OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR’S JESUS CHRIST’S PASSION AND CROSS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE IS, WAS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR’S JESUS CHRIST’S PASSION
AND CROSS.

Just as all the events in Christ’s life are historical, so is His Passion. It is a historical event which took place during the rule of Pontius Pilate, as mentioned in the Holy Gospels. Since our Lord Jesus Christ was also PERFECT MAN, it means that He had a real human nature and lived at a particular time. Thus the historical event of the crucifixion is given great significance by the holy Evangelists.

Yet, at the same time it is also a mystery, because it refers to Christ’s victory over death and the RENEWAL OF HUMAN NATURE. So it is NOT ABOUT REMEMBRANCE OF A HISTORICAL EVEN, NOR ABOUT GRIEF OVER THE INJUSTICE DONE TO A RIGHTEOUS MAN, BUT CHIEFLY ABOUT THE TRIUMPHAL VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL, DEATH AND SIN. And the mysterious element here is not limited to this point alone but goes on to THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF IT. PERSONAL PARTICIPATION IN THE PASSION AND CROSS OF CHRIST WITHIN THE SARAMENTAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH CONSTITUTES THE POWER OF THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
as the Inca
Therefore we do not in the Orthodox Church confront the days of Holy and Great Week only as history, but CHIEFLY FROM THE SACRAMENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ASPECT. This means THAT WE TOO SHARE IN CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER DEATH, AS FAR AS WE CONQUER DEATH BY THE POWER OF THE CRUCIFIED AND RISEN CROSS WITHIN OUR PERSONAL LIVES.

In the liturgical texts of Holy and Great Week it is repeated many times that CHRIST’S PASSION IS VOLUNTARY. "As the Lord WENT TO HIS VOLUNTARY PASSION…". Just as the Incarnation of the Logos/Word of God took place BY THE WILL OF THE SON, AND WITH THE GOOD WILL OF THE FATHER AND THE COOPERATION, THE SYNERGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SAME IS TRUE OF CHRIST’S PASSION AS WELL. Nothing happened to Christ by compulsion or as a servant , BUT EVERYTHING WAS FREE.

The question is why did our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ have to suffer and why did He desire the Passion and the Cross? We know from the teaching of the Holy Fathers of the Church that the INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS/WORD WAS PREVIOUSLY WILLED BY GOD, WHICH MEANS THAT GOD HAD PREORDAINED AND PLANNED THE INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS/WORD, independently of Adam’s fall. This is theologically acceptable because man could NEVER HAVE ATTAINED THEOSIS (DEIFICATION) IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN THAT PARTICULAR PERSON IN WHOM THE DIVINE WAS UNITED WITH HUMAN NATURE WITHOUT CHANGE, CONFUSION, SEPARATION OR DIVISION. However, what entered in after Adam’s fall was Christ’s PASSION, CROSS AND DEATH, precisely because after Adam’s fall, DEATH HAD COME INTO THE WORLD. THUS OUR LORD CHRIST ASSUMED A MORTAL AND PASSIBLE BODY WILLINGLY AND FREELY.

First, Christ became incarnate in order TO CORRECT ADAM’S ERROR…Therefore, by His Incarnation Christ "SHARES A SECOND COMMUNION MUCH MORE PARADOXICAL THAN THE FIRST." BY HIS INCARNATION THE LOGOS/WORD OF GOD ENTERS A SECOND COMMUNION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH MAN WHICH IS MORE PARADOXICAL THAN THE FIRST. For then He gave us the best, that is to say, THE IMAGE, AND NOW HE ASSUMES THE WORST, THAT IS TO SAY HUMAN FLESH (Saint Gregory the Theologian).
Second, in order to conquer death in His flesh, mortal man may receive it and be cured… The punishments in the Old Testament, the Law, the Prophet, the signs and the changes in the earth, in the sky, etc. could NOT cure man of the various illnesses and idolatry, because "a stronger medicine was needed." This stronger medicine IS THE LOGOS/WORD OF GOD, WHO BECAME INCARNATE AND DIED FOR MAN (Saint Gregory Palamas). THUS IT IS ONLY THROUGH OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST THAT ONE CAN CONQUER DEATH.

The first Adam FAILED TO CONQUER THE DEVIL AND DIED. Now THE NEW ADAM, CHRIST, CONQUERS THE DEVIL AND DEATH, WHICH WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN. So if man so wishes and unites with Jesus Christ, he can conquer the devil and death. The devil with his cunning cannot conquer THE MATURE MAN IN CHRIS, AS HE SUCCEEDED THEN WITH THE INEXPERIENCED ADAM. THE MAN WHO LIVES IN THE CHURCH AND IS UNITED WITH CHRIST IS MORE MATURE AND PERFECT. (Resources: The Feasts of the Lord. An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos HIEROTHEOS)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George