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3. The Homily of Saint John Chrysostom
Christ is Risen!
“Whoever is devout and loves God,” – whoever truly honors God and sincerely loves Him, “let him enjoy this good and radiant feast,” – the most glorious Resurrection of Christ, which we now celebrate, and in which the Lord has wondrously shown both His goodness toward the human race, His wisdom in redeeming it from eternal destruction, and His power over the enemies of our salvation.
“Whoever is a wise servant,” who does not hide in vain in the earth the talents given him by God – time, strength, and abilities – nor spends them only on earthly affairs and pleasures, but wisely uses them in the service of the Lord and for the gaining of eternal blessedness, “let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord,” let him become a participant in that spiritual joy which the Lord has prepared for His faithful servants, redeemed by the blood of the Savior.
“Whoever has labored in fasting,” – whoever during the past fast did not remain idle, but diligently labored in the work of his salvation, “let him now receive the denarius,” – he will receive in the gracious fruits of Christ’s Resurrection that reward which God has promised to good workers.
“Whoever has worked from the first hour” – fulfilled the will of God from childhood or from the time when the Lord called him into His vineyard, that is, into the Church of Christ, “let him today receive the reward due to him in justice.”
“Whoever came after the third hour,” who did not at once begin the work of God but delayed for some time, “let him celebrate with thanksgiving,” giving thanks to God for His condescension toward him.
“Whoever arrived by the sixth hour” – came to God’s call even later, when half his life had already passed, “let him not be troubled at all; for he will lose nothing” of those good things which the Risen Lord grants to all who desire to partake of them.
“Whoever has missed even the ninth hour” – delayed still more and began to labor in God’s work when the day of his life was already declining toward evening, “let him draw near without any doubt or fear”: for now the grace of God has appeared, saving all men.
“And if anyone has come even at the eleventh hour” – even he who has come to God’s work very late, who has begun to care for the salvation of his soul only in old age, “let him not fear because of his delay: for the Master, loving honor” and being generous, “receives the last as the first, gives rest to him who came at the eleventh hour as to him who labored from the first hour,” giving to each what is due. “To the first He gives according to justice,” rewarding him rightly, “and the last He shows mercy,” out of condescension; “to the one He gives what is deserved,” “and to the other He grants as a gift” out of His goodness; “He accepts the deeds” with joy, “and the intention He embraces with love”; “He honors the work as is fitting,” “and praises the good will.”
“Therefore, enter all into the joy of your Lord! Both the first and the last receive your reward” from the Merciful Master!
“Rich and poor, rejoice together,” as children of one Heavenly Father!
“You who have labored and you who have been idle” in the work of your salvation, “honor this present day” of universal triumph!
“You who have fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice today,” when heaven and earth are glad and all creation celebrates! “The table is full: partake of it all.” “The calf,” slain for us, “is great and well-fattened: let no one depart hungry!” “Let all enjoy the feast of faith; let all receive the riches of God’s goodness!”
“Let no one lament his poverty: for the Kingdom of Heaven has been opened to all,” in which a rich inheritance is prepared for believers.
“Let no one weep for his sins: for from the tomb” of the Savior “forgiveness has shone forth” for all sinners who desire to receive it.
“Let no one fear death: for the Savior’s death has set us free from it,” if only we do not again enslave ourselves to it through sins. “It has been destroyed by the One who was held by it,” the Giver of life. “The Son of God, descending into Hades, has taken Hades captive and embittered it.” Foreknowing this long ago, the Prophet Isaiah cried out: Hades was embittered when it met You in the depths. “It was embittered: for it was abolished” – emptied; “it was embittered: for it was mocked” by its defeat at the hands of the Savior; “it was embittered: for it was slain” – deprived of that which was its life and power; “it was embittered: for it was cast down” from its throne and stripped of authority over the human race; “it was embittered: for it was bound” and can no longer act with its former freedom and strength. “It took a body and encountered God; it took earth and met heaven; it took what it saw and fell by what it did not see.” Thus God caught it by His wisdom!
Where is your sting, O death? Where is your victory, O Hades? Where is the sin by which you, O death, wounded men? Where, O Hades, is your triumph over the human race? – “Christ is risen, and you are overthrown,” like a powerless enemy! – “Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen,” your servants by whom you ensnared men! – “Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice,” beholding the wondrous triumph of the Son of God and the salvation of mankind! – “Christ is risen, and life reigns everywhere,” even where once there was the dominion of death and corruption! – “Christ is risen, and there is not one dead in the tomb”; for Christ, risen from the dead, has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep – He rose first as the Head, and afterward all His members shall rise – those who believe in Him and have within themselves His life-giving Spirit.
To Him be “glory and dominion unto the ages of ages”! Amen.
4. The Old Testament Passover and the New Christian Pascha
For a long time the chosen people of God languished in Egyptian bondage and had already begun to lose all hope of deliverance. No matter how many miracles their great leader Moses performed before Pharaoh by the power of God, the king remained unyielding; he did not wish to heed the voice of the God of Israel or let His people go. Finally, when even after nine plagues sent upon the Egyptians Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, the Lord declared to Moses that He would send yet one more, final, terrible punishment upon Egypt and its king: the destruction of all the firstborn, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the lowest servant, and even to the firstborn of all cattle—and by this plague the stubbornness of Pharaoh would at last be broken, and he would immediately let the Israelites go.
At the same time, in order to preserve forever among His people the memory of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, God commanded that a feast be established. On the tenth day of the month of Abib, every head of a household was to choose from his flock the best one-year-old male lamb; and on the fourteenth day in the evening he was to slaughter it and, dipping a bunch of hyssop in the lamb’s blood, mark with it the lintel and the doorposts of his house, so that when the destroyer came to strike the firstborn of Egypt, seeing the sign of blood, he would pass over the houses of the Hebrews and not bring destruction upon them. Then the lamb was to be roasted over fire, and all the household was to gather and eat it, without breaking a single bone, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, as a sign of the haste of departure and in remembrance of the bitter life and heavy slavery in Egypt. Those who ate were to appear ready for a journey: their loins girded, sandals on their feet, staffs in their hands, and they were to eat the lamb standing, with reverence, for this is the Passover of the Lord.
The Hebrew word “Passover,” according to some, means provision for a journey; according to others, passing over; and according to still others, the salvation of the firstborn. All these meanings apply to the event that was celebrated. The Passover was eaten in the evening, on the eve of the departure of God’s people from Egypt; that night the destroying Angel passed over the houses of the Israelites marked with the blood of the lamb, and their firstborn were saved.
Just as once the rivers were filled with Hebrew infants, so now the tombs of Egypt were filled with Egyptian firstborn. Weeping and lamentation resounded in every dwelling, from the royal palace to the poorest hut: each mourned his firstborn, the beginning of his offspring. Terrified, Pharaoh not only decided to let the Israelites go, but even urged them to depart quickly and to take all their possessions with them. And Israel arose, having dwelt in Egyptian captivity for 430 years, and on the shore of the sea, through which they had passed wondrously and which had swallowed Pharaoh with all his army, they sang to God their Savior a triumphant song of praise and thanksgiving.
In remembrance of this great event, the Israelites annually, on the fourteenth day of Nisan, solemnly celebrated the Passover, that is, they ate the paschal lamb, which according to the Law was to be slaughtered only in the sanctuary: first in the tabernacle, and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Jewish Passover was lawfully celebrated as long as the Law of Moses was in force. But when it was replaced by the law of grace, when the type gave way to the Prototype, when instead of the lamb slain each year in every household, the Lamb of God was slain on Golgotha once and for all, taking upon Himself the sins of the whole world — then the Jewish Passover ceased to be binding and gave way to the Christian Pascha.
What, then, is the Christian Pascha? The Apostle Paul answers this question: “Our Passover is Christ, who was sacrificed for us!” The Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself human flesh for no other purpose than to die for us; and if He had not subjected Himself to death, there would have been no glorious victory over death, and no Bright Resurrection. Thus, in celebrating at our Pascha the Resurrection of the Lord, we also celebrate His death.
In the ancient Church, the day of the Lord’s Crucifixion was counted among the great feasts; some Churches in the East, three days before Pascha, celebrated another Pascha—the Pascha of the Cross—in remembrance of the Lord’s sufferings on the Cross. Now, however, the Church, uniting the remembrance of the Resurrection and the death of Jesus Christ into one solemn feast of Pascha, calls heaven, earth, the whole visible and invisible world to this joyful celebration, for Christ has risen—eternal joy! And at the same time it hymns Christ—the new Pascha, the purifying, the living Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who willingly offered Himself for all. To such a union—the remembrance of the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection with His humiliation unto death on the Cross and burial—one of the holy hierarchs calls us: “Celebrating Christ, who has risen for us, let us at the same time look with compunction upon Christ, who was crucified for us, who suffered, died, and was buried, so that our joy may not be forgotten or become thoughtless. Only he has full and unshakable joy in the Resurrection of Christ who himself has risen inwardly with Christ and has hope to rise triumphantly; and this hope belongs only to him who shares in the Cross, the sufferings, and the death of Christ... Festive joy which forgets the Cross and the death of Christ, which call us to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires, is in danger—having begun in the spirit, to end in the flesh, and to turn those who celebrate Christ’s Resurrection into those who crucify Him again!”
And how the Christian Pascha should be celebrated is evident: our celebration must be as much holier and more perfect than the Jewish celebration as our Pascha is holier and more perfect than the Jewish Passover. The foundation of the Jewish Passover was a temporal blessing—the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage; but the foundation of the Christian Pascha is an eternal blessing—the deliverance of the whole human race from the bondage of sin and death. Establishing the Old Testament Passover, God impressed upon the Jews the special importance of this feast and commanded that it be observed with all solemnity. “You shall keep it as an everlasting ordinance,” He said. “The soul who violates the sanctity of this feast shall be cut off from among the children of Israel.” At the same time, the Jews during the celebration of Passover were commanded, under penalty of death, to avoid all leaven; therefore, several days before Passover, they ceased using leaven and for seven days ate unleavened bread.
The Lawgiver of the New Testament did not will to command His disciples to set down in the Holy Gospel any rules about the celebration of the Christian Pascha; the Pascha of Christ is celebrated without any law, command, or ordinance, and will be celebrated forever until the end of the world, being in itself the feast of feasts and the triumph of triumphs.
Only the Apostle Paul left us instruction on how to celebrate Pascha worthily, so that by our celebration we may please the Risen Lord. “Let us keep the feast,” he says, recalling the Jewish custom and the strictness of the Old Testament Church, “not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth!” The Jew avoided material leaven; the Christian must avoid spiritual leaven—malice and evil. The Jew ate unleavened bread, which was only a symbol of purity; but the Christian must partake of the reality itself—must possess spiritual purity. Therefore the festive joy of the Christian must also be spiritual, peaceful, and uplifting to the soul. If a Christian must always conduct himself so that in his thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds the image of life and the spirit of our Savior are reflected, then all the more in the days appointed for the celebration of Pascha—what better occupation can he have than the remembrance of the great events of the Gospel—the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which are precisely the subject of this present celebration?
5. On the Custom of the Paschal Greeting (Christ is Risen) at Holy Pascha
On the first day of Holy Pascha, at Matins, we perform the rite of the Paschal greeting established by the Church. This rite is very important and comforting, and therefore we consider it a sacred duty to explain its meaning.
1. Usually we say: “Christ is Risen!” and begin to greet one another in this way, and we are answered: “Truly He is Risen!” In doing so, we imitate the first disciples of the Lord, who, after His Resurrection, speaking with one another about the Risen Lord, said: “The Lord is truly risen.” Moreover, by these same greetings, though briefly, we clearly express to one another the meaning of this present feast.
This greeting fills our soul with inexpressible joy! There is something especially joyful when you say or hear from another the sweet words: “Christ is Risen!” – “Truly He is Risen!” One may say that they are saving for our soul, since they contain the sweet hope of our future resurrection. “Christ is risen from the dead,” says the Apostle Paul, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Therefore, if Jesus Christ has risen, then we also shall rise. This is most comforting for all of us, and especially for those whose present life is filled with thorns and hardships. Indeed, to suffer throughout life and then become forever a victim of death—that would be terrible! But to suffer here and then pass into blessed eternity, and finally, together with the resurrected body, to enjoy blessedness… what could be more desirable? These are the reasons for the sacred joy we feel from the words “Christ is Risen!” – “Truly He is Risen!” and for their universal use in our greetings.
2. After exchanging this greeting, we give one another a kiss. What does this mean? A kiss, in everyday life, is accepted as a sign of heartfelt love for one another. It has the same meaning in the Paschal greeting. “The feast of Pascha,” in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, “is the pledge of peace, the source of reconciliation, the destruction of death, the ruin of the devil. Today men are united with angels.” Therefore, can we Christians, on such a radiant feast, remain in enmity with anyone? Can we fail to have heartfelt love for one another? “Let us be illumined by the feast,” the Holy Church sings to us, “and let us embrace one another. Let us say, brethren, even to those who hate us: let us forgive all by the Resurrection!” These are the feelings with which our kiss should be given. Otherwise, it will resemble the kiss of Judas.
3. Finally, after saying the sweet words “Christ is Risen!” – “Truly He is Risen!” – and after the mutual kiss, we give one another red eggs. The egg is a sign of our blessed resurrection from the dead, the pledge of which we have in Jesus Christ. To understand how the egg serves as a sign of our resurrection, consider what happens to an egg when it is incubated for several days: from it comes forth a new creature, whose life had been hidden within the lifeless shell. In the same way, from the tomb—the dwelling of death—the Giver of Life arose; and the time will come when our bodies, by the power of Almighty God, at the sound of the Archangel’s trumpet, will come forth from the heart of the earth and be clothed in incorruption. This is what the eggs we give to one another remind us of.
Do you know where this custom came from? It is very ancient and, according to tradition, comes from Mary Magdalene, equal to the apostles. When she came to Rome after the Ascension of the Lord to preach the gospel, she appeared before Emperor Tiberius and, saying “Christ is Risen,” presented him with a red egg. At that time it was customary for poor people, as a sign of respect to the wealthy, to friends, benefactors, and authorities, to bring them an egg as a gift on the New Year and on their birthdays. Following the example of Mary Magdalene, the first Christians began to give one another eggs on the days of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. From them this custom passed to us.
But how did the custom of giving red eggs arise? According to tradition, the occasion was as follows: on the very day of Christ’s Resurrection, a Jew was carrying a basket of fresh eggs to sell at the market. On the way he met another Jew, who said to him: “Friend, do you know what miracle has taken place in our city of Jerusalem? Christ, who died three days ago, has risen from the tomb, and many have already seen Him.” But the man carrying the eggs replied: “No, I do not believe that Christ has risen from the tomb; that is as impossible as it is for these white eggs to suddenly become red.” And what happened? As soon as he spoke these words, the white eggs in his basket turned red. This miracle so struck him that he did not delay in accepting the Christian faith. News of this wondrous event quickly spread among believers, and in remembrance of it they began to give one another red eggs. Perhaps for this reason Mary Magdalene also presented Emperor Tiberius with a red egg.
On the other hand, the red color of the eggs has a special meaning—it signifies the life-giving Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ had not redeemed us, we would have remained eternal captives of hades and death, and thus would have had no basis to hope for our future resurrection. But we have been redeemed by nothing other than the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we shall certainly rise again. And since our redemption was accomplished by the Blood of Christ, our future resurrection has likewise been obtained by that same Blood. This is what the red color of the eggs reminds us of—or rather, it proclaims to us that our future resurrection is the fruit and result of the shedding of the precious Blood of the Savior.
Such is the meaning of the Paschal greeting.
Continued
