Cyril of Jerusalem
Lecture 13, Part A
“Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? ... He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter….” — Isaiah 53:1,7
Summary: The pinnacle of Christ’s glorious deeds is the Cross, by which healing, resurrection, feeding, and freedom were brought to all mankind: so, we glory in the Cross of Christ: stumbling-block to Jews; foolishness to Gentiles; salvation to us in all verity: we fear not to declare it because of the Resurrection. Jesus went to the Cross sinlessly, willingly: for which there are many proofs from the Prophets.
Preview: 1. “Every
deed of Christ is” glorious; “But
God forbid that I should glory,
save in the Cross of Christ”; this is the supreme glory of the Church. The healing of one blind from birth, the
raising of Lazarus, the feeding of thousands, the loosing of the woman bound by
Satan are all glorious; but, the healing of the worlds blindness; the raising,
feeding, and loosing of all; this is supremely glorious: for the Cross led
ignorance to light, loosed all, and ransomed all mankind. 2. “Wonder
not that the whole world was ransomed: for [Christ is] no mere man”; yet, Adam
brought sin and death on the whole world; and Phinehas staved the wrath of God
by killing the evil-doers[i]:
but, Christ is greater than either, bringing the fruit of life, giving Himself
for God’s wrath.[ii] 3. So,
let us glory in the Cross; stumbling-block to Jews; foolishness to Gentiles;
salvation to us:[iii]
for the Lamb of God is greater than the lamb sacrificed by Moses. Many were crucified; only One scared
devils. Many died for their own sins; only
One died for the sins of others: “for He did
no sin, neither was guile found
in His mouth.”[iv] And Pilate finds no fault in Jesus.[v] Even a robber finds Him innocent.[vi] 4. “Jesus then really suffered for all men; for the
Cross was no illusion, otherwise our redemption is an illusion also. His death was not a mere show, for then is our
salvation also fabulous[vii].” “Now that the Resurrection has followed the
Cross, I am not ashamed to declare it.”
5. Like fleshly men, “He was
crucified,” but, not alike in their sins: He was not covetous, had no concupiscence[viii],
not a smiter; no despiser of the Law, the fulfiller of the Law; no reviler of
prophets, the One proclaimed by all prophets; no defrauder, He worked for
free. “[He] did no sin.”[ix] “[He] came to His passion … willingly.”[x] 6. Proof
of His willingness: “He spoke before of His passion”, He did not resist Judas
who plotted His death, He declared that the Cross was His Glory, He professed
power to lay down His life. 7. “But the Jews contradict this , ever ready, as
they are, to cavil, and backward to believe; so that for this cause the Prophet
just now read says, Lord, who has believed our report?[xi]
Persians
believe , and Hebrews believe not….” “For
he signifies that the grace of life is no longer to dwell in Israel, but among the
Gentiles.” 8. We should seek these testimonies among the
Prophets concerning: Judas, His pierced side, His crucifixion in a garden, sold
for thirty pieces, given vinegar to drink, laid in a rock, sealed by a stone,
crucified with robbers, buried, raised. “For
our speech and our preaching is not in persuasive words of man's wisdom.”[xii] “Listen now to a few of the more important [of
these testimonies].” And “if any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives….”[xiii] 9. “I begin
from whence the Passion began. Judas was
the traitor, and he came against Him … plotting war. … the Psalmist says, My friends and My neighbors
drew near against Me, and stood.[xiv] And again, Their words were softer than oil,
yet be they spears.[xv] Hail, Master.” “are you
betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?[xvi] “O God, pass not over My praise in silence; for the
mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of
the deceitful, are opened against Me; they have spoken against Me with a treacherous
tongue, they have compassed Me about also with words of hatred.”[xvii] “They
returned at evening, and hungered like dogs, and encompassed the city.”[xviii] 10. “And I will say to them, If it be good in
your sight, give me my price, or refuse. And they weighed for My price thirty pieces of silver. And
I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of the Lord,
into the foundry.”[xix]
[i]
Numbers 25:6-11
[ii]
How is this not guilt: for wrath surely indicates a judgment by God that Adam,
with all mankind is guilty. So, the
process seems to stand: sin-guilt-death.
Nor can we possibly be innocent in Adam’s sin. If God has wrath against man; then man
necessarily has guilt before God.
[iii]
1 Corinthians 1:20-36
[iv]
Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22
[v]
Matthew 27:24; Luke 23:14
[vi]
Luke 23:41
[vii]
fable
[viii]
St. Cyril’s definition of concupiscence may differ somewhat from our custom:
for he applies it directly to adultery (lust after women), not to a general tendency
to sin (lust after anything).
[ix]
1 Peter 2:20-27
[x]
Matthew 16:20-23
[xi]
Isaiah 53:1-7
[xii]
1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:4
[xiii]
James 1:5
[xiv]
Psalms 38:11-13
[xv]
Psalms 55:21
[xvi]
Proverbs 27:6
[xvii]
Psalms 109:1-31
[xviii]
Psalms 59:6
[xix]
Zechariah 11:12-13
No comments:
Post a Comment