OUR LORD’S PASSION ON THE CROSS (Part III)

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

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

OUR LORD’S PASSION ON THE CROSS (Part III_

The way in which our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ suffered, and the many forms of the passions have great significance, because in this way Christ cured the various illnesses of man and led him to spiritual health. Saint Nicodemos the Hagiorite, as a lover of what is beautiful, collected many Patristic passages about the different kinds of passions which show why our Lord Christ suffered in this way.

THE CROWN OF THORNS

Our Lord Jesus Christ received a crown of thorns on His head, and thus it was shown that HE CAST DOWN THE CROWN WHICH THE DEVIL HAD ON HIS HEAD FROM THE VICTORY HE HAD WON AGAINST US (Saint Gregory Palamas). The CROWN OF THORNS also shows that our Savior Christ wiped away THE CURSE WHICH THE EARTH HAD AFTER AFTER ADAM’S FALL, sprouting thorns, or that He wiped away the cares and pains of the present life, which are like thorns, or it shows that He was Creator of the world and Victor over flesh and sin. (Saint Athanasios the Great), since kings wear crowns.

THE PURPLE OF MOCKERY

He shed His clothes and wore the purple in order to remove the garments of skin which Adam wore after disobeying God’s Command and which ARE A SIGN OF DEADNESS (Saint Athanasios the Great). Again, He wore the purple garments in order TO CLOTHE MAN WITH THE IMMORTALITY WHICH HE HAD BEFORE THE TRANSGRESSION. (Saint Athanasios).

THE REED

He took a reed in His hands IN ORDER TO SLAY THE ANCIENT SNAKE AND DRAGO, for one blinds serpent with a reed (Saint Athanasios the Great). Furthermore, He took the reed in order TO PUT AN END TO THE DEVIL’S AUTHORITY OVER MEN (Saint Gregory the Theologian). Furthermore, He too the reed in His hands TO ERASE THE HANDWRITING OF OUR SINS (Saint Athanasius the Great), in order to WRITE ROYALLY WITH HIS RED BLOOD THE LETTER OF FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS (Saint Theodore the Studioon).

THE CROSS

He was crucified on the Tree of the Cross or the Tree of Knowledge. We know from the Old Testament that IT WAS THROUGH A TREE THAT ADAM FELL AND LOST HIS COMMUNION WITH GOD. It was through another Tree, THE TREE OF THE CROSS, THAT MAN SHOULD COME BACK TO THE PARADISE OF DELIGHT. He was NAILED TO THE CROSS IN ORDER TO NAIL SIN. HE STRETCHED OUT HIS HANDS ON THE CROSS IN ORDER TO CURE THE STRETCHING OUT OF THE HANDS OF ADAM AND EVE, WHEN THEY TOOK THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT, AND IN ORDER TO UNITE WHAT HAD BEEN SEPARATED, THE ANGELS AND MEN, THE HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY.

THE GAL AND VINEGAR

On the Cross He accepted the taste of gall and vinegar instead of the sweet taste which Adam and Een had when they tasted the forbidden fruit (Saint Greogyr the Theologian). Thus by THE TASTE OF VINEGAR HE CURED THE TASTE OF THE FORBIDDEN PLEASURE. HE ACCEPTED DEATH IN ORDER TO MAKE DEATH DEAD.

THE BLOOD AND WATER

The blood and water which flowed from His side MANIFESTED THE BASIC MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS) OF THE CHURCH: BAPTISM (WAER) AND THE DIVINE EUCHARIST (BLOOD), AS WELL AS THE BAPTISM OF MARTYRDOM. The sun and moon were darkened TO INDICATE THEIR SORROW OVER THE CRUCIFIED ONE. CHRIST WAS LIFTED TO THE HEIGHT OF THE CROSS FOR THE FALL OF ADAM. THE ROCKS WERE SPLIT BECAUSE THE ROCK OF LIFE SUFFERED. OUR LORD AND REDEEMER RAISED THE DEAD WHO THEN ENTERED JERUSALEM, IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE TOO ARE RAISED, WE SHALL ENTER THE NEW JERUSALEM, THE JERUSALEM ON HIGH. After His death on the Cross He was buried IN ORDER THAT WE SHOULD NOT RETURN TO THE EARTH AS WE DID BEFORE. FINALLY HE WAS RAISED UP FOR OUR OWN RESURRECTION.

The divine Proklos, Archbishop of Constantinople, called Christ’s Passion A PURGATIVE, HIS DEATH A CAUSE FOR IMMORTALITY, SINCE IT WAS THE DAWNING OF LIFE, THE DESCENT INTO HELL, A BRIDGE FOR THE RETURN TO LIFE OF THOSE LYING DEAD, THE NOONDAY AT WHICH CHRIST WAS CONDEMNED TO DEATH, A RECALL TO PARADISE OF MAN’S AFTERNOON CONDEMNATION, THE CROSS A PHYSICIAN OF THE TREE OF PARADISE, THE NAILS WERE WHAT FIXED AND NAILED WITH KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE LOGOS/WORD WHICH WAS SPREADING DEATH, THE THORNS WERE CLUSTERS OF GRAPES FROM THE JEWISH VINE, THE GALL A CAUSE FOR THE HONEY OF FAITH AND A CONSOLATION FOR THE WICKEDNESS OF THE JEWS, THE SPONGE WAS WHAT WIPED THE SIN OF THE WORLD, THE REED WAS WHAT ENROLLED THE FAITHFUL IN HEAVEN AND CRUSHED THE TYRANNY OF THE SNAKE ORIGINATOR OF EVIL, THE CROSS A SIGN CONTRADICTED BY THE UNFAITHFUL AND GLORIFIED BY THE FAITHFUL.

BY HIS PASSION OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST PROVED TO BE A TRUE PHYSICIAN OF MEN, SINCE HE CURED ALL THE TRIALS WHICH ADAM’S SIN HEAPED UPON THE HUMAN RACE. HE PROVED TO BE THE NEW FOUNDER OF THE HUMAN RACE. (Resources: The Feasts of the Lord)

(To be continued)

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

+ + +

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