On the road to Pascha

Even though it's not even the beginning of Sarakostí (Lent), I'm already thinking of Pascha (the Lord's Passover, that is, Easter).

I was explaining to a Christian brother the problem caused by adding filioque to the original Symbol of Nicæa. He had never heard of that before but said that he knew of the controversy regarding the phrase ‘He descended into hell’ being in the Nicene Creed, and added that he thought it was probably unscriptural.

‘He descended into hell’ is not in the Symbol of Nicæa, but rather, in the Latin baptismal formula called the Apostles' Creed. In addition to that, there are two scriptural passages that refer to Christ's ‘descent into Hades’ (She’ol in Hebrew). They are 1 Peter 3:18-19 and Ephesians 4:9-10.

My purpose is never to dispute, but simply to report was has been handed over to us. But, as I say, the discussion got me to thinking about the resurrection of Christ, which for Orthodox Christians is never more than a week away every day of the year. This reminded me of some beautiful passages from the service of Holy Saturday, the Sabbath Rest of the Lord, that I'd like to share with anyone visiting here, to help us understand the significance of Christ's sleep in the tomb and of the passage in Psalms, ‘For You will not abandon my soul to She’ol, or let Your Holy One see corruption’ (Psalm 16:10).

Something strange is happening.
There is a great silence on earth today,

a great silence and stillness.
The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

The earth trembled and is still

because God has fallen asleep in the flesh,

and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.
God has died in the flesh and she’ol trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parents,

as for a lost sheep.
Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

He has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve,

He who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the cross,

the weapon that had won Him the victory.
At the sight of Him Adam, the first man He had created,

struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone,
‘My Lord be with you all.’
Christ answered him, ‘And with your spirit.’

He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying,
‘Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead,

and Christ will give you light.
For I am your God,

who for your sake have become your son.
Out of love for you and for your descendants

I now by My own authority command—
all who are held in bondage to come forth,
all who are in darkness to be enlightened,
all who are sleeping to arise.

‘I order you, O sleeper, to awake.
I did not create you to be held a prisoner in she‘ol.
Arise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.
Arise, work of My hands.
Arise, O My likeness,

you who were created in My image.
Rise, let us leave this place,
for you are in Me and I am in you.
Together we form only one person

and we cannot be separated.

‘For your sake I, your God, became your son;
For your sake I, the Lord, took the form of a slave;
For your sake I, whose home is above the heavens,

descended to the earth and beneath the earth.
For your sake, for the sake of man,

I became like a man without help,

free among the dead.

‘For the sake of you, who left a garden,

I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden,

and I was crucified in a garden.

‘See on My face the spittle I received

in order to restore to you the life

I once breathed into you.

See there the marks of the blows I received

in order to refashion your warped nature

in My image.
See on My back the marks of the scourging I endured

to remove the burden of sin

that weighs upon your back.
See My hands, nailed firmly to a tree,

for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand

to a tree.

‘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 has healed the pain in yours;
My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in she‘ol.
The sword that pierced Me

has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

‘Arise, let us leave this place.

‘The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise.
I will not restore you to that paradise,

but I will enthrone you in heaven.
I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life,

but see,

I who am life itself am now one with you.
I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded,

but now I make them worship you as God.

‘You hid yourselves, as if naked, from God:

but behold—

hidden within you is the naked God.

‘The throne formed by cherubim awaits you,

its bearers swift and eager.
The bridal chamber is adorned,

the banquet is ready,

the eternal dwelling places are prepared,

the treasure houses of all good things lie open.
The kingdom of heaven

has been prepared for you

from all eternity.’

— Epiphanios of Cyprus