In the Church we not only remember history that happened two thousand years ago. These exciting events appear there in a completely different light. Holidays have a deep meaning spiritual meaning in the life of the Church. The experience of the saints shows that the events taking place in the earthly Church have a direct and organic connection with the heavenly Church of God, the Church of Angels and Saints. In these exceptional days, we are called to partake of grace and become partakers of the event that unfolds before us.

If we come unprepared to worship services, without understanding anything, we are depriving ourselves

But in order for us to be able to participate in these events, preparation is necessary; we must know what exactly happened in these days. If we come unprepared to worship services, without understanding anything, we deprive ourselves. Perhaps, when we see the Crucifixion or the Shroud, something will resonate in our hearts, but true participation in what is happening is possible only if we prepare correctly. How to prepare properly? If these days we are focused and not distracted by a thousand things, if we attend all the services, if we pray, if we read, if we ask God in prayer so that we too feel something, then the All-Bountiful God and Father will certainly ours will give us what we ask. So that the feeling of Christ’s suffering remains in us, so that we do not grumble when we encounter difficulties, so that we descend from heaven to earth and understand that this is our path in this world. If we want to follow Christ, we will go through two terrible things: first, giving up worldly success, and second, willingly accepting our suffering. We must understand this. We do not seek worldly prosperity and recognition, so we should not be tempted when the world pushes us away, when we are faced with pain, suffering, the need for sacrifice - all this is necessary in order for us to follow Christ, to have a loving relationship with Him.

Christ Himself occupies a central place in the event. Everything that Christ endured for us - spitting, strangling, mocking, the crown of thorns, bile - everything that the Church describes in such detail is necessary not so that we feel sorry for Christ, but in order to help us love Him. To show us how Christ loved us and to move our hearts to love Him. So that, being in love for Him, we will be saved and live forever with Him. So, the passion of Christ is not the cause of sorrow, but of salvation. Likewise, the Cross of the Lord, with which Christ was killed, became life-giving, became a sign of life, salvation and joy and, thus, ceased to be an instrument of murder and damnation, as it had been before. God Himself calls it the sign of the Son of Man.

When we look at the icon of the Crucifixion, we see that Christ is filled with holy dignity: it is obvious that He went into suffering voluntarily, that He is the Lord of what is happening, and not a victim of fate and human malice. Christ is the King of Glory, officiating in the Sacrament of human salvation through suffering and the Cross and giving resurrection. Of course, if someone looks at Christ and His suffering as a human being, they will feel pity. However, the Church presents us with the God-man Christ, who saved man. Christ is not a pitying victim of human malice. He, as the Great Bishop, offered Himself to God, became a sacrifice and opened the gates of heaven for us. The Church, when it depicts Christ, the Mother of God and the saints, presents us not only with the circumstances and history of the event, but at the same time conveys what is implied, that is, what is not visible - the very essence. Yes, Christ is on the Cross, He suffers and dies. But the Cross would have been a completely sad and human end if the Resurrection had not followed. Therefore, in the end, the Cross is pushed aside, and the Resurrection predominates. Every week the Church celebrates not the crucifixion, but the Resurrection. It is this that is the basis and center of the Church. Based on the Resurrection, the Church lives its entire life. Sunday is the day of Resurrection; it is he who determines the entire weekly holiday circle and everything else in the Church.

It is repeated as a holiday in the Church every Sunday. Not Christmas, not Baptism, not the Crucifixion, but the Resurrection is the foundation of the Church. If Christ has not been resurrected, then, as the Apostle Paul says, our faith is in vain, our labors are in vain, because man would remain a captive of death (see: 1 Cor 15:17).

It is impossible to escape the cup of suffering. The main thing is how we drink it - swearing or praising

So the Resurrection has freed us from death, but what does this really mean for us? We say: “For through the cross we have brought joy to the whole world,” “having seen the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one.” What does the resurrection of Christ mean for us, and what does it change in Everyday life? The Resurrection of Christ means the Kingdom of God, means another life, so we also walk in newness of life(Rom 6:4); as we sing in the canon of the Resurrection, new life shone from the tomb. We, as children of the Church, must live this reality of new life in Christ. We cannot live as if we are slaves of death and decay. Our life cannot be a life mired in the mustiness of hell. Of course, we are bound to experience a lot of difficulties in life, a lot of sadness and struggle. It is impossible to escape this cup of suffering, no matter what we do. The main thing is what benefit we will derive from it, how we will drink it - swearing or praising.

Nothing remains, only Christ remains forever

Although we live in the Church, pray, sing, read, often we clearly lack this, because we have not freed ourselves from the things of this world. We are still attached to this world and we are occupied with human affairs. We have not transcended humanity, we have not grasped this spirit of Christians who said: we do not have a permanent city here, but we are looking for a future(Hebrews 13, 14). There are people in whose hearts you can see the living presence of Christ. This does not make them insensitive and indifferent; they participate in the life of the world in the same way as others, but with a different state of spirit and having eternal life within them. The feeling of the eternal Kingdom of God does not allow us to choke, because we know: everything human is transitory. Nothing remains, only Christ remains forever. If a person lives this way, then he perceives everything that happens with true dignity.

Christ opened the gates of hell, broke the locks and chains and everything that binds us, and freed us from sin. Slavery is everything that keeps us captive in this world. It’s not that we despise this world, we use this world as if we do not use it, as the Apostle Paul says (see: 1 Cor 7:31). That is, we use this world, but are not used by the world. We use all the joys, all the blessings that God gives us through this world, all that is good and gives joy, but we are not slaves of this world - Christ freed us from slavery. And only when we are freed from the shackles of this world can we truly enter into the joy of God.

It is indeed a tragedy for a Christian, instead of joy, to live under the heel of despondency from the ordinary adversities of human existence. God gives us such a gift, but we don’t take it, we remain unhappy and small people. God offers us the freedom of the Resurrection, but we do not take it, do not use it, although in it we will find the meaning of our life and feel completely free and joyful.

Christ gives you the joy of the Resurrection so that you can breathe in the air of freedom, and you make carbon dioxide out of it

Christ said: and no one can take your joy away from you(John 16:22) - that is, no one can take your joy away from you; This is not the joy that the world gives, but the joy of Christ. If you do not experience pain, you will not tear yourself away from this world to breathe the oxygen of the presence of Christ. Christ gives you the joy of the Resurrection so that you can breathe in the air of freedom, and you go and make carbon dioxide out of it. Christ made you a royal son, and you went and became a slave and herded pigs, because, although you were invited to Christ’s supper, you did not want to accept His invitation. This is what is seen in the Church. We are invited to live in the palace of Christ, real princes, and sin makes us slaves, trifles make us unhappy, and we do not break these shackles in order to break out and say that we do not want this slavery. We do not want to live in the freedom of God, which will make our life joyful in this world.

The Resurrection of the Lord gives meaning to our whole life, and only thanks to the light of the Resurrection can we understand and endure what is happening around us, resist it and endure first of all ourselves, then our brothers, who upset us with their weaknesses just as we upset them. And one is called to support the other: Nose And bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ(Gal 6:2).

Christ is Risen!

I. “The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,” says St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Voskovsky, serves:

a) proof of the Divinity of Jesus Christ,

b) the beginning of our resurrection.

II. The affirmation of faith in the resurrection of Christ is a matter of great importance for Christianity and for the Christian.

a) The main strength of Christianity is that acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the Savior of the world who sinned against God and was condemned by God to death. And in order to recognize this powerful quality in Him with full hope, for this we need complete confirmation that He is the only begotten Son of God and the true God, because it is well said, although it was not said by good people: whoever can forgive sins, only one God (Luke 5, 21)? Only the mercy of God the Son can provide worthy satisfaction to the offended majesty and justice of God the Father; only God can restore life to those condemned to death by God.

But the strongest evidence of the Divinity of Jesus Christ lies in His resurrection. He himself gave this idea. When the Jews, surprised by the extraordinary power that He showed by expelling those who were buying and selling from the temple, asked Him: what sign are you showing us that you have done this? That is, by what miracle will you prove that God gave You power over His temple? - then He, primarily before His other miracles, pointed to the miracle of His resurrection. And I said to them: Destroy this church and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:18, 19), that is, on the third day I will rise again. In fact, the miracles that the Lord Jesus performed over others during His earthly life, even the most wondrous of them - resurrection of the dead, the prophets also worked, although not with such authority as He. So Elijah prayed: Lord my God, may the soul of this youth return to him (1 Kings 17:21). But Jesus commanded: Lazarus, get out (John 11:43) from the tomb. However, others might not have noticed this difference, and therefore might have known Jesus as a prophet and messenger of God, and not yet recognized in Him the only begotten Son of God. But it has never been, and cannot be imagined, possible for a person to resurrect himself: and therefore, by the self-resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the most perfect confirmation was given that He is the true God, ruling over life and death, and the divine Savior, having the power to resurrect all men, killed by sins.

b) Christ has risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those who have died (1 Cor. 15:20), that is: The resurrection of Christ is the beginning of the resurrection of all dead people, - the resurrection is no longer into temporary life, as was the resurrection of Lazarus and others before him, but into eternal life. Before the resurrection of Christ, dark and unsteady opinions circulated among people about the immortality of the human soul: but the resurrection of the soul with the body was least thought about even by those who were more intensified to think than others. The gaze of the chosen people on this subject was not bright either: when Christ the Savior, denouncing the Sadducees, in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, revealed the thought of the resurrection of the dead: then not only the Sadducees, but also those who thought better than them were amazed at the news of this discovery: when the people heard , I marvel at His teaching (Matthew 22, 32, 33). And the less they knew future life, of course, had less incentive to prepare for it. Christ the Savior, through His teaching, replaced the shaky opinions about immortality with the solid truth of the resurrection and, through His resurrection, made this truth even experimental. He taught: “The hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they will come out, having done good to the resurrection of life, and having done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28, 29). The apostle adds: “Let everyone receive either good or evil whatever he has done with his body” (3 Cor. 5:10). (From the words of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, “on the seventh week of Easter,” vol. 3, pages 21-23).

The Resurrection of our Lord is in itself a triumph of celebrations and holidays. It is the highest triumph of faith, for by it our faith is confirmed, exalted, deified; - is the highest triumph of virtue, for in it the purest virtue triumphed over the greatest temptation; - is the highest triumph of hope, for it serves as the surest guarantee of the most majestic promises.

III. May the Lord, brethren, who rose from the dead, thereby conquering death and appearing as our God and Savior, deliver us from death and eternal torment, and may He grant us eternal life and eternal bliss! (Compiled according to Prop. Phil. Moscow).

The text of today's sermon will be the Holy Gospel of Luke, chapter twenty-four, verse

After the Sabbath had passed, at dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord, who came down from heaven, came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it; his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow; Frightened by him, those guarding them trembled and became as if they were dead; The angel, turning his speech to the women, said: Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified; He is not here - He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there. Here, I told you. And, hastily leaving the tomb, they ran with fear and great joy to tell His disciples. When they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them and said: Rejoice! And they came, grabbed His feet and worshiped Him.

Beloved in the Lord! I want to greet you with these wonderful, joyful and victorious Words of Anegla: “Christ is risen!” He is truly alive, risen and coming! “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come” is very clearly formulated in our creed.

These days everyone is Christian Eastern Rite remembered this great and solemn moment of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior from the dead. This is truly the triumph of every Christian. This is the victory of life over death, holiness over sin. “And he devastated hell” - this is how St. solemnly proclaims. John Chrysostom. For truly heaven without Christ's presence becomes hell; and the abyss of hell, after the coming of the Son of God there, will truly become the most real a piece of paradise. Our congratulatory form is the best proof for all skeptics, agnostics and atheists who do not believe in life after death and resurrection. Because the absence of the Son of God for every believer in Him is truly the most terrible emptiness in his life. This is precisely why the Son of God came, proving His great love to all sinners, regardless of the severity of their sins and crimes before the Face of God. What truly real torments of hell the Son of God experienced on the cross of Calvary! The disciples and the Virgin Mary cried looking at the suffering of Jesus. It would seem that even the holy sky abandoned the King of Glory. BUT, what is beyond the power of the human mind and its logic, God often accomplishes His mighty deeds! And the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most magnificent evidence of this!

Let's become participants in that event. One can only imagine with what heart Mary Magdalene and Mary walked to the place where they buried the Son of God. In addition to sadness, the desire to give the last thing that belongs in memory of dead man It looked very sad. For most of us, even on a subconscious level, it also seems that death is the final point, after which there is nothing more. In science it is often defined as the completion of all living things, all natural biological processes. It seems to many that there is nothing further and nothing can happen. This is exactly how many philosophical and materialistic worldviews try to very simply solve the problem of the meaning of human existence. “Take everything you need from life. Do whatever your soul desires, for tomorrow we will die” - this is their main motto. “Life is short,” people say. But what the first witnesses saw God's Power it just stunned them. The place where Jesus was buried turned out to be empty. And the stone that was sealed to the tomb was in no way able to hold our Lord. For He is the resurrection and the life. There is no point in looking for the Living among the dead. These were the words of the Angel of God.

Resurrection is precisely what the human mind no longer wants to adequately perceive. But even without which, according to the Apostle Paul, our Christian faith and preaching are completely futile. When Paul preached in Athens, as the book of Acts testifies, he was not received when it came to the resurrection. Belief in an afterlife was inherent in almost all myths various peoples and cultures. All cultures and religions had ideas about the existence of the soul after its death.

But when we're talking about No one could say this with certainty about the personal resurrection of the body after death. Many people wonder what is the cause of death, why does it exist and what comes after it. Since the time of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducees have argued about this. The latter did not want to believe in life after death and believed that only in this world was retribution for human sins and reward for a righteous life possible.

In the book of Genesis, God speaks about the fall of man. Although everything that God created was perfect. However, through disobedience to God, a person sins. When Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he began to hide from God. In the tradition of St. Fathers, it is sometimes possible to trace the idea that in this way man separated himself from His Creator and created hell for himself. Because hell, first of all, is not just a place of physical torment for a person for his sins. This is the separation of man from God to one degree or another. Scripture tells us this: “ The serpent was more cunning than all the beasts of the field that the Lord God created. And the serpent said to the woman: Did God truly say: You shall not eat from any tree in the garden? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees, 3 Only the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, Do not eat it or touch it, lest you die. 4 And the serpent said to the woman, No, you will not die, 5 but God knows that in the day that you eat of them, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods. those who know good and evil. 6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes and desirable because it gave knowledge; and she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave it also to her husband, and he ate. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together fig leaves and made aprons for themselves. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of paradise. 9 And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him: where are you ? (Genesis 3:1 – 9) This passage shows the first question that God asked man. The Lord actually knew very well where Adam was. But did Adam know his spiritual position? Because the connection between God and man as it was before has ceased to exist. A person begins to make sacrifices to God as an attempt to cleanse his soul of vices and sins. This is the beginning of any religion, as a way to reach heaven and try for a person to turn to God. A religious and legal law arises, since a person is no longer even able to adequately evaluate his spiritual life and enslave his carnal desires. Humanity, in all its sins, wants to reach out and find God. However, the practice and experience of many people shows that it is simply impossible to unite with God on your own. Sin, which is so contrary to God, does not provide such an opportunity. But the merciful Lord never left a person alone. God still loves man and says to the prophet Ezekiel: “And you, son of man, tell the house of Israel: you say this: “Our trespasses and our sins are upon us, and we are consumed in them: how can we live?” 11 Tell them: As I live, says the Lord God, I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live. Turn yourselves, turn from your evil ways; Why should you die, O house of Israel? . This formulation of Ezekiel's prophecy speaks of God's mercy to the sinner, regardless of the degree of his sins. At this time, Israel is experiencing a deep crisis.

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar practically destroys the Jewish state. However, God addressed and spoke about confession of sins, a return to serving only the One living God and to worshiping idols. When everything seemed destroyed and dead, the Lord showed Ezekiel a vision of the resurrection. The Word of God shows this picture: “ The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord brought me out in the spirit and set me in the midst of a field, and it was full of bones, 2 and he led me around about them, and behold there were very many of them on the surface of the field, and behold they were very dry. 3 And he said to me: Son of man! will these bones live? I said: Lord God! You know it. 4 And he said to me: Prophesy against these bones and say to them: “Dry bones! listen to the word of the Lord!” 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will put breath into you, and you will live. 6 And I will cover you with sinews, and I will make flesh grow on you, and I will cover you with skin, and I will bring breath into you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord. .”

The Lord’s speech to His servant is aimed at revealing the great Mystery of the resurrection from the dead, which should happen in the future. And this is not only a prophecy about the coming pious King and Shepherd David, who will reign forever (Our Lord Christ Jesus), but also about our resurrection. Holy Gospel teaches us about our resurrection together with Christ. No, you heard right - precisely about our resurrection with Him. St. Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians emphasizes the following: " So, if you are risen with Christ, That seek the things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; 2 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ” (Colossians 3:1-3) Indeed, when it comes to the Easter holiday, many people go to church like never before; Everything in the house is arranged as it should be for a holiday. Many believers, unfortunately, despite all this, are more “Easter believers.” And yet, listening to the news about the forgiveness of their sins, about the wondrous resurrection of Christ, many people still cannot forgive each other for their mistakes, they could not learn to love each other, as the Lord teaches about this. And at the same time, nothing “highly”, that spiritual thing that is in Christ, His character, is never manifested in the lives of many Christians. Although people are welcomed on these days in a festive way, they continue to sin against their neighbor and the Lord.

And when the question of life and death can often be almost the main question of our lives, Christian faith has hope of resurrection. Christianity is a teaching that says that not everything ends with a gravestone. The Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians writes: “I do not want to leave you, brothers, in ignorance about the dead, so that you do not grieve like others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) Every believer in Christ has hope and faith in the resurrection from the dead. “On this day the great Christ is called forth from the dead, to whom he was kissed. On this day He repelled the sting of death, crushed the gloomy gates of dreary hell, and granted freedom to souls. On this day, rising from the grave, He appeared to the people for whom He was born, died and was raised from the dead,” says St. Gregory the Theologian. Let our souls be comforted by these gospel words. Let us seek the Lord, for He is good and His mercy and holy love for all of us endure forever! May the Lord be with you all! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Evgen Raspopov

Introduction

The topic of this test is “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.” This topic was chosen because the dogma of the Resurrection is fundamental in Christian teaching. The unimaginable fullness of God-inspired tradition cannot be perceived without faith in the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen; and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain. Moreover, we would also turn out to be false witnesses about God, because we testified that He raised Christ, Whom He did not raise, unless, that is, the dead are raised; for if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised" (1 Cor. 15:17).

The object of the study is to determine the meaning of the Resurrection in life Orthodox Christian, the subject is historical evidence of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Goal: to reveal the meaning of the dogma of the Resurrection for understanding the meaning of the Christian faith.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks are set:

1. The Resurrection of Christ in the sources;

2. Consider the holiday of Easter in the New Testament tradition.

3. Consider the prophecies about the resurrection of Christ;

4. Study the dogmatic and theological significance of the resurrection of Christ.

The theoretical basis of this work is works on history, theology and philosophy.

The work consists of an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion.

The meaning of the Resurrection of Christ

The Resurrection of Christ is the essence of Christianity. First of all, the apostles preached about the Easter events, as a complete fact, which they witnessed. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith is also in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). “Jesus was delivered up for our sins and rose again for our justification.” (Rom. 4:25) Sunday shows that Christ's sacrifice was accepted by God and people were declared justified by faith in Him. All people up to this point, with the exception of some righteous people, fell into hell, and the devil reigned over the world. Jesus took upon himself the sins of all mankind and thereby destroyed the works of the devil and redeemed mankind from death.

Resurrection of Christ - greatest event that happened in the world. It replaced the Jewish Sabbath. If there had been no Resurrection of Christ, then not only would there not have been Christianity. From the point of view of Christians, denying this event is simply not possible; it entails a loss of the meaning of life. But we can say for sure that it is no longer possible to imagine a world without the Resurrection of Christ.

Many learned people questioned and criticized the fact of the Resurrection of Christ, as well as His teaching. They equated the events of the Gospel, even the very person of Jesus Christ, to myth, deception, and error. But no one could prove one hundred percent that this did not happen. Such attacks on the Gospel only reveal the inviolability of the truth of the Resurrection and, in general, the entire Life of the Savior. Even the apostles themselves found it difficult to believe in the resurrection of Christ from the dead, although He prepared them for this. Therefore, appearances to the disciples took place, confirming them in the faith. The New Testament describes ten such phenomena.

In our time, visionary theory is spreading rapidly. It seems to tell us that the Apostles had something like a mass hallucination before their eyes. They waited long and tediously to meet the Savior, so they were, as it were, in a state of illness, this state gave rise to a vision of Jesus Christ, which they later spoke about in Scripture.

“He was resurrected in the imagination of His disciples. So, Renan will say, Mary Magdalene gave the world the idea of ​​resurrection. She was extravagant, with such epileptic manifestations, yes, it was in her imagination, at her suggestion, that this fiction went around the world.”

In order to refute this theory, you don’t need to be well versed in dogmatic and psychological research modern man, it is enough just to know that hallucinations, especially massive ones, could visit people in a state of extreme excitement, unearthly bliss. They had to wait and wait for their Savior day and night. While the Gospel testifies to us that they were in a state of deep sadness and hopelessness. On the way to the tomb of the Lord, the myrrh-bearing women worry about who will roll away the heavy stone for them. And the students bitterly mourn the absence of their beloved teacher.

Even having appeared, Christ does not immediately receive recognition from the disciples. This comes from the fact that they do not have faith in the resurrection of the dead; for them, a deceased person forever remains inaccessible to the living. Mary Magdalene does not immediately recognize Christ, confusing Him with the gardener, but Thomas asks to put his fingers into the wounds of the One who appeared in order to verify the reality of what happened.

The apostles were able to see precisely the risen Christ, no matter how hard they tried to refute this fact rationalists, the Resurrection actually happened in real time.

“Discussing the reliability of the miracles of the Resurrection and Ascension, the physicist Balfour Stewart says: “Did the action of the known forces of nature remain unchanged in these cases or was it sometimes overcome higher power? Undoubtedly, it was overcome both during the Resurrection and the Ascension. We are obliged to investigate the evidence of these great events, which is done in the most reliable way: The history telling about these events has stood the test so well that any assumption about their unreality will lead us to the greatest moral and spiritual confusion."

An interesting point is that Christ appears only to the Apostles. The Jews seem to remain on the sidelines; one could be in front of the high priests and point out to them visibly to their wrongness. Christ does not do this, according to the Holy Fathers, because for the Jews the appearance of the Risen Lord would be useless, they would not have any meaning, while for the Apostles this event becomes their crowning event life path, it confirms their Faith. Prophecies come true, the words of Christ are confirmed.

Moreover, also according to the Church Fathers, the Jews could invent new way murders.

The Resurrection of Christ produces a revolution in the consciousness of the Apostles; this revolution is the basis of their pastoral activity and missionary service. It is unlikely that 13 people who set out to get a fantasy idea of ​​​​their early departed teacher would be able to convert true faith such a huge flow of people.

Attempts to refute the fact of the Resurrection end up denying the very fact of Christ’s existence on earth. Not only the Resurrection, but also the earthly life of the Savior is fiction, and the Gospel has no more value for us than a book of fairy tales.

These refutations are broken by the fact that it was not only the Apostles who preached the events of the life of Christ. There are also a lot of non-canonical (apocryphal) and historical sources, confirming His presence on earth.

" For brevity, we will limit ourselves to only a list of other sources: Upifanius Africanus, Eusebius of Egypt, Sardonius Panidorus, Hippolytus the Macedonian, Ammion of Alexandria, Sabelli the Greek, Isaac of Jerusalem, Constantine of Cyrus and others. These are only those who lived at the time of Christ, who were in Jerusalem or in the immediate vicinity of it and became eyewitnesses of the Resurrection itself or irrefutable facts confirming it."

The testimony of Jewish eyewitnesses is very important for us. Because for them, any opportunity to remain silent about the resurrection is good.

In general, multiple criticisms of the fact of the resurrection must run into the wall of the “God-Man.” If you remember who tends to die in pagan religions, then the answer will be obvious - the gods. Here we are faced with a contradiction: Jesus Christ is the God-man, he does not fit into the framework of the usual mythical narrative.

What is important for us in this fact is that by resurrecting in human flesh, Christ gives us the opportunity for renewal, cleansing from sin, and redemption of evil will. Although the flesh itself during the resurrection was no longer fully human, but was transformed, it did not lose its physical properties.

Christ transforms us for eternal life in union with God, in a return to the original state of the soul.

ABOUT The miracle of the resurrection of Christ from the dead is witnessed in our time by the Holy Fire, which annually Easter night descends in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ, built on the site of the burial and resurrection of the Savior. The appearance of this fire is inexplicable. When it appears, the Holy Fire does not burn. Only after some time does the fire acquire its normal properties characteristic of an ordinary flame. The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, having received the Holy Fire, lights candles with it, which he immediately distributes to the numerous pilgrims gathered in the temple. The wonderful fire makes an incredible impression on everyone; at the sight of it, the soul becomes warm and joyful.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is victory over sin, the fulfillment of the promise given by God to Adam. The Fall led to a perversion of human nature and morally distorted him. Such damage was passed down from the forefather Adam to all people. But after rising from dead christ there was a spiritual rebirth of man. The grace of the Holy Spirit descending on the fiftieth day allows people to live new life. How to rise spiritually with Christ. The doors to the Kingdom of Heaven are open and a person, having died a physical death, may not die with his soul.

The death penalty through crucifixion was the most terrible in the time of the Gospel; death in this way was also a disgrace. The cross means death. But after the miracle of the resurrection, this is a sign of carnal death for sin, victory over sin and over death. A symbol of hope for the future resurrection of the dead. The sign of any Christian, his protection.

On the third day after His death, on Sunday, early in the morning, when it was still dark and the soldiers were at their post at the sealed tomb, the Lord rose from the dead. The mystery of the resurrection, like the mystery of the incarnation, is incomprehensible. With our weak human mind, we understand this event in such a way that at the moment of resurrection the soul of the God-man returned to His body, which is why the body came to life and was transformed, becoming incorruptible and spiritualized. After this, the resurrected Christ left the cave without rolling away the stone or breaking the high priestly seal. The soldiers did not see what happened in the cave, and after the resurrection of Christ they continued to guard the empty tomb. Soon an earthquake occurred when the Angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The warriors, frightened by the Angel, fled.

Neither the myrrh-bearing wives nor the disciples of Christ knew anything about what had happened. Since the burial of Christ was carried out hastily, the myrrh-bearing wives agreed on the day after Easter, that is, in our opinion, on Sunday, to go to the tomb and finish anointing the Savior’s body with fragrant ointments. They did not even know about the Roman guard assigned to the coffin and the seal attached. When dawn began to appear, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Jacob, Salome and some other pious women went to the tomb with fragrant myrrh. Heading to the burial place, they were perplexed: “Who will roll away the stone from our tomb?”- because, as the Evangelist explains, the stone was great (). Mary Magdalene was the first to come to the tomb. Seeing the coffin empty, she ran back to the disciples Peter and John and informed them about the disappearance of the Teacher’s body. A little later, the other myrrh-bearers also came to the tomb. They saw a young man in the coffin, sitting on right side, dressed in white clothes. The mysterious young man said to them: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He has risen. Go and tell His disciples that they will see Him in Galilee” (). Excited by the unexpected news, they hurried to the students.

Meanwhile, the apostles Peter and John, having heard from Mary about what had happened, ran to the cave: but, finding in it only the shrouds and the cloth that was on the head of Jesus, they returned home in bewilderment. After them, Mary Magdalene returned to the burial place of Christ and began to cry. At that time, she saw two angels in white robes in the tomb, sitting - one at the head, the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay. The angels asked her: "Why are you crying?"(). Having answered them, Mary turned back and saw Jesus Christ, but did not recognize Him. Thinking it was the gardener, she asked: “Mr! if you carried Him,(Jesus Christ), then tell me where put Him and I will take Him". Then the Lord said to her: “Mary”! (). Hearing the voice and turning to Him, she recognized Christ and exclaimed: “Teacher!” threw herself at His feet. But the Lord did not allow her to touch Him, but ordered her to go to the disciples and tell about the miracle of the resurrection.

That same morning, the soldiers came to the high priests and informed them about the appearance of the Angel and the empty tomb. This news greatly excited the Jewish leaders: their anxious premonitions were fulfilled. Now, first of all, they had to make sure that the people did not believe in the resurrection of Christ. Having gathered a council, they gave the soldiers a lot of money, ordering them to spread a rumor that the disciples of Jesus stole His body at night, while the soldiers were sleeping. The soldiers did just that, and so the rumor about the theft of the Savior’s body then lingered among the people for a long time.

A week after this, the Lord again appeared to the apostles, including St. Thomas, who was absent at the first appearance of the Savior. To dispel Thomas’s doubts regarding His resurrection, the Lord allowed him to touch His wounds, and the believing Thomas fell at His feet, exclaiming: “My Lord and mine!”(). As the evangelists further narrate, during the forty-day period after His resurrection, the Lord appeared to the apostles several more times, talked with them and gave them final instructions. Shortly before His ascension, the Lord appeared to more than five hundred believers.

On the fortieth day after His resurrection, the Lord, in the presence of the apostles, ascended to heaven and since then He has been at the “right hand” of His Father. The apostles, encouraged by the resurrection of the Savior and His glorious ascension, returned to Jerusalem, awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, as the Lord promised them.

The Relationship Between the Old Testament and New Testament Passover

As we know, the Old Testament time was a period of preparation of the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. For this reason, some events in the life of the Jewish people, and especially the predictions of the prophets, related to the coming of Jesus Christ and the onset of New Testament times. The Old Testament law, according to St. ap. Paul, was "a teacher to Christ" And "shadow of future blessings" (; ).

The most significant event in the history of the Jewish people there was their liberation from Egyptian slavery under the prophet Moses, one and a half thousand years before Christ. It was imprinted in the national Jewish holiday of Passover, which celebrated other events associated with the liberation from Egypt: the defeat by the Angel of the Egyptian firstborns and the pardon of the Jewish ones, on whose houses signs were made with the blood of the Passover lamb (Hence the word “Passover” - “to pass by”) ; the miracle of crossing the Red Sea and the death of the Egyptian army chasing the Jews; then - the Jewish people received the Law on Mount Sinai and established a covenant with God, after which the Jewish people began to be considered the people of God. Since then, Jews, celebrating Passover and following the customs of their ancestors, eat the Passover lamb with prayer and symbolic rituals.

In the significant coincidence of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ with the feast of the Old Testament Easter, one should see God’s indication of the deep internal connection between these two events, which St. ap. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews. Let us compare here the events of both Easters in parallel.

From this comparison of Easter events, we see how the events of the Old Testament Easter served as a prototype of the New Testament and heralded the great spiritual changes that were to occur in the life of mankind after the resurrection of the Messiah. That is why the apostles, celebrating the New Testament Easter, asserted: “Our Easter, Christ sacrificed for us” ().

Prophecies about the Resurrection of Christ

Many Old Testament prophecies testify to the resurrection of the Messiah. Among them we must mention those who predicted that the Messiah would be not only a man, but also God, and therefore will be immortal by His divine nature. See, for example: Psalms 2, 44 and 109, , , , . The resurrection of the Messiah is also indirectly evidenced by prophecies speaking about His everlasting kingdom, for example: , , , , Ezek., , ​​- because the eternal spiritual Kingdom presupposes an immortal King.

Among the direct predictions about the resurrection of Christ, the clearest is the prophecy Isaiah, occupying the entire 53rd chapter of his book. The Prophet Isaiah, who lived more than 700 years BC, having described the suffering of Christ in such detail as if he was standing at the very foot of the cross, ends his story with the following words:

“He was assigned a grave with the evildoers, but He was buried with a rich man, because He committed no sin, and no lie was found in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased to strike Him, and He gave Him over to torture; when His soul offers a sacrifice of propitiation, He will see long-lasting offspring, and the will of the Lord successfully will be fulfilled by His hand. He will look at the feat of His soul with contentment; through the knowledge of Him, He, the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify many and bear their sins on Himself. That's why I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoil with the mighty.” ().

Final words This prophecy directly says that the Messiah, after His saving suffering and death, will come to life and will be glorified by God the Father. The king also predicted the resurrection of Christ David in the 15th Psalm, in which David says on behalf of Christ: “I have always seen the Lord before me, for He is at the right hand(By right hand) me; I will not hesitate. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; even my flesh will rest in hope(to hope) for You will not leave my soul in hell and will not allow Your saint to see corruption, You will show me the path of life: fullness of joy is before Your face, bliss is at Your right hand forever.”(, see also ; ).

Thus, the prophets laid the foundation of faith in their people in the coming and resurrection of the Messiah. This is why the apostles were so successful in spreading faith in the risen Christ among the Jewish people, despite obstacles from the religious leaders of the Jewish people.

Spiritual Fruits

Resurrection of Christ

The spiritual resurrection in this life will serve as the foundation for the physical resurrection which, by the power of almighty God, will take place on the last day of this world. Then the souls of all the dead will return to their bodies, and all people will come to life, regardless of where and how they died. But the sight of the resurrected will reflect them internal state: some will look bright and joyful, others will look scary, like the walking dead. The Lord predicted the general resurrection in these words: the time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear a voice(voice) of the Son of God; and they will go those who did good into the resurrection of life, and those who did evil into the resurrection of condemnation.” ().

At the same time, the upcoming general resurrection of the dead must be distinguished from the temporary resurrections of the dead that the Lord and his disciples performed, according to the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Apostles. For example: the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain and Lazarus, who lay in the tomb for four days, and others. This was a temporary awakening from death, so that after a certain time those resurrected died again, like all people. But the general resurrection from the dead will be an eternal resurrection, in which the souls of people will forever be united with their incorruptible bodies. During the general resurrection, righteous people will rise transformed, spiritualized and immortal. The first to rise with such a renewed and spiritualized body was the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Apostle calls "The firstborn of the dead"(). "Then (at the general resurrection) the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” ().

The holiday of Christian Easter is celebrated so joyfully by Orthodox Christians because on Easter days, more than at any other time of the year, they feel the regenerating power of the resurrection of Christ - that power that overthrew the power of darkness, freed souls from hell, opened the doors to heaven, and defeated the bonds death, poured life and light into the souls of believers. It’s also wonderful that Easter joy extends to such a large number of people - not only those who are deeply religious, but also those who are lukewarm and far from God. On Easter, the whole world and even, it seems, soulless nature rejoice at the victory of life over.

Easter service

There is no service brighter and more joyful than Orthodox Easter. The Easter service begins with a procession of the cross around the church, with lighted candles in the hands of all those gathered and with the singing: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the Angels are singing in heaven: grant us also on earth (worthy) to glorify Thee with a pure heart.” This procession resembles the procession of the myrrh-bearers in the early morning to the tomb of the Savior to anoint His most pure Body. Having gone around the temple, the procession stops in front of the closed main doors, and the priest begins Matins with the exclamation: “Glory to the Holy Ones, consubstantial, life-giving and indivisible Trinity...” Then, like the angel who announced the myrrh-bearing women about the resurrection of Christ, he sings three times, together with other clergy, Troparion of Easter: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death and giving life to those in the tombs.” The priests' singing is picked up by the choir. Then the senior priest recites the prophetic verses of the psalm: “May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered.” The final words of each verse are picked up joyfully by the singers: “Christ is risen.” Then the clergy repeat the beginning of the troparion: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death,” and the singers end it: “And to those in the tombs he gave life.” At this time, the doors of the temple open, everyone enters the temple, and the great litany begins (short petitions with the singing of “Lord, have mercy,” followed by the solemn singing of the Easter canon: “Resurrection Day,” compiled by the monk. During the singing of the canon, the clergy repeatedly perform full censing of the temple and greet the pilgrims with the words: “Christ is Risen!” To which they loudly answer: “Truly He is Risen!” At the end of Matins, an inspired sermon is read by St. John Chrysostom, which begins with the words: “If (if) anyone is pious.”

The Ordinary Hours are not read, they are replaced by the singing of Easter hymns. The Liturgy takes place immediately after Matins. Instead of ordinary psalms, special antiphons are sung: short prayers with verses; instead of “Holy God,” it is sung “Be baptized into Christ.” The Gospel reads about the eternal birth of the Son of God from God the Father and about the Divinity of Jesus Christ, God the Word (), which He proved by His glorious resurrection. When several priests serve, the Gospel is read in different languages as a sign that the apostles preached about the resurrection of Christ different peoples in their native languages. Instead of “It is worthy to eat,” the following worthy is sung (in Russian translation):

“The angel exclaimed to the blessed one: pure Virgin, rejoice! and again I say: rejoice! Your Son rose from the grave on the third day after death and raised the dead: people rejoice!”

“Glorify yourself, be glorified, New Jerusalem (Church), for the glory of the Lord has shone upon you: rejoice now and rejoice Zion! But You, Pure One, rejoice in the resurrection of the One born of You.”

Following the prayer behind the pulpit, artos is consecrated - special bread with the image of the Resurrection of Christ on it. At one of the subsequent services, the artos is crushed and distributed to believers in memory of the appearance of the risen Christ to the apostles Luke and Cleopas (who recognized Him after He broke bread). On the very first day of St. Easter is blessed by eggs, cheese and butter, as well as Easter cakes, which are used by believers to break their fast. On St. Easter believers greet each other with a fraternal kiss with the words: “Christ is risen” (they salute Christ) and exchange colored eggs, which serve as a symbol of the resurrection. On all days of Easter week, the royal doors remain open as a sign that by the resurrection of Christ all people have access to Heaven. Starting from the first day of St. Before Easter Vespers, the feast of the Holy Trinity (for 50 days), you should not bow to the ground.

Easter Canon in Russian translation

Song 1

Irmos: Sunday day. Let's enlighten ourselves, people! Easter! The Lord's Easter! For from death to life and from earth to heaven Christ has brought us, singing the song of victory.

Let us clear our senses and see Christ shining with the impregnable light of the resurrection, and we will clearly hear “rejoice” from Him, singing the song of victory.

Let the heavens rejoice with dignity, let the earth rejoice. Let the whole world, visible and invisible, celebrate; for Christ has risen - eternal joy.

Song 3

Irmos: Come, let us drink a new drink, not miraculously produced from a barren stone, but from the source of incorruptibility - the tomb of Christ, on which we are established ().

Now everything was filled with light - the sky, the earth and the underworld; let all creation celebrate the rise of Christ, on whom we are established.

Yesterday I was buried with You, Christ, today I rise with You risen; Yesterday I crucified with You, glorify me with You, Savior, in Your Kingdom ().

Canto 4

Irmos: Let Habakkuk, who proclaimed God, stand with us on the Divine guard and show us a luminous Angel, clearly exclaiming: now is salvation for the world, because Christ has risen as omnipotent (; ).

Our Easter - Christ appeared male, like a (son) who opened the virgin womb; called the Lamb, as offered for food, - immaculate, as not involved in filth, and as the true God - called perfect ().

The crown we bless is Christ, like a one-year-old lamb, who voluntarily sacrificed himself for everyone on the cleansing Passover, and again He, the beautiful Sun of Truth, shone for us from the grave.

Godfather David jumped in delight in front of the prophetic ark; Let us, the holy people of God, seeing the fulfillment of the types, rejoice sacredly; for Christ has risen as omnipotent ().

Song 5

Irmos: Let us rise in the deep morning, and instead of peace we will bring a song to the Master, and we will see Christ - the Sun of Truth, enlightening everyone with life.

Seeing Your immeasurable mercy, O Christ, those held in the shackles of hell, joyfully hastened towards the light, glorifying the eternal Easter.

With lamps in our hands, let us go to meet Christ coming from the tomb as a bridegroom, and with the joyfully celebrating ranks (of Angels) we will celebrate God’s saving Easter.

Song 6

Irmos: You descended, Christ, into the underworld of the earth and crushed the eternal rivets containing the prisoners and on the third day, like Jonah from the whale, you came out of the tomb ().

Without damaging the enclosed (womb) of the Virgin in Your birth, Christ, You rose from the grave, keeping the seals intact, and opened the doors of heaven to us.

My Savior, living and, like God, unslain Sacrifice! Having voluntarily brought Yourself to the Father, You, rising from the grave, resurrected the ancestor Adam.

Song 7

Irmos: He who saved the youths from the oven, having become a man, suffers like a mortal, and with His suffering clothes mortals in the beauty of immortality, one of the fathers, blessed and glorified.

God-wise women hurried after You with fragrant ointments; but Whom they sought with tears as if dead, They worshiped Him with joy, as the living God, and announced the mystical Easter to Your disciples, O Christ.

We celebrate the killing of death, the destruction of hell, the beginning of another, eternal life, and in delight we glorify the Author of this, the one God of the fathers, blessed and glorified ().

In truth, this saving and luminous night is sacred and worthy of every celebration, the forerunner of the luminous day of resurrection, on which eternal Light in the flesh he shone forth from the grave for everyone.

Song 8

Irmos: This famous and sacred day, the only one, king and lord among Saturdays, is a holiday of holidays and a triumph of celebrations; On this day let us bless Christ forever.

Come, on the glorious day of resurrection, let us partake of the new fruit of the vine, the divine joy, the Kingdom of Christ, praising Him as God forever.

Raise your gaze, O Zion, and look around you: behold, your children have flocked to you - like God-bright lights from the west, north, sea and east - blessing Christ in you forever ().

Father Almighty, and the Word, and the Spirit, is one Being in three Persons, Most High and Divine! We were baptized into You and we will bless You forever.

Song 9

Irmos: Be enlightened, be enlightened, new Jerusalem; for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you; rejoice now and rejoice Zion. You, Pure One (Mother of God), rejoice over the uprising of the One born to you! ().

Oh, how divine, gracious and joyful Your word, Christ! You promised to be with us until the end of the century. Having this as a support for hope, we the faithful rejoice ().

O Easter, great and sacred, Christ! O wisdom, Word of God and power! Make us worthy to commune with You more perfectly on the endless day of Your Kingdom ().

Notes

1 . The miracle of the resurrection of Christ from the dead is evidenced by the Holy Fire, which descends (lights up) every year on Easter night in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ, built on the site of the burial and resurrection of the Savior. The occurrence of this fire is inexplicable. When it appears, the Holy Fire does not burn and its flame can be passed over the face. Only after some time does the fire acquire its normal temperature. The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (or his deputy), having received the Holy Fire, lights candles with it, which he immediately distributes to the numerous pilgrims gathered in the temple. The miraculous fire makes a great impression on everyone present in the temple and causes joy. It is also remarkable that the Holy Fire descends only for Orthodox Christians and always on Orthodox Easter. Representatives of other religions who also serve in this temple, Holy Fire don't get it.

2. Jewish Passover is celebrated on the 14th day lunar month Nissan. This day always falls in the spring, on the full moon. Christian Easter is closely related to Jewish Passover. The First Ecumenical Council, meeting in Nicaea in the year 325, decided to celebrate Christian Easter on Sunday during the period spring equinox, and definitely after Passover. Guided by this resolution of the Council and astronomical calculations, Alexandrian scientists developed a system for calculating the day of Orthodox Easter for each year. This is how “Easter” arose - a table of Easter days for many years to come. The sequence of Easter days is repeated every 532 years (indiction). According to Paschal, the earliest Orthodox Easter falls on March 22 according to the old style (April 4 according to the new style), and the latest is on April 25 according to the old style. style (May 8, new style). With the movement of Easter, the holidays of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (a week before Easter), the Ascension of the Lord (on the 40th day after Easter) and the Trinity (on the 50th day after Easter), which depend on it, also move. According to Easter, in 1992 Easter will be on April 26th; in 1993 - April 18; in 1994 – May 1st; in 1995 - April 23; in 1996 - April 14 (numbers are given according to the new style).

3. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was witnessed by Angels: , , ; Apostles: , ; His enemies: ; and, most of all, by that sea of ​​miracles that have been and continue to be performed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.