Isaiah 41:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

One of the holy prophets echoed this, proclaiming, “And the sun of righteousness shall shine upon you who fear my name, and healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2). Who, then, arranged for the truth, that is, Christ, to radiate like the sun from the East? Who summoned Him, that He might come forth and shine by following in the footsteps of the One who called Him, of God and the Father? This exemplifies the manner in which the Lord lived on earth, performing the works of the Father and revealing Him through His own being, for He was and remains equal to the Father. Through His actions, He assured those on earth that in every conceivable way, He was one with the One who begot Him; thus, He asserted, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, even if you do not believe Me, believe My works” (John 10:37, 38). Always acting according to the Father’s will, or, more precisely, embodying the Father’s will, He called out to the Jewish people, stating, “You judge according to the flesh, but I judge no one. And even if I judge, my judgment is righteous; for I do not seek my will, but the will of Him who sent me” (John 5:30). Hence, it becomes evident that He seemed to walk in the footsteps of the Father. Therefore He declared: “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me” (John 14:10), and “he who sees me sees my Father” (John 14:9). He shall go before the tongues, and the kings shall be filled with fear; He shall cast their swords to the ground, and their bows shall be broken as if they were mere stalks. He shall gather me, and the path of His feet shall walk in peace. Who fashioned and created these things? Were you not called from the beginning of labor? Before the arrival of Our Savior, those on earth existed in profound ignorance, resembling mindless cattle, trapped in darkness and enslaved by the ruler of this world, yielding their necks to the desires and schemes of the devil, treading paths of vice leading to destruction. But Christ shone upon them, for “He is the hope of tongues” (Genesis 49:10), and having liberated them from their former dominions, He made them free and children of God, cleansing them from all impurities. He justified them through faith and, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, renewed and illuminated them. This very truth, like the sun rising from the East, He handed to the Gentiles after Israel was cast aside due to their wickedness against Him. When this took place, and a vast multitude was saved, kings trembled: it was as if a frenzy seized the rulers of this age, who felt dread before the divine and unchanging judgment—the judgment that fell upon the Gentiles. Those who had been mighty and fearful, who armed themselves against divine glory, raised their weapons and drew swords against it, fell to the ground, casting aside their armaments and becoming as mere stalks. Again, it’s as if to compare them to what has been done to us: the wicked powers have been defeated, and every path of evil has been rendered scarce because Christ has stripped them of their weapons; for He states, “the enemy hath no time against him, and the son of iniquity shall not bring anger upon him” (Psalms 88:23). It was indeed fitting that following the dismantling of the evil and wicked powers, and the overthrow of the enemy of all, redemption should occur at this opportune moment. Undoubtedly, Christ drove them away, putting them to flight. They could not stand against God, and once He terminated their initial dominion, it became unavoidable for them to endure what was determined for those who had corrupted the earth. Thus, after the enemies are driven away, His feet shall pass in peace. Nothing obstructed Christ, our Savior, in completing the works of salvation; traversing as if on a smooth and level path, He secured redemption for all of us: no foe weakened or resisted Him, for they fell. Who, then, has accomplished all these things, and who has summoned forth righteousness? Is it not I, declares He, who now, in these latter days, have revealed it, calling it forth from generations past? The mystery of Christ did not originate recently but was destined according to God’s foreknowledge from the foundation of the world: even as Adam fell, or rather before he attempted it, the Creator foreknew the remedy that was to follow in due course, through Christ (Rom. 8:29), and also called them (Rom. 8:30). Therefore, if we are predestined to be justified through faith in Him, we shall be called (Rom. 8:30). Thus, if we are foreknown, how much more is He who saves and calls us?