Christ's Resurrection - Part 2
Sermon 74 on the Gospel according to St Matthew 28:1-4
by St Peter Chrysologus
Feast of St Savvas the General of Rome; Bright Friday
Anno Domini 2020, April 24
“AND BEHOLD
there was a great earthquake.” Now there was a great earthquake. Oh, if at that other time even some light whirlwind had blown down that death-bearing tree! Oh, if some smokelike cloud had darkened that woman’s vision! Oh, if a dark cloud had enveloped the beauty of that deathly fruit! Oh, if the hand had trembled upon touching the forbidden fruit! Oh, if unholy night had darkened the day of sin, and taken away the sorrows of the world, the multiplying deaths, and the insult to the Creator! However, allurements always promote vices, and sweet things further sins, but austere and manly pursuits conduce to virtues.
“For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven.” Through the Resurrection of Christ and the defeat of death, men once more entered into relationship with heaven. Moreover, woman, who had entered into a deadly plan with the Devil, now enjoyed a life-giving conversation with the angel.
“For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and rolled back the stone.” Scripture did not say rolled, but rolled back
the stone. When rolled forward it was a proof of His death. When rolled back, it was proof of His Resurrection. Blessed is the stone which could both conceal Christ and reveal Him! Blessed the stone which opens hearts no less than the sepulcher! Blessed is the stone which produces faith in the Resurrection, and a resurrection of faith; which is a proof that God’s body has arisen! Here, the order of things is changed. Here, the sepulcher swallows death, not a dead man. The abode of death becomes a life-giving dwelling. A new kind of tomb conceives one who is dead and brings Him forth alive!
“For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and drawing near rolled back the stone, and sat upon it!” An angel does not weary. Then why did he sit? He was sitting as a doctor of faith and a teacher of the Resurrection. He was sitting upon a rock, that its very solidity might impart firmness to those who believe. The angel was placing the foundations of faith upon the rock, on which Christ was going to build His Church, as He said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church” (Matt. 16:18).
“His countenance was like lightning,” the Gospel says, “and his raiment like snow.” Is not brilliance of lightning enough for an angel? What did raiment add to the heavenly nature? But by such splendor he foreshadowed the beauty and pattern of our resurrection. For, those who arise through Christ are transformed with the glory of Christ.
“And for fear of him the guards were terrified, and became like dead men.” Wretched men! The fear of death struck them at the very time an assurance of life was being restored. But these ministers of cruelty, these executors of another’s perfidy – how were they to gain belief about heavenly matters? They were guarding the sepulcher, setting obstacles to the Resurrection, and taking care to keep life from entering in any way, or death from perishing. The arrival of the angel rightly struck them prostrate. O wretched mortal men, always hostile to themselves! They grieve that they must die, yet they struggle to forestall a resurrection! It would have been far better to open up the sepulcher, and furnish anything possible to facilitate the Resurrection, that a miracle might shine forth from the fact, and hope might arise from this example, and full certitude about Him who returned, and belief in the future life. This is indeed colossal madness, that man should be unwilling to believe in that which he desires to come to him.
Let these remarks about these guards suffice for today. In order not to be tedious now, we shall later explain what our faith contains – through the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father forever, Amen.
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