THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
On the tenth day of the month, the Lord instructed that a lamb be chosen for each household, with an adequate number of people to consume it entirely, and that the lamb be sacrificed on the fourteenth day at dusk. Thus, for five days, the sacrificial offering remains with those whom it is meant to save, and on the fifth day, the lamb is killed, allowing death to pass over, and the redeemed person experiences the continuous light of both the moon, which shines throughout the night, and the sun, which governs the moon; this occurs on the fifteenth day, during the full moon. These five days represent the division of human history into five epochs: from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Christ, and the fifth being the era of Christ's coming. During these periods, salvation through the blessed sacrifice was prepared for all mankind, though it was not yet realized. However, in the fifth epoch, the true sacrificial offering was made, and the original man, saved through it, attained unbroken light. The fact that the Passover was fulfilled not at the very start of the evening but towards its conclusion indicates that Christ would suffer not at the close of time but as it drew nearer. This timeline is echoed in the parable, which divides the day into five sections: some were called to work in the vineyard from the first hour, some from the third, sixth, ninth, and some from the eleventh. As these callings differed, so did justification: one through Adam, another through Noah, another through Abraham, another through Moses; yet the final and most perfect justification came with Christ's coming, where, according to the parable, those who were last would be the first to be rewarded. We, for whom Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice, are the first to receive rebirth in baptism, after His resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit for our renewal. This encapsulates the profound symbolic meaning of the sacrifice on the fourteenth day and the light-bringing night and day that follows.
The proposed significance of the types in the law is corroborated by the truth itself. For instance, the lamb is unblemished, as foretold by the law for the Passover offering, a male of one year, selected on the tenth day of the month to be sacrificed on the fourteenth at dusk, with the counting of months starting at Passover. This entirely pertains to Christ and His suffering, receiving validation of its truth and necessity within Him; isolated, it possesses no intrinsic meaning.
Christ is offered as a sacrifice, so that you fully recognize that He made this sacrifice for you. Thus, it is realized for you that "like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer He was silent" (Isaiah 53:7). His meekness preserves the original image of the lamb, while the desire to ascend and the refusal to remain in the valleys allow the goat to reach heights; goats leap and scale difficult and lofty places. Since the fall, heaven has been high and unattainable for humanity, trapped in the flesh and devoid of the Holy Spirit. It is this divine sacrifice made for you that now elevates you. He died with you so that you might live in Him. For five days, the lamb remains in the household, from the tenth to the fourteenth day, and is then sacrificed by the Jewish synagogue on the evening of the fourteenth. These five days signify five epochs of time: one before Noah, one until Abraham, one before Moses, one from Moses to Christ, and one following His advent. By evening, the sacrifice is made because at the culmination of the age, Israel and all the synagogue conspired against Christ. From the beginning, the sacrifice of Christ was understood through the afflictions of the righteous, starting with Abel, the just; but it was realized when the divine Lamb, who came in His own person, suffered. He did indeed suffer on the fourteenth day of that month and gave up His spirit as evening approached; yet the act of separating the lamb for sacrifice starting on the tenth day, with its slaughter on the fourteenth at dusk, foreshadowed both the trial of suffering and ultimately the suffering itself.
The lamb is preserved over several intervening days, which signify the time of Christ's earthly presence prior to His suffering and His confinement in the high priest's house. The lamb is then slaughtered in the evening, paralleling the sacred Lamb of God’s crucifixion at sunset. The entire assembly of the Israeli children participates in the slaughter of the lamb, and indeed, all Israel, in their disbelief, took upon themselves the guilt of that precious blood—those who killed Him and still do not believe. Therefore, the Divine Spirit testifies against them, stating, "your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15).
Yesterday, brethren, we discussed the designated day of Holy Pascha, and in light of a perceived confusion, we declared, under the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that both the confusion and the designated time were known to us long before. We have previously addressed this, if indeed you have pondered what was said; but today we present the reasons for the delay. Considering that this examination requires reviewing the entirety of the Passover's implications, we wish, with divine assistance, to delve into this matter and expound on the doctrine of this mystery, as much as we are capable. Given the significant assertions made by those who misunderstand the essence of the truth, and that heretics, having separated from us alongside the Jews, claim they observe the Passover while Christians alone maintain this sacrament, I aim to briefly mention these assertions and clarify our sacrament's significance. This will help us understand what thoughts are associated with the different times for celebrating Passover, particularly regarding the only begotten Son of God. We often hear perplexities expressed by some concerning the designated day for the Nativity of the Saviour, which we all know is celebrated on a date recognized as being eight days before the Roman January calendar; likewise, the feast of Epiphany, celebrated on the thirteenth of the fourth month in the Asiatic calendar; and the commemoration of the martyrs also occurs on a specified day. Why is this not the case for Easter? It is because this sacrament is not relegated to a random date but is celebrated at a specific time that meets multiple predetermined conditions. Thus, we begin with the first month, the true first time, dictated by the vernal equinox. Furthermore, in considering the first month, we must focus on the initial point of this time, which starts with the vernal equinox, as I will demonstrate. Since we consider both the initial time and the equinox, alongside the fourteenth day of the moon, and the three days—Friday, Saturday, and the Lord's day—and since it is impossible to celebrate Easter absent any of these times, we cannot fix a single day for the Easter sacrament. Instead, by integrating all these specific moments, we separately define the time of the saving suffering. Now, prior to expounding on the sacramental significance of the equinox, the lunar fourteenth day, and the three days that conclude this sacrament, I wish to reflect on the unwise practices of the Jews, who stand apart from us, providing clarity about the sacrament of the Church. Even heretics, though misguided, have a higher understanding than they do. The Jews do not adhere to a fixed date for the Passover, but maintain a solar month according to their beliefs, and the fourteenth day of the moon. Therefore, when the fourteenth day arises, but the first month has not yet arrived, they postpone this day and select the first solar month, wishing to appear to achieve their desired outcome through the merger of the first month and the fourteenth day of the moon. Thus, brethren, you see that the Jews also endeavor to assign different times for celebration rather than a single day. The Quadrennians are a heretical group that celebrates Easter alongside the Jews, following their customs. The Novatians seem to emulate us, yet they conform to the Jewish tradition in their timing, observing the first month and the fourteenth day of the moon; however, they further err, as they pass over three days without rightful authority and without church approval, as will be demonstrated. Additionally, there is the heresy of the Montanists, who clearly do not wish to adhere to the Jews’ practices, but lamentably diverge from the Church as well, observing the fourteenth day of the first month, that is, the seventh month according to the Asiatic calendar, rather than the fourteenth day of the moon, a practice whose origins remain unclear. For the only begotten Son of God suffered during the Jewish Passover on the fourteenth day of the moon, coinciding with the Jewish Passover. Where did this unfortunate heresy derive its observance of the fourteenth day of the solar month instead? Clearly, such a notion arises from a deceiving spirit. Nevertheless, although heretical practices did abandon the Church’s chronology, they still returned to the practice of counting three days. Let them be consumed. After stating that every heresy evidently seeks to approximate a specific timeframe, I first wish to address the rest of the Jews and then clarify the foundations upon which Christians determine the feast of Easter. The Church encompasses the definitive timeline of Christ’s suffering, the vernal equinox, the fourteenth lunar day, and the three days of Friday, Saturday, and the Lord's day. These we observe lawfully, not as innovations but in alignment with traditions established by Moses himself, recognizing the fourteenth day of the moon after the equinox. I present you wise witnesses from Europe. We should disregard the folly of the contemporary Jews, as they have distorted all that was just within the law; rather, we should heed the wisdom of learned Jewish scholars and abide by their judgments. Dismissing those who have turned apostate, let us construct our doctrine relying on these latter views, as their testimony will provide firm reliability. The Jews have been stripped of all favors. They rejected the writings of the seventy-two wise translators, the number of illustrious Jews who dedicated themselves to these studies in ancient times before the arrival of the Saviour, selected for their excellence to translate the Scriptures, which were held in high regard even in their original Hebrew language. This translation received broad approval, and the Jews issued curses against anyone who would dare to alter it. Therefore, we can rightfully adhere to this translation. If, as Moses states, "at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, the matter shall be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15), we may more securely accept the translation of seventy-two witnesses than just two. While these wise men held influence among the Jews, they valued their translation; however, when the Jews committed iniquity against the Saviour, all their goodness was extinguished. As the prophet foretold: "Behold, the Lord of hosts will take away from Jerusalem and Judah the staff and the stay, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water, the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient" (Isaiah 3:1-3). This prophetic word has come to pass upon most of the Jews; deprived of discernment and lacking a prophet to lead them to salvation, they forsook the teachings of their learned men, and even the very foundations of the law faced distortion. They altered the Holy Scriptures, discarded the translation of wise men, turned to the interpretations of a singular proselyte, ignoring the efforts of many and the very curses they themselves levied, and subsequently distorted the timeline of the Passover.