Word on the Holy Resurrection of Christ

Now the crying of mortals has ceased and the light of the Resurrection has shone - a sign of God’s highest love for us. Now the death that man had to undergo, Christ destroyed by His death, presenting as the price of redemption: for a soul - His soul, for a body - His Body, for a man - Man, for death - death. What righteous man ever died willingly for the unjust, or a father for his son, or a son for his father? But the Lord did it for us. He not only created us in Adam, but also regenerated us in spirit in His suffering. So, the wicked Jews killed their Benefactor and rewarded Him for good deeds with evil, for joy with grief, for life with death. Hanging them on the Tree, they killed the One who raised them from the dead and healed the sick. Marvel, all nations, at the unheard-of audacity of this treacherous people! The Jews hanged the One who hanged the whole earth, nailed the One who established the universe to the Cross, condemned the One who measured the Heavens, bound the One who resolves sinners, gave the father of the One who feeds people righteousness to drink, and gave bile for food to the One who loves truth - they pierced the hands and feet of the One who healed the withered, forced to close the eyes of the One who opened the eyes of the blind, buried the One who raised their dead. Oh, a new sacrament and an incomprehensible miracle! The Judge was condemned, the One who released the prisoners was bound, the One who established the earth was elevated to the Cross, the One who hung the universe was hanged, the One who measured the heavens was condemned, the One who gave life was filled with bile, the Creator of life died, the One who restored life to the dead was buried (because when the Lord hung on the Tree, the tombs and hell were opened, the dead were resurrected and many appeared in Jerusalem, where this mystery of Christ was performed. And although His flesh was nailed to the Cross, but trampled death). The angels and powers of heaven, seeing the suffering of Christ, were amazed and horrified; the creature asked in horror and surprise: what would this new sacrament mean? The judge is condemned and remains silent; they look at the Invisible One - and He does not hide; they seize the Immense One - and He complacently bears it, the Immeasurable One is measured - and does not resist, the Impassive One suffers - and does not repay, the Immortal One - dies, the Alive One in Heaven - is buried here and is patient... What is the purpose of this extraordinary mystery, if not the salvation of people? Death immediately fell at the feet of Jesus; hell was captured in triumph, and all its forces retreated as soon as they heard the voice of Christ. Hell opened, its copper gates were erased, its iron ropes were broken, and the souls of the saints flocked to Christ, as soon as He called to the souls bound in the shadow of death to come out, as soon as He announced life to them. It was then that the words of Scripture were fulfilled: “break in pieces the gates of brass, and break the ropes of iron” (Ps. 10:16). Following this, the earth cried out: “Lord! Deliver me from troubles, free me from anger, free me from the oath, because of which I accepted human blood and bodies into my depths, even accepted Your Body! The Lord rose on the third day, teaching us to worship the Trinity Unity. In Christ all nations are saved: although He alone was judged, countless multitudes were saved, since the Lord died for all. For this purpose, He clothed Himself with all Man, penetrated into the very heights of Heaven, ascended to the height of the glory of His reign, bringing as a gift to the Father not gold and silver, not precious stones, but Man created in His image. And the Father, having exalted Him, seated Him on the Throne at His right hand, until His enemies were placed under His feet, for He will come to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end, for to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is glory always, now and forever. Amen. You might be interested in: