SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE
HOLY SATURDAY
While the Body of the LORD was "resting" in that Beautiful Garden Tomb on that 1st Holy Saturday...
His spirit is accomplishing the Promise of His ALMIGHTY FATHER spoken through His Holy Prophets...
"You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there." (King David, Psalm 68:10)
"As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit." (Prophet Zachariah, Zachariah 9:11)
"Sheol (Hebrew for the Greek: Hades, the Latin: Infernus, the Aramiac: Gehenna, and the English: HELL) from beneath is embittered over you to meet you when you come" (Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 14:9)
In the Early Christian Profession of Our most Blessed Faith called the Apostle's Creed, we declare: He descended into Hell (Latin: descendit ad inferos Greek: κατελθόντα εἰς τὰ κατώτατα-katelthonta eis ta katôtata)... What did Jesus do there? Let us look into it in the Epistles of His Blessed Apostles:
Paul of Tarsus writes to the Church in Ephesus:
" Therefore it says ''WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.' Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth (Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, Inferos... Hell!)? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:8-10)
He even exhorts the Church in Colossae:
The writer of the Letter to the Church in Jerusalem exhorts us:
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14)
John the Beloved writes to the Churches in Asia Minor:
"As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit." (Prophet Zachariah, Zachariah 9:11)
"Sheol (Hebrew for the Greek: Hades, the Latin: Infernus, the Aramiac: Gehenna, and the English: HELL) from beneath is embittered over you to meet you when you come" (Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 14:9)
In the Early Christian Profession of Our most Blessed Faith called the Apostle's Creed, we declare: He descended into Hell (Latin: descendit ad inferos Greek: κατελθόντα εἰς τὰ κατώτατα-katelthonta eis ta katôtata)... What did Jesus do there? Let us look into it in the Epistles of His Blessed Apostles:
Paul of Tarsus writes to the Church in Ephesus:
" Therefore it says ''WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.' Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth (Sheol, Gehenna, Hades, Inferos... Hell!)? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:8-10)
He even exhorts the Church in Colossae:
“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” (Colossians 2:15)
The writer of the Letter to the Church in Jerusalem exhorts us:
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14)
John the Beloved writes to the Churches in Asia Minor:
“…The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (I John 3:8)
Simon Peter exhorts the Church in Rome (Codename during the persecutions: Babylon):
“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison (Sheol), who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.” (I Peter 3:18-19)
Christ Exhorts us through the Glorious Visions of John the Beloved at the Prison-Island of Patmos:
“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys (symbol of authority) of death and of Hades.’” (Revelations 1:17-18)
Let us HEARKEN AND CONTEMPLATE on this BLESSED TRUTH through this SERMON FROM THE EARLY CHURCH
The Lord's descent into hell
"What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.
'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.
`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
"The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages."
Jesus has won the VICTORY! Saving GOD'S CREATION (PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE) FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION... Disarming the enemy, satan, of all his power... Even trampling down His "kingdom," sin, death, hell and the grave is brought to nothing! This is the PERFECT SACRIFICE OF JESUS OFFERED ONCE AND FOR ALL! LOVE HAS CONQUERED the enemy! WE ARE FREE! IN JESUS WE ARE FREE! LIGHT HAS ENTERED OUR DARKEST HOURS IN ORDER TO DISPEL IT AND FILL US WITH HIS LIGHT!
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento