Cyril
of Jerusalem
Lecture 14, Part A
“Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you.... that He has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….” — 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Summary: St. Cyril now cites testimonies and witnesses
providing evidence for the Resurrection; which call us to rejoicing. It is the spiritual spring of the universe;
winter is behind us.
Preview: 1. “Rejoice,
O Jerusalem, … for He is risen. Rejoice, all you that mourned[i]
… for He who was spitefully entreated of them in this place is risen again. As … the Cross was sorrowful … let the good tidings
of the Resurrection bring joy…. because of
Him, who after His resurrection, said Rejoice.”
“Now, therefore, the Dead is risen, He who was free among the dead , and the deliverer of the dead[ii]. He who in dishonor wore patiently the crown of
thorns, even He arose, and crowned Himself with the diadem of His victory over death.”[iii] 2. As then we set forth the testimonies concerning
His Cross, so come let us now verify the proofs of His Resurrection also: since
the Apostle before us affirms, He was buried,
and has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” “in
order that when the Gospels are read, the narratives of these holy Scriptures may
not be thought fables nor rhapsodies.” 3. You have heard details of His burial. “But now let the testimonies concerning His resurrection
itself go with us on our way.” 4. “For the misery of the poor, and the
sighing of the needy, now will I arise, says the Lord.”[iv] “Preserve
Me, O Lord, for in You have I put my trust … their assemblies of blood will I not
join, nor make mention of their names between my lips … I foresaw the Lord always
before Me, because He is at My right hand, that I may not be moved … Yea and even
until night my reins chastened me … For You will not leave My soul in hell ; neither
will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”[v] “I
will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted Me up, and hast not made My foes to
rejoice over Me.”[vi] “O Lord, You have brought up My soul
from hell.”[vii] 5. “For with You is the fountain of life.”[viii] 6. “Prepare
yourself, be rising at the dawn: all their gleaning is destroyed.”[ix] “Therefore
wait thou for Me, says the Lord, until the day of My Resurrection at the Testimony.”[x] 7. “For then will I turn to the peoples a language.”[xi] “From beyond
the rivers of Ethiopia they shall bring
me offerings.”[xii] With such [prophecies] of the Resurrection and
the signs that followed, confess “Christ risen from the dead.”[xiii] 8. “O
Lord, God of My salvation, I have cried day and night before You … I
became as it were a man without help, free among the dead.”[xiv] “And unto
You have I cried, O Lord; and in
the morning shall my prayer come before
You.”[xv] 9. He came
forth from a cave in the rock.[xvi] 10. “The
winter is past, the rain is past and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the
time of the pruning has come.”[xvii]
[ii]
Note that the expression, “the deliverer of the dead,” clearly claims that
Christ descended into Hell; spoiled Hell; and brought up all of the righteous
dead, from Adam and Eve onward, out of Hell, and into Paradise. He conquered, He trampled down death by
death.
[iv]
Psalms 11:5 Septuagint; Psalms 12:5
[v]
Psalms 15:1, 4, 8, 7, 10 Septuagint; Psalms 16:…
[vi]
Psalms 29:1 Septuagint; Psalms 30:1
[vii]
Psalms 29:3 Septuagint; Psalms 30:3
[viii]
Psalms 35:9 Septuagint; Psalms 36:9
[ix]
Zephaniah 3:7
[x]
Zephaniah 3:8
[xi]
Zephaniah 3:9
[xii]
The Ethiopian eunuch… Zephaniah 3:10
[xiii]
2 Timothy 2:8
[xiv]
Psalms 87:1, 4-5 Septuagint; Psalms 88:1, 4-5
[xv]
Psalms 87:13 Septuagint; Psalms 88:13
[xvi]
Song of Solomon 2:14
[xvii]
Song of Solomon 2:11-13
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