Sermon 375A
SERMON 375/A
Here begins another on the same day concerning the sacraments
On the humility and power of Christ.
As the truth sounded through the Apostles, and their sound went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world, our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed. Of whom the prophet had previously predicted: He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Who is this? Surely, the one of whom it follows and says: In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who can describe his generation? I see an example of such humility in a king of such great power. For this one, like a lamb before his shearer not opening his mouth, is himself the lion of the tribe of Judah. Who is this lamb and lion? He endured death as a lamb, he devoured it as a lion. Who is this lamb and lion? Gentle and strong, lovable and terrifying, innocent and powerful, silent when judged, roaring when to judge. Who is this lamb and lion? A lamb in suffering, a lion in resurrection. Or rather, both lamb and lion in suffering and in resurrection? Let us see the lamb in suffering. It has already been said: Like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Let us see the lion in suffering. Jacob said: You climbed up, you lay down to sleep like a lion. Let us see the lamb in resurrection. The Apocalypse, speaking of the eternal glory of the virgins: they follow the lamb wherever he goes. Let us see the lion in resurrection. The same Apocalypse says, as I have mentioned above: The lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to open the book. Why a lamb in suffering? Because he accepted death without iniquity. Why a lion in suffering? Because being slain, he slew death. Why a lamb in resurrection? Because eternal innocence belongs to him. Why a lion in resurrection? Because eternal power belongs to him.
Christ is God.
Who is this lamb and lion? How can you ask who he is? If you ask who he was before: in the beginning was the Word. If you ask where he was: and the Word was with God. If you ask what kind of Word it was: and the Word was God. If you ask how powerful he is: all things were made through him. If you ask what he himself was made: and the Word was made flesh. If you ask how or from the father without a mother, or from the mother without a father he was born: who will explain his generation? Born from eternity, co-eternal with the Begetter; the Word remaining, made flesh: creator of all times, created at the opportune time: prey to death, predator of death: deformed in appearance beyond the sons of men, beautiful in form beyond the sons of men: knowing how to bear infirmity, and to remove it: making humble things exalted, exalted things humble: God-man, and man-God: both firstborn, and creator of the firstborn: both only-begotten, and brother of many: born of the substance of the Father, made a partaker of the adopted: and Lord of all, and servant of many. This is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world; this is the lion who conquered the kingdoms of the world. We were asking who he is: let us ask who they are, for whom he died. Perhaps for the just and holy? The Apostle does not say this, but rather, that Christ died for the impious: not of course that the impious might remain impious, but that by the death of the just, the impious might be justified, and by the shedding of his sinless blood, the handwriting of sin might be erased. Ends the treatise on the sacraments on the day of Easter.