THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
He does not permit a newborn lamb to be sacrificed, indicating that what is imperfect, feeble-minded, and frail is not yet sanctified and thus unacceptable to God. Such were some of the misguided individuals to whom the Apostle Paul writes: ‘For judging from the time, you ought to be teachers; but you must be taught again the first principles of the word of God, and you need milk, and not solid food. Anyone who feeds on milk is ignorant of the word of truth, because he is a babe; but solid food is peculiar to the perfect’ (Heb. 5:12-14). Therefore, in terms of wisdom and spiritual vigor, those still reliant on milk are inadequately nourished.
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Let us redirect our focus from the tangible and earthly to the spiritual and unseen, and you will recognize that within Christ, all things have been made whole and pleasing; for the animals designated for God must stay with their mother for seven days, and thereafter, on the eighth day and continuing, become a gift and offering to God.
Cyril then asks if the eighth day is recognized as the day of the Resurrection of the Savior, representing the inception of a new age, since the time under the law ended with the first seven days. Palladius acknowledges this. Consequently, that which lives in the era governed by the law, characterized by corporeal service, remains unholy and should no longer be offered; conversely, all that exists in Christ from the eighth day onwards is already a gift, pleasing to God. The rank in Christ, with resurrection as its foundation, is without end. Knowing this, the Son declared: ‘I will be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself’ (John 12:32), and again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a grain of wheat, when it falls into the ground, shall not die, it shall remain alone; but if it die, it shall bear much fruit” (John 12:24).
Palladius responds, seeking clarity on the significance of the mother not being killed alongside her offspring on the same day. Cyril explains that God, who established the law concerning Christ, foresaw the rebellion of the Jews and the lawlessness of Jerusalem, knowing that they would face destruction as perpetrators of the Lord's murder, openly mocking the Son of God. However, not all of Jerusalem will be completely annihilated; it will exist as if bereft of children, awaiting a final season when it will be redeemed by following the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 11:25-26). Referring to the Psalmist, it is said: ‘As you have placed me in the backbone’ (Ps. 20:13), indicating that all Israel will be saved after the flock of the Gentiles has found refuge in the Divine stables.
The law does not permit complete destruction, hinting at divine wrath against the disobedient tempered with mercy, while illustrating an immutable truth: that created things will not be wholly annihilated, rather they will be preserved in succession, one through another, reflecting their affinity or likeness. God ensures that His creations do not face total obliteration, stating that He ‘created all things to be, and all things in the world are salvific’ (Prem. 1:14). It is appropriate to foreshadow and reveal such teachings about Christ, through whom death is vanquished and new life is restored; the human race's foundation, as symbolized by Eve, concludes in Adam, yet those who emerge from Him—namely us—thrive in Christ, finding life and a renewed origin in Him.
Palladius appreciates these teachings. He then inquires about the meaning of these divine commandments. Cyril elaborates that the Scriptures often categorize all of time into two main epochs: the time of the law and the time of the unveiling of Christ. Occasionally, they are divided into three, positioning the ministry of the prophets in the center; for both during Moses’ time and that of the prophets, the service was characterized as shadows of the law. But when Christ, the true light, appeared, illuminating the entire world, the shadows of that former time became despicable, rendering sacrifices offered during that period abominable and unacceptable to God, marking them as unclean.
Do you not see it as true that when Christ, through His teachings, enlightens the faithful and guides them into spiritual service, adherence to the law becomes somewhat redundant and ineffective? Palladius affirms this, recalling Paul’s admonishment that the law is a mere distraction compared to the excellence of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). He reminds us of Paul’s message: ‘I say unto you, if ye be circumcised, ye shall not profit by Christ’ (Gal. 5:2). Cyril agrees wholeheartedly. Now, in Christ’s arrival, as the era of the law and prophets has concluded, to cling to the old law and offer a lamb or a goat as an offering is an offense and a blemish, since the Son explicitly declares to the Father: ‘Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired; Thou hast opened my ears; burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required. Then I said, Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me, I desire to do Thy will’ (Ps. 39:7-9; cf. Heb. 10:5-7). By presenting Himself as a blameless sacrifice for our sakes, the Son abolished the law’s requirements, which could not "eliminate sin" (Heb. 10:11); indeed, “the end of the law and of the prophets is Christ” (Rom. 10:4; cf. Matt. 5:17).