Resurrection, Became Apparent Which They Escaped

anyone who would not be conquered by the Kings 13:20-21). All these people, nonetheless, did Creator and anyone whom God’s authority not abrogate our death; they did not get rid of would not defeat, the Word Incarnate Jesus death’s power. When they were raised from the Christ won victory over death and resurrected dead with the prophets’ and apostles’ prayers and on the third day. The mystery that the flesh will God’s kindness, it was to live for themselves. In be raised after death and that it will live eter- fact, they have returned to death’s bondage from nally, the hope of resurrection, became apparent which they escaped. However, our Lord and Sav- through Christ’s resurrection. Being the first to ior Jesus Christ, through His Deity and Divine be risen from the dead, He granted resurrection authority, defeated death for eternity and rose. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, to all of us. (1 Corinthians 15:20). What cannot He made us cross over from death to life. and of the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen. be done by man was done by the One Who was manifested in the flesh. The power of death is Christ Our Passover Lamb abrogated forever by His Divine power. Saint The Israelites (also known as Israelites in the Resurrection Day Cyril says this in Haimanote Abew (a book flesh) used to observe Passover ever since their (Tinsa’e) whose title translates to Faith of the Fathers), exodus from Egypt to reminisce the bitterness of “He abolished death’s victory. Because He is Life their slavery. On this holiday, they used to re- The One Created in the Image of the Holy Trinity, and the Creator, the flesh is also His and that member the bitter life in Egypt, their forefathers’ Adam He died in the flesh, rose after He died and de- torment and adversity. When God used to speak After creating the different creations for five con- stroyed death; we should know that He gave us to them through His prophets in different eras, secutive days, the Holy Trinity said this in the quality and the essence of His Deity. This deed, He used to say to them, I am the Lord your God early morning of the sixth day (Friday): “Let Us meaning, victory over death and annulling its who brought you out of the land of Egypt. make man according to Our image and like- power is not the deed of the weak like our- (Exodus 20:2). He used to remind them how He ness” (Genesis 1:26). If one may ask how the Holy selves. It is far beyond man’s ability.” (Faith of freed them. In relation to this, we celebrate Trinity would say in Our image and likeness, the the Fathers 79:13). Easter (Fasika) in the New Testament for having Holy Trinity are ingenious, do speak, and are eter- found the main freedom of the soul. We Chris- nal. Adam is also created to be ingenious, to speak, The Resurrection of Christ tians (known as Israelites in the soul) celebrate and to have eternal life. As the Holy Trinity have a Even though Adam’s body was decomposing the holiday in spiritual enjoyment for being free definitive image, so does Adam. The Holy Trinity is and rotting in the grave with its power revoked from slavery in Hades which was symbolized by personified with the heart, the spoken word, and for a while, it was able to gain power and con- Egypt. In remembering Adam’s and his descen- breath; likewise, man has a heart, speaks, and has quer death because it inseparably became one dants’ life of torment and adversity in the Holy breath. The Holy Trinity, who rule over Adam be- with the nature of the Deity afterwards. Christ Week (Semune Himamat), we celebrate Easter on cause of the essence (nature) of Their Deity, have suffered in the flesh and went to the grave, He the Christian Sabbath—Sunday. Christ is our granted Adam the right to rule over creations by beat death with His Deity and Divine authority Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). We believe grace. and made the flesh with which He inseparably and affirm that we are set free through the suf- united victorious. By wearing man’s flesh which fering and death of the Word Incarnate, our Lord Adam, bestowed with such grace and created in was humiliated, scorned, and crushed, He took and Savior Jesus Christ. the image of the Holy Trinity, became the subject man back to his place of dignity and honored by whom the one who previously lost his place him. Happy Resurrection! due to his pride—Sataniel (Satan)—has been shamed and on whom God’s perfect Divine wis- Therefore, Resurrection reminds us that death dom was revealed. The unquestionable wisdom of once had a power. Resurrection reminds us the Prepared by: God was reflected through man because He has Creator’s immense kindness. Resurrection re- The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church created him as sparkly as a drinking glass, as mar- minds us that following Christ’s example we will Sunday Schools Department velous as flowers, moreover, because He has cre- rise in the end instead of remaining decom- Mahibere Kidusan ated him wise. God gave Adam the mandate over posed and rotten. This is why we celebrate His Education and Apostolate Service Section all creations in the four corners. “He created Eve Resurrection as one of the major holidays. We USA Center from his body so that she helps him. He placed have read stories about plenty of people who 2004 (Ethiopian Calendar) them in the endeared eastward, in the Garden of rose from the dead in the Old Testament (2 5 6 1 Eden. (It is said eastward for the Garden of Eden decomposing and rotting Adam’s body in the (John 3:15-17). has four corners.) He gave them everything with- grave and by torturing his soul in Hades. out restriction so that they would find pleasure One of the three Persons, God the Son, came in all that can be received from God.” After all Descendants of Adam were also entrapped by this down to the world and became flesh to redeem this, He gave them an order regarding only one trap of death. Snatching and keeping their souls mankind. He became Man. He manifested Himself plant. This plant was the tree of knowledge of in Hades and their bodies in the grave, death left as the second Adam in order to erase the first good and evil. If one were not to eat from it, one them in a total darkness where there is no glim- Adam’s wrongdoing. Apart from sin, He had all of would know good; if one were to eat from it, one mer of hope. The scholar Saint Athanasius asks man’s traits. After His conception and before His would know evil. It was given as a symbol of the his father Adam through the Holy Spirit as fol- birth, when He was in the womb for nine months ruler and the ruled. Those who would eat from it lows about the death that was inflicted on us and five days, He never left His throne; after He would die; hence, they were ordered not to eat because of the tree of knowledge: “Dear Adam, was born, for thirty three years and three months from it. how have we wronged you for you to bring the He never left His throne and was Man at the judgment of death on us? What have we done to same time. Saint Jared (a hymnist and scholar Transgressing God’s Laws you, dear Adam, for you not to let us stay and be who invented the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo After living in the Garden of Eden for seven merry in the Garden of Eden, with our Lord, Church chants) says this in one of his writings years, Adam and Eve broke the order they were where there is joy? What have we done to you, Anketse Birihan (one of many descriptions of the given by eating from the tree that they were told dear Eve? Our bodies have blackened from too Holy Virgin Mary meaning Bearer of the Light), not to and brought death upon themselves. Our much sin when we should have had a heavenly “When they saw their Lord, who holds all creation father Adam was condemned to die because of life.” (Saint Athanasius’ Divine Liturgy, numbers in His hand and feeds all creation, tucked under his transgression. Since he listened to Satan’s 28 & 29). As the scholar said, death entered the your arm and feeding on your breast, they found advice and severed his relationship with his Crea- world through the one Adam; we, his children, Him with His Father and the Holy Spirit in this tor, he fell under Satan’s rule. He lived in melan- were all doomed to die. world as it was from the beginning.” Being wor- choly and sorrow in this world. He cried deeply shipped by the angels in heaven, He was incar- for having fallen under adversity. He did not cry Redeemer of the World nated to be one and inseparable with our flesh because he lost his honorable place, comfort, and No one could annul this power of death among through His profound wisdom and became fully joy in the Garden of Eden, but because of his creations. Since everyone was indebted and no Man while being fully God.

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