My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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HISTORICAL ACTS OF CHRIST
Feasts and Fasts are significant religious events and observations that awaken the spirit and faith of man. The center of all festivals and celebrations of the Christian Church is the Christian Pascha. Its heritage is recorded in the Old Testament as the main observation of the Jewish religion; its Christian incidents occupy the Golden Pages of history; its meaning is the cornerstone of the Holy Scripture and becomes the main objective of faith, devotion, and inspiration for the Christian. The Christian Pascha is the treasure of the Church which has adopted it as the great ineffable monument.
The Christian Pascha is not only Easter but also includes the Lord's Supper and His Crucifixion. These three extinct events of the last hours in the earthly life of Jesus Christ must be considered as one in meaning for His redemptive work. The fact is that these events are a part of history and are considered a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, they are followed by some outward links between Old Testament references and New Testament statements.
The sacrifice of the lamb in the Jewish religion is considered a pattern for the Christian Pascha, in which the victim is Jesus Christ Himself In that the Christian Pascha is of the highest importance for the believer, it requires a thorough study of its deep meaning for salvation and of its historical circumstances and presupposition, as well as its observances in the Christian Church. Therefore, the subject of Pascha will be divided into three treatments. First, the historical circumstances and presuppositions as they are recorded in the Old Testament and the Apostolic Tradition of the Church. Second, the deep meaning of the Christian Pascha as the redemptive work and sacrifice for the salvation of the Christian believer. Third, a summary of the rich hymnology and devotion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. By such devotion, the believer commemorates this very important work of God, and by participating with God Himself.
Herein only the first treatment will be presented. The other two are included in separate issues. "The Last Events in the Life of Christ" and "Great and Holy Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church."
PASSOVER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Passover is the English equivalent of the Hebrew Pesah, the Aramaic Pasha, the Greek Pascha, Faska by Josephus, and Pascha in the New Testament. It is claimed that the word from which it is derived might be the Greek Pascha, from the verb Pascho which means suffer, to be afflicted, to be in evil plight; eu paschein to be well off, or to receive benefits. The Jewish Passover is the most distinctive festival of the Jewish Passover.
The Jewish Passover, as it now is known, was instituted in commemoration of the freeing of teh Hebrew people, under teh leadership of Moses and by the miraculous act of God, from the slavery of the Egyptians. God commanded the slaughter of a lamb, without the breaking of any of its bones, by each Jewish family, and the anointing with its blood of the upper part of the door of each house. This was a sign for the Angel of God, who protected the first-born of the family from death.
ON WHAT DAY WAS JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED?
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a tragic event of history, marked the climax of His Life on earth. The Church of Christ has distinguished this particular day from all others. On this day Christians rededicate their lives to Christ. The four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, agree that the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified was the day of preparation for the Sabbath, which is called Friday. Friday is the same as the "Day of Preparation" in order of the days of the week according to the Jewish calendar. The word Friday in English is not a literal translation of the word "preparation", as it is in Greek: paraskevi.
The four Evangelists refer to this day with certainty in the following passages: Joseph of Arimathea "asked for the body of Jesus, when evening had come, since it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; Matthew 27:62; John 19:14, 19:31, 19:42.
LORD'S SUPPER AND INSTITUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Evangelists do not refer to any circumstances or objects included in the Passover meal, such as the lamb. This is a "significant omission". It is significant that in the Lord's Supper there is only one cup, while at the Passover meal each participant has his own cup from which to drink. Equally significant is the fact that Christ at the "Lord's Supper" draws no parallel between the Paschal meal and the Christian sacrament. At the Lord's Supper, Christ presents a loaf of bread as the symbol of His Body, while for the Passover meal the roasted lamb is the significant symbol. It is important to note that some Christian churches always celebrate the Pascha on the 14th of Nissan, the date of the Crucifixion, whatever the day on which it fell, not only Sunday. These Christians were called "Fourteensters" from number 14, the date of the Crucifixion. They would have been called "fifteensters" if Christ was Crucified on the day of the Passover Feast, the 15th of Nissan. "This is further evidence that the Friday of the Crucifixion fell on the 14th of Nissan.
The understanding that the Mystical (Last) Supper was not the Jewish Passover prevailed throughout Christendom for many centuries. Thus the entire Church used leavened bread, not unleavened, for the Holy Eucharist. So it is clear that the entire Christian world for centuries never did identify the Mystic Supper with the Jewish Pascha. The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church continues to use leavened bread. Neither the contents, nor the date of the celebration, nor the elements and their manner of use, nor the giving of thanks at the Mystic Supper were similar to the Jewish Passover.
THE HOUR OF CRUCIFIXION
What was the hour of the Crucifixion? To determine accurately, it must be remembered that the Hebrew day was divided into three-hour periods (watches). The First Watch began at 6:00 a.m., the Third Watch at 9:00 a.m., the Sixth Watch at 12:00 noon, and the Ninth Watch from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., when, after the setting of the sun, the new day began. The Christian Church preserved this custom in certain services, such as the office of the "Hours" and especially in the Vesper Service which always refers to the celebration of the following day. For example, the Vesper (Esperinos) of Saturday evening refers to the events of Sunday and is sung in the tone of Sunday. (Source: O Logos by Father George Mastrantonis)
(To be continued)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George