Vigils Reading

HE BORE THE PUNISHMENT

WHICH BRINGS US PEACE

From a sermon by St Cyril of Alexandria6

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In the account of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son Isaac, the Bible portrays

the mystery of our Savior in all its aspects. Because I want you to have a clear

understanding of this deep mystery of our religion, I must show you the

connection between the events that typified the truth itself, and explain how

each part of the story should be interpreted.

The holy Abraham took his son and hastened to the place that God had

shown him. The fact that the boy was brought to be sacrificed by his father is

meant to teach us by way of type or sign that the Lord Jesus Christ was not

raised upon the cross by any human power, nor by the wickedness of those who

laid snares for him, but by the will of the Father, whose providential plan

permitted him to suffer death for the whole world. The Savior himself said as

much when he answered Pilate: you would have no power over me if it had not

been given you from above. At another time, speaking to his Father in heaven,

he said: Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. But your will, not mine,

be done.

Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on his son’s shoulders. In the

same way, the Jews laid the wood of the cross on the Savior’s shoulders and they

did this with the consent, one might almost say the cooperation of the Father;

for it is not possible to compel the divine power. The prophet Isaiah bears

reliable witness to this when he says: He bore the punishment which brings us

peace, and by his wounds we are healed. We had all strayed like sheep,

everyone had gone his own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.

When the patriarch eventually arrived at the appointed place, he put all

his skill into building a good altar. This too we are meant to interpret in a

spiritual way and so to understand that what appears to the human eye as a

cross and a gibbet is in fact in the eyes of the Father of the whole universe a vast

and towering altar raised up for the salvation of the world, and blackened by the

smoke of a pure and most holy sacrifice.

By his words, I bared my back to the scourge, and let myself be struck on

the face, Isaiah foretold the blows that his enemies would shamelessly inflict on

the Savior’s body, and their spitting upon it… Our Lord Jesus Christ,

disregarding the shame, humbled himself in obedience to the Father, even to

the extent of dying for our salvation. He died to give us life through the Holy

Spirit and to raise us up with himself, to open the gates of heaven to us and to

lead us in, thus restoring to the Father the human race whose sin had long ago

made it fly from his presence.

Therefore, beloved, let this great work of our Savior be acclaimed by every

voice, let his praise be on every tongue. Let the sweet sound of that ancient song

be heard again: God has gone up with shouts of jubilation, the Lord has

ascended with a fanfare of trumpets. He completed the work of our salvation

and then ascended, indeed he not only ascended but he also led captivity

captive and gave gifts to mortals.

6 A Word in Season – vol. II – Exordium Books – 1982 – pg 147.13