us from the depths of vice, raised us to the very pinnacle of virtue, he destroyed demonic delusion, he destroyed seduction. Through him there was no more smoke, stench and shedding of blood of dumb animals, but everywhere there were spiritual services, chants and prayers; through him the demons were put to flight, through him the devil was expelled, through him human nature began to compete with the life of angels, through him virginity was established on earth, because from the time the One Born of the Virgin came, human nature recognized this path to virtue. He enlightened us who were sitting in darkness; he reconciled us who were at enmity (with God); he made us close, who were far away; he made us his own, who were strangers; he made us, who were strangers, citizens of heaven; He became for us the end of wars, he became for us the support of peace. Through him we are no longer afraid of the fiery arrows of the devil, since we have found the source of life; through him we ceased to be widowed, since we acquired a groom; through him we are no longer afraid of the wolf, since we have recognized the good shepherd. For I am (the Lord), the good shepherd (John 10:11). Through him we no longer fear the tyrant, since we have resorted to the king. Do you see how many blessings the cross is the reason for us? Therefore, it is right that we celebrate the holiday. So Paul exhorts us to celebrate when he says: Let us celebrate not with the leaven of unfavorable leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened leaven of purity and truth. Why do you, blessed Paul, command us to celebrate? tell me the reason. - for our Passover, he says, Christ God was devoured for us (1 Cor. 5:7-8). Do you see how the cross is a subject of celebration? Did you find out that he commands to celebrate for the sake of the cross? – A sacrifice was made on the cross; and where there is sacrifice, there is remission of sins, there is reconciliation with the Lord, there is celebration and joy. Our Easter, they say, Christ was devoured for us. Where, tell me, was He devoured? - on a high cross. A new and wondrous altar, because the sacrifice is wondrous and extraordinary. He Himself is both victim and priest, sacrifice in the flesh, and priest in the spirit; He Himself both brought and was brought. Listen again to Paul, who says: for every high priest is acceptable from men, appointed for the services of men, even to God: therefore it is necessary to have something for this, which he will bring (Heb. 5:1; 8:3). Until now He brings. And in another place the Apostle says: so Christ was offered as one, to bear the sins of many (Heb. 9:28). Here He was brought, and there He brought Himself. You see how He became both a sacrifice and a priest, and the altar was the cross. Why was this sacrifice made not in the church - I mean the Jewish church - but outside the city, outside its walls? Outside the city, He was crucified like some kind of criminal, so that what was said by the Prophet would be fulfilled: and with the wicked he was counted (Ps. 53:12). Why, outside the city, was He crucified on a high place, and not under some kind of roof? And this is not without reason, but in order to purify the nature of the air. Therefore - in a high place, not under the canopy of the roof, but, instead of the roof, under the vault of the sky, so that the whole sky would be purified, while this Lamb was tempered on high. The sky was cleared, and the earth was cleared. Blood dripped from His side onto the ground and cleansed all its defilement. For this reason, the sacrifice was not made under the roof. But why not in the Jewish church itself? And this again is not without reason, but so that the Jews do not make this sacrifice their property, so that you do not think that this sacrifice was made for this people alone. That is why it was brought outside the city, outside its walls, so that you would know that this is a universal sacrifice, so that you would know that this is an offering for the whole earth, and that this is the general cleansing of our entire nature. God commanded the Jews to leave the whole earth and make sacrifices in one place, pray in one place, because the whole earth was then unclean from smoke, stench, idol blood and other pagan impurities; therefore He appointed them one place. But when Christ came and suffered outside the city, he cleansed the whole earth and made every place convenient for prayer. Do you want to know how the whole earth finally became a church, and how every place became convenient for prayer? Listen again to blessed Paul, who says: lifting up holy hands in every place without anger or reflection (1 Tim. 2:8). Do you see how He cleansed the universe? Do you see how we can raise our clean hands everywhere? The whole earth finally became holy, even holier than the Jewish shrines. Why? - because there a dumb sheep was brought, and here a verbal sheep was brought. Therefore, as much as the verbal is higher than the wordless, so much more excellent is the sanctification here. So, truly the cross is a holiday. Do you want to know how the cross is worthy of reverence? The Lord did not allow him to remain on earth, but took him out and lifted him up to heaven; He will come with him at His second coming. Listen to how Christ Himself speaks about this: when they say to you, “Behold, it is in the wilderness, you shall not go out; behold, it is in treasures, do not have faith” (Matthew 24:26), - he speaks this way about His second coming, regarding false Christs, false prophets, the Antichrist, so that someone, deceived, will not fall under his power. "Since the Antichrist will come before Christ, so that those who seek a shepherd will not fall into the wolf. I declare, says the Lord, to you the signs of the coming of the shepherd. Just as lightning comes from the east and appears to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then, that is, when I come, the sun will darken, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall. And then the sign of the Son will appear Human in heaven (Matthew 24:27–30).” Do you see how great is the superiority of that sign, what is the luminosity, what is the brilliance? The sun is darkened, the moon does not appear, the stars are falling, but it alone appears, so that you know that it is brighter than the moon and more brilliant than the sun. Just as when a king enters, the troops preceding him carry banners on their shoulders and herald the king’s arrival, so when the Lord of creation descends from heaven, armies of angels and archangels will precede him, carrying this sign and heralding to us the coming of the King. And why and why will the terrible Judge come with a cross? So that those who crucified Him would understand their own madness from their very deeds, for this purpose He will show them the very revelation of their madness. But in order for you to know that He will bring the cross precisely in order to accuse them, listen to how the Evangelist speaks about him: then the sign of the Son of Man will appear: and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, seeing the accuser and realizing their sin (Matthew 24:30). And why are you surprised that the Lord will come bearing a cross? He will come bearing even His wounds. How is it known that He will come bearing plagues on Himself? Listen to the Prophet, who says: they will look at the nan, his blood has broken (Zechariah 12:10). As He did with Thomas - wanting to correct the unbelief of this disciple, showed him the wounds of the nails and the very wounds and said: bring your finger, and bring your hand, and see that a spirit does not have flesh and bone (John 20:27; Luke 24:39), in order to show him that He has truly risen - so then He will bring His wounds and the cross, in order to show them that He is the One, Who was crucified. This is a great and saving good and a clear evidence of God’s love for mankind! Amen 9. In short. See Full. oobr. works of St. John Chrysostom Fr. vol. 2. ed. 1896, pp. 446–455; Wed Sunday Read IV (1840–41), pp. 203–205. You might be interested in: