PESACH

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

 

 

PESACH

The Apostle's Creed declares: "...and on the Third Day HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD!" 

Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us! Therefore Let us keep the Feast, HALLELUJAH! ... 

After Shedding His PRECIOUS BLOOD on the GLORIOUS CROSS of CALVARY, on that 1st GOOD FRIDAY! And disarming and divesting the enemy of his "kingdom" and "authority" over us on the 1st Holy Saturday... Jesus was resurrected by the FATHER, in this flesh, by the POWER OF HIS LIFE-GIVING HOLY SPIRIT! ... And that same SPIRIT dwells in us! HIS HOLY CHURCH! Everything has been accomplished for our Salvation! WE ARE NOW A NEW CREATION! MORE GLORIOUS FOR WE HAVE NOT ONLY THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD, OUR FATHER, BUT ALSO HIS VERY LIFE EXPRESSED BY JESUS, HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON... AND HIS AUTHORITY GIVEN TO US IN HIS HOLY SPIRIT! NOW WE ARE NOT JUST MERE MAN! W RE A NEW CREATION! WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST! EMMANUEL! GOD-WHO-IS-LOVE-ALONE IS WITH US AND IN US! Let us be exhorted by one of the Early Church Fathers:

John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople (Formerly known as Byzantium, present day City of Istambul, Turkey):

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay. For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our LORD, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today! The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions." (Isaiah 14:9) It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!

It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!

"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?"

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is risen, and life reigns!

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.

To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

This is our Christian Faith! GOD HIMSELF WAS IN CHRIST! RECONCILING US TO HIMSELF! THIS IS OUR VICTORY! THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY! 

Αναστάσεως ημέρα - Anastaseos Imera 

Writen by St. John Damascene

HOLY SATURDAY

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:

“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."

A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday

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! 

GOOD FRIDAY

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

GOOD FRIDAY

Jesus was sent by the Sanhedrin before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate in the Antonian Fortress for Him to be Crucified... After personally scrutinizing Jesus, Pilate found no crime against Him deserving death, save for the so-called "blasphemy" that is used against Him by the Sanhedrin... 

So He asked them to take Jesus to Herod Antipas... After being mocked by Herod and even calling Jesus a mad man, He was sent backed to Pilate... 

As the custom of that time, a prisoner is given freedom by the people's choice for the Feast of the Passover... Pilate asked the crowd: "Who do you want me to release to you... Barabbas, the Criminal, or Jesus, who is called the King of the Jews?" ... 

The people, instigated by the chief priests shouted: "BARABBAS! GIVE US BARABBAS!" Pilate answered them: "What shall i do then with Jesus, who is called the Christ?"...

"CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!" ...

Pilate thought that if he will have Jesus flogged, the people will take pity on Him... 

But, to no avail, after presenting Jesus to them, mocked by the Roman soldiers, filled with wounds, crowned with thorns, and draped in purple rags... 

The people shouted all the more: "CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!"

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." ...

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,  and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

Pilate washed his hands... "I am innocent of this man's blood, see to that yourselves..."

The People answered:

"BE HIS BLOOD ON US AND ON OUR CHILDREN!"...

It was already nine in the morning... Jesus is led, carrying His heavy cross to Calvary... 

He even collapsed because of exhaustion, lack of sleep, and because of massive blood loss that he has endured due to the endless beatings that He has endured... 

All of this He suffered because of His Great Love for us!

Mary, that lovely Maiden of Nazareth who was willing to accept Her LORD AND SAVIOR, not only in her heart, but also in her Virginal Womb, becoming the Blessed Mother of her LORD, was willing to follow Him in this Via Dolorosa, this Journey of Grief... Even if it breaks her heart... Even if she doesn't understand why is this happening to her BELOVED SON, LORD AND SAVIOR... She, together with John, Jesus' Beloved Friend, and with His Mother, Mary Salome (who is also the Mother of James, called "the Greater", one of the 12 closest friends of Jesus, and the Wife of Zebedee) Mary of Magdala and Mary of Cleopas (The Mother of James and Joseph-Matthew 13:55, 27:56 and Mark 15:40, who is also called Joses in Mark 6:3 and Mark 15:47), were willing to follow Jesus no matter how hard or confusing the circumstances are.

A stranger, Simon by name, a Jew from the town of Cyrene, Libya, was forced by the Soldiers to carry Jesus' Cross for He was already very weak and they fear that He will not be able to reach Calvary alive... 

That encounter with the CRUSHED AND PIERCED MESSIAH made an impact in Simon's life that he even followed Jesus later in life... His two sons, Alexander and Rufus were great missionaries to the Romans... 

Veronica Bernice, the woman healed of her hemorrhage by touching the hem of Jesus' cloak , was also present... as a sign of great gratitude, and perhaps of great love for her MESSIAH, she offered to wipe the bloodied face of Jesus with her veil, and in return, as a token of HIS SELFLESS LOVE, Jesus left the Image of His Face... HIS LOVING COUNTENANCE on Her Veil... She in turn received this Precious Image not only on her Veil... 

This Image of HER SAVIOR was also left imprinted in her heart...

The Daughters of Jerusalem, most probably followers of Jesus, were weeping bitterly for their Beloved Rabbi... Jesus turned to them and said:

"Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US. For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Jesus, GOD WHO IS LOVE ALONE WHO TOOK FORM OUR HUMAN, SINFUL NATURE, is still concerned about his enemies... Even amidst of the injustices that was done to Him by the Jewish Elders and Priests, He is still willing to LOVE THEM... EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT HIM TO... 

Finally, they reached the Hill of Calvary... 

They stripped Jesus of His garments... 

His Dried wounds began to bleed again because of the forceful stripping of the Roman Soldiers... 

The Roman Soldiers even used Jesus' seamless Cloak for gambling... They gave Him wine mixed with gall, a sort of anesthesia... But Jesus refused, He was willing to endure everything Just to GIVE US HIS AWESOME AND SELFLESS LOVE...

We can now hear Hammer pounding...  Jesus is now Nailed on the Cross... His Arms outstretched as a gesture of an ETERNAL AND LOVING HIGH PRIEST... His Wrists and Feet are now in GREAT PAIN...

But in spite of such Great pain... Jesus said:

"FATHER... FORGIVE THEM... FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ARE DO"

We really don't know the grave consequences of sin... 

How we are separated from the FATHER WHO IS THE FULLNESS OF LIFE... Therefore we don't really live life to its fullest and its FULLNESS! 

And how it breaks OUR FATHER'S HEART when we are FAR AWAY from HIM... 

Two thieves were there, Crucified with Jesus... On His Right, a man named Dismas... On His left... Gesmas...

Gesmas began to mock Jesus, saying: "If you are the MESSIAH... If you are who you say you are... Why not use your Power... Save yourself, and us as well from this cruel, lowest form of Death"

But Dismas replied... Rebuking Gesmas, saying: "Can't you see that we deserve this! ... But look at this Man... I heard Him speak before in Galilee... I even saw His Miracles... The Wonders GOD HAS DONE THROUGH HIM... HE IS RIGHTEOUS... HE DOES NOT DESERVE THIS"...

Jesus looked at Dismas... A look filled with DIVINE LOVE AND MERCY...

And because of this... Dismas asked Jesus: "Rabboni... Good Teacher... Master... MY LORD AND SAVIOR! ... JESUS... REMEMBER ME... WHEN YOU COME TO YOUR KINGDOM" ...

Jesus replied:

"TRULY... I SAY TO YOU... TODAY... YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE!"...

That PROMISE... That GOOD NEWS is not only for Dismas... That is also for Gesmas, for the Roman Soldiers... For the Jewish Elders and Priests... For Pilate... For Judas Iscariot... For you... and for me... All of this... He was willing to suffer and to endure... Because of His GREAT LOVE FOR US... That is why the letter to the Hebrews states that Jesus' Sacrifice is "PERFECT, ONCE FOR ALL!" ... In the Book of Revelations, we read that Jesus, the LAMB OF GOD THAT TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, was "SLAIN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD"... The Salvation of the FATHER is already prepared for us since the very beginning of time...

Jesus then saw, at the foot of His cross His Beloved Mother... 

And even while in great, excruciating Pain, Jesus asks John to Take care of Her:

"WOMAN... BEHOLD... YOUR SON! ... SON! ... BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER..."

But there is more to this... Jesus gives Mary Her Church (represented by John, Mary of Magdala, Mary Cleopas and Mary Salome) as her children... And Jesus, gives us Mary, HIS 1ST DISCIPLE AS OUR LOVING MOTHER... Do you want to just fall much more deeper in love with Jesus? Then let us turn and learn from Mary... OUR MOTHER! ...

The Jewish Priests and Elders who were present even dared to mock Jesus... 

Jesus cried out:

"MY GOD! ... MY GOD! ... WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" ...

In the incarnation, when GOD entered our human history... When He took our wretched Humanity... He acquired everything that we are... except for our sin... He who knew no sin, became sin on that cross of Calvary so that we may become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM! ... He even took part of our doubts and our fears... But, Jesus is also Reminding us of Psalm 22... That even if we may find ourselves in great difficulties in life... DON'T LOSE HOPE... GOD IS THERE FOR US... HE IS WITH US... NEVER TO LEAVE OR TO FORSAKE US...

Jesus said:

"I THIRST"...

He thirsts for what? ... He thirsts for your love... For my love... For the Love of the whole Human Race... 

"IT IS FINISHED!"

Jesus has already done the work... we are not only cleansed from our sins... We now have a NEW LIFE... BEING RECONCILED WITH OUR LOVING, ALMIGHTY FATHER...

"FATHER... INTO YOUR HANDS... I COMMIT MY SPIRIT!"

Our lives should manifest this character of Jesus...  In everything that He did... In every Word that proceeds from His mouth... And even in His very Life, it is all for the GREATER GLORY OF THE FATHER... And only through this kind of lifestyle can we have LIFE IN IT'S FULLNESS... IT SHOULD BE FOR, TO AND IN GOD OUR FATHER! THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! ... Into GOD'S HANDS, WE COMMEND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE, EVERY FAILURE OR ACHIEVEMENT WE MAY HAVE IN LIFE, LET US JUST COMMEND IT TO GOD, OUR LOVING FATHER... 

It is now 3:00 in the Afternoon... Jesus expires... 

He is laid on a New tomb given (and owned by) Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin... He, together with Nicodemus protested against the unjust proceedings of the trial of Jesus... He even dared to risk his reputation and even his life just by going to Pilate and asking him for the Body of Jesus... But, because of His great Love for Jesus, he was willing, together with Nicodemus to expose themselves as Followers and Friends of Jesus...

Do we have the same conviction? Are We willing to stand up for JESUS no matter what? JESUS was willing to stand up for us... Are we willing to do the same in spite of the odds?

THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S LOVE... REVEALED ON THAT CROSS OF CALVARY... BY HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST... AND THAT CROSS, THAT WOOD OF EXECUTION THAT IS FIT FOR THE VILEST CRIMINAL, WAS TRANSFORMED ON THAT 1ST GOOD FRIDAY AS GOD'S THRONE OF DIVINE MERCY, GRACE AND LOVE...