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Week of Holy Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ All the precautions taken by the high priests and elders of the Jewish people to guard the Holy Sepulcher were directed by Providence to the glory of the Savior’s resurrection from the dead on the third day after death, as the prophets predicted and the Lord Himself predicted to the Apostles, scribes and elders of the Jewish people and all the people (Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 10:33-34; John 2:19–22 ; Matthew 27:62–63 ). In the deep morning of the third day after the death of Christ, or on the first day of the week, at dawn, but before full dawn (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1,22, John 20:1), a great earthquake occurred; The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. The angel's face was like lightning and his robe was like snow. The guards shook with fear, and were as if they were dead and scattered (Matthew 28:2,4,11). Thus, the Lord dismantled the gates of hell and with His Divine omnipotence resurrected His humanity and laid the foundation for our blessed resurrection! By His repeated appearances after His resurrection, over a period of 40 days, the Lord testified to the truth of His resurrection from the dead: He set Himself alive in many true signs (Acts 1:3) - before the Apostles, who, as they say about themselves, were with Him, eating and drinking, after His resurrection from the dead (Acts 10:41). “Forty days ago he appeared to them (Acts I, 3). At that time, Christ was no longer constantly with the Apostles - not as before the resurrection. Notice that (Luke) did not say: fourty days, but: forty days, since Christ appeared and again hid. Why is this so? In order to elevate the thoughts of the disciples and prevent them from treating Him in the same way. And not without reason He appeared to them, but because He was carefully concerned about the arrangement of two things - that they would believe the resurrection, and that, finally, they would think of Him higher than a common man. Why did He not appear to everyone, but only to the Apostles? Because to the people who did not know the ineffable mystery, He would have seemed like a ghost. If the Apostles themselves did not believe at first, were confused and needed to be touched by the hand and to share a meal, then what could be expected from the people? That is why the resurrection is irrefutably proven by miracles, so that it is certain not only for contemporaries, but also for all subsequent generations. In fact, if He was not resurrected, but remains dead, then how did the Apostles perform miracles in His name? That is why Christ Himself remained (on earth) after the resurrection for forty days, allowing Himself to be seen for a long time, so that (the disciples) would not consider what was visible to be a ghost. Yes, and He was not satisfied with this, but also added a meal, which Luke further says: with them is the poison (Acts 1:4). The Apostles always presented this as evidence of the resurrection, saying: those who are with Him are poisoned and whipped (Acts 10:41). That is why the Lord ate food with the Apostles, says Chrysostom, so that they would not regard His appearance as a ghost.” The appearances of Jesus Christ after His resurrection can be likened to a sunrise, which, beginning at dawn, gradually increases and reaches its fullness. In the word of God the appearances of the risen Lord, remembered on the week of Easter, reveal the following. The first of the members of His newly planted Church, its Head, Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, appeared, as our church liturgical books mention, to His Most Pure Mother. Thus, in the Divine Service on the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, the Church, turning to the Mother of God, sings: “having seen the risen Son of Thy Son and God, rejoice as Apostles, O God-gracious, pure one: and rejoice first, for thou hast accepted the guilt of all joys, O Mother of God, all-immaculate.” Further, starting from the first day of Easter and until the very celebration of the bright holiday, for six weeks we constantly hear the solemn song of the Most Holy Virgin: “An angel crying with grace: pure Virgin, rejoice, and again, rejoice: Your Son is risen three days from the grave.” From these songs we can conclude that the Mother of God saw the Lord and was the first to hear from the angels the news of His resurrection. Historical legends actually tell us that the Lord, after His resurrection, appeared first to His Most Pure Mother. “And first of all,” says the synaxar on the holy and great Easter, “the resurrection of the Mother of God is knowable, directly sitting on the tomb with Magdalene, as Matthew says. What does Matthew say? In one place we find: the same (at burial) Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting directly at the tomb (Matthew 27:61); in another: Mary Magdalene, and another Mary, came (in the deep morning of Christ’s resurrection), and saw the tomb (Matthew 28:1). What face is hidden here under the expression: another Mary? The Synaxarion indicates in it the Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of the Lord, which is very natural and more than likely. If it were not She, then the Evangelist, instead of the indefinite, other, would have said which Mary, firstly, because here, speaking of two Marys, he directly called one Magdalene; secondly, because recently narrating about the crucifixion of the Lord and mentioning the holy wives present at it, the holy narrator designated each of them with her own nickname: “Byahu,” he says, “and the wives: in them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James, and the mother of Josiah, and the mother of the son of Zebedee,” that is, Salome and many others . By using an indefinite expression instead of a definite expression - another Mary, St. Matthew obviously intends to distinguish this Mary from all other known Marys and to point specifically to the one that Christians could recognize without a direct name and which the enemies of Christianity should not have known. However, the synaxar among the wives who came to the tomb and saw the resurrection of the Savior means the one who is called Mary Joseph. Josiah was the son of Joseph, betrothed to the Most Rev. Virgos. But so that the resurrection does not seem doubtful based on the appearance of the Risen One to His Mother, the Evangelists say that He first appears to Magdalene Mary. St. Demetrius of Rostov, describing the life of Mary Magdalene, also notes that the first appearance of the Lord was to the Blessed Virgin: “she is so loved by the Lord, he writes about Magdalene, as first of all - according to His Most Pure Mother, - the Lord appeared almost 100% after His resurrection.” The first after the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, resurrected, appeared to Mary Magdalene. After the day of rest, on the morning of the first day of the week, this pious wife, together with other Myrrh-bearers, went to the tomb of the Lord to anoint His body with incense. Approaching the tomb, the Myrrh-Bearers said to each other in bewilderment: who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But they see that the stone, which was so great, has already been rolled away from the coffin and the coffin is open. Magdalene, thinking that the body of the Lord has been transferred from here to another place, immediately and hastily leaves. Her companions entered the tomb and, not finding the body of the Lord, were perplexed; then Angels in shining robes appeared before them. The wives were afraid and lowered their gaze to the ground. Why are you looking for the living and the dead? The Angels told them, “It is not here, but it is risen: remember, as it was spoken to you.” Come, see the place where the Lord lies. And quickly those who walk as His disciples will cry out as if they have risen from the dead: and behold, you are in Galilee: there you will see Him (Matthew 28:5–7; Mark 16:1–7; Luke 24:1–7; John 20:1–2). But Magdalene preceded her companions with news to Ap. Peter and John that the body of the Lord is not in the tomb. The apostles immediately hurried there and, entering the tomb, found in it only the shrouds and cloth that was on the head of the buried Savior, and returned home. Magdalene, having come again to the tomb of the Lord, stood near the tomb and cried, not knowing where to find the body of the Lord. At this time, turning back, she sees, but does not recognize, the Savior standing. He asks her: wife, why are you crying? who are you looking for? Mary answered the questioner, considering Him to be the helikeeper: if you took Him, tell me where you laid Him: and I will take Him. "Mary!" exclaims the imaginary heli-graduator. To the teacher! the weeping one cries out and prostrates herself before the risen Lord (John 20:3–17). This was the first appearance of the Risen One mentioned in the Gospel. Having appeared to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection, the Lord appeared a second time to her and to the other wives when, at the command of the Angels, they hurried with fear and great joy to announce to the Apostles about the resurrection of the Lord. The Risen One met and greeted them: Rejoice! They approached Him, touched His nose and worshiped Him. “Don’t be afraid,” He told them, go, tell My brethren, that they may go to Galilee and see Me there. They announced to the Apostles about the resurrection of the Lord, but the disciples did not believe the wives (Matthew 28:1–11; Luke 24:9–11). Just as the first wife of our forefathers fell into sin and heard from God: I will multiply your sorrows and sighs (Gen. 3:16), so the wives of the first of those who believe in Christ saw the Risen One and tasted the joy of the resurrection! The third appearance of Jesus Christ after the resurrection mentioned in the Gospel was Apostle. Peter, who, with tears of heartfelt contrition during the suffering and death of the Savior, washed away his threefold renunciation of Him. But the circumstances of this phenomenon are not revealed in the Gospel (Luke 24:34. 1 Cor. 15:5). The fourth appearance according to the Gospel was to Cleopas and another disciple. On the very day of the Resurrection of the Lord, around evening, Cleopas and another disciple went to the village of Emmaus, located 60 stadia from Jerusalem (about 5 versts), sadly talking about the recent adventures that had happened in Jerusalem with Jesus Christ. The risen Lord approaches them and continues to walk with them; but the Apostles do not recognize Him. To the Lord’s question: what are they talking about and why are they sad? Cleopas, calling Jesus Christ a prophet powerful in deed and word before God and all people, told his unrecognized companion about the crucifixion of the Lord and about the news that had already spread that He had risen. Having listened to the words of Cleopas, the companion, denouncing the foolish and inert in heart, who believed about everyone even as the prophets spoke, and starting from Moses, from all the prophets, explained to them what was said about Christ in all Scripture. Having reached the village to which the disciples were going, their Companion let them notice that he wanted to go further. But the disciples begged Him to come into the house with them. Here He lay down with them and, when He took the bread, He blessed it, and broke it and gave it to them, their eyes were opened, and they recognized the risen Savior, and they confessed their faith in Him with their testimony of the Divine power of His word on their hearts. For, according to their confession, their hearts burned with a fertile fire that enlightened, warmed and delighted them. But the Lord, having revealed Himself to Luke and Cleopas, became invisible. At that same hour the disciples returned to Jerusalem and found a meeting of the one ten Apostles and those who were with them. The Church of Christ spoke, as if the Lord had risen indeed. Luke and Cleopas told how they were on the way and how the Risen Lord came to know them in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13–35). While the disciples were talking about the appearances of the risen Lord, He Himself appeared among them in the upper room, whose doors were locked, and greeted: peace be with you. This was the fifth appearance of the Lord after the resurrection. The disciples were confused and afraid, thinking that they saw a spirit. Why are you embarrassed? and why do thoughts enter your hearts? the Lord says to them. See My hands and My nose: for I myself am: touch Me and see: for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me. And these rivers, showing them His hand and nose and ribs. The disciples rejoiced to see the Lord. When for joy they still did not believe and marveled, He tasted the fish and honey given to Him in front of them; opens the mind of the Apostles to understand the Scriptures; intends them to be witnesses of the fulfillment of prophecies about Him - witnesses of His suffering, death and resurrection; promises to invest them with power from above for teaching, secrecy and governance; a second time he says to them: peace be with you, and under the image of a breath he gives them the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:36–40; John 20:19–23). These five appearances of the risen Jesus Christ refer to the week of Easter. So, the resurrected Lord, on the first day of His resurrection, the Most Holy Ones saw Him and believed in Him. The Virgin Mary, the myrrh-bearing women and all His disciples, except Apostle. Thomas. After His resurrection, the Lord appeared to many over the course of 40 days, and once appeared to more than five hundred people (1 Cor. 15:6). It is common for truth alone to have such and such many witnesses! The bright holiday of Easter is dedicated by the Church to the memory of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our Easter, according to Scripture, is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself with His most pure and all-holy Body and Blood (1 Cor. 5:7). The word Passover is Hebrew, meaning passing and deliverance. For the Old Testament Church initially celebrated Easter in memory of the fact that an angel sent from God to destroy the firstborn of Egypt passed by the dwellings of the Jews and thereby delivered them from death and slavery in Egypt (Ex. 12:23–27). Equally, for Christians, Easter means passing with Christ, deliverance and His transference of believers from death to eternally blissful life. “The great and sacred Easter,” says St. Gregory the Theologian, is called by the Jews “Pascha” in their language, where this word means passing - historically because of the passage and migration of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaanite, and spiritually because of the passing and ascension from what is below to what is above.” Bl. Augustine writes: “the word Passover is Hebrew and means the passage from death to life, as the Lord Himself says: for thou shalt hear my word and believe him that sent me to have eternal life: neither shall he come into judgment, but shall pass from death unto life (John 5:24). And in another place, the Evangelist John, explaining Easter, says that the Lord celebrated Easter with His disciples, for the hour had come for Him to pass from this world to the Father (John 13:1). So, the transition from this mortal life to another immortal and blessed life is glorified in the suffering and resurrection of the Lord.” Also in the sacred hymns of the Church it is said: “Easter, the Lord's Easter, from death to life and from earth to heaven, Christ God has led us, singing in victory. We celebrate death, mortification, hellish destruction, the beginning of another eternal life.” The synaxarion for Easter says: “Easter is interpreted. It is the day on which God at the beginning brought the world from non-existence into being; the day on which God, having led the Israelites through the Red Sea, snatched them away from the hands of Pharaoh; - in which, having descended from heaven, he moved into the womb of the Virgin, and now, having snatched the human race from hell, he raised it and brought it to heaven to the ancient property of incorruptibility,” Since Jesus Christ, our Easter, passed and brought us from death to a blessed life by His death and resurrection, the week of Passion and Light was sometimes called Easter, the week of suffering - Easter of the Cross (πάσχα σταυϱώσιμον), the week of resurrection - Resurrection Easter (πάσχα ἀναστάσιμον). According to the church arrangement of weeks, even now there is one Sunday day between Holy and Light weeks; therefore, these weeks still constitute one week, which, beginning with the remembrance of the suffering and death of Christ, ends with the triumph of His resurrection and is called the Great. In this sense, the great and holy week of Easter, that is, the week of the suffering and resurrection of Christ, among the other weeks of the church year, is the same as Sunday among the other days of the week. In the ordinary sense, the name Easter has since ancient times meant the actual Bright Week of the Resurrection of Christ. “On the holy and great week of Easter we celebrate the most life-giving resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ,” says the synaxarion on Easter week, in accordance with the Apostolic Decrees. The Old Testament Passover was a prototype of the Christian Passover. God's chosen people celebrated Easter in memory of their deliverance from Egypt, slaying as a sacrifice a blameless lamb that had no bodily defects (Exodus 13:5): And so we celebrate Easter in remembrance of the redemption of the human race through the suffering, death and resurrection of the lamb of the blameless and most pure Christ (1 Pet. 1:19), Who is the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world and is innocent sacrificed for us (John 1:29), and is actually our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). Ancient Israel celebrated Passover in memory of its deliverance from slavery in Egypt: new Israel celebrates Passover in memory of its deliverance from slavery to the devil and sin. The educational Passover consisted in eating the flesh of the Paschal lamb: our Passover consists in eating the lamb of God - His most pure Body and Blood. Without breaking the bones, they ate of old than the representative Passover lamb (Exodus 12:10): and the lamb of God, Christ, did not break the legs (John 19:33–36). Delivered from the heavy yoke of the Egyptians by the death of their firstborn, the descendants of Abraham walked through the desert to the promised land, boiling with honey and milk: Christians - the spiritual descendants of the father of believers, redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ, must walk through the desert of this world to the eternal heavenly inheritance.