THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
He who comprehends the profound mystery of the Incarnation could truly respond to him, “If you were knowledgeable about the law and grasped its concealed truths, you would not overlook the identity of the One you dare to provoke. For you would have perceived Him not merely as a human being, but as God Himself, who manifested in human likeness, possessing understanding of all hidden matters and the ability to discern the hearts of those who come to Him.” Emmanuel is depicted in various ways under the shadow of Moses. You have witnessed Him sacrificed as a lamb, triumphing over the destroyer, and nullifying death through His blood.
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You have witnessed Him within the ark, which held the divine law; for He resides in His sacred flesh as in the ark, being the Word of the Father, the Son eternally begotten of Him. You have seen Him as the mercy-seat in the holy sanctuary, surrounded by the seraphim-cherubim, for He serves as our mercy-seat for the forgiveness of our transgressions. Indeed! Like mankind, He is praised by the seraphim—the wise and holy powers that encircle His divine and exalted throne. You have seen Him represented as a lampstand with seven lamps in the Most Holy Place, for the Saviour’s abundant light shines upon those who enter the inner sanctuary. You have seen Him as bread placed upon the table: for He is the living bread that descended from heaven, granting life to the world. You have seen Him portrayed as a bronze serpent, lifted high as a sign, by gazing upon which He healed the bites of serpents; for although He took our likeness and appeared as one of us, He is by nature good and remains steadfast in His essence. The serpent symbolizes evil; yet, having ascended and suffered on the cross for us, He rendered powerless the bites of those rational serpents, namely, Satan and the malevolent forces aligned with him. However, although the lawyer was reputed to be learned in the law, he was entirely oblivious to the One who embodies the essence of the law, despite the prophetic declarations regarding Him over the ages. For if he were not shrouded in profound ignorance, how could he have approached Him as a mere man? How could he dare to test God, who examines hearts and minds, and to whom all that exists within us is revealed? For he inquires, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Do you address Him as Master while refusing to learn? Do you feign respect for the one you aim to ensnare, placing the bait of flattering words before Him? But what do you hope to gain? “For what,” he asks, “must I do to inherit eternal life?” Observe the indignation underlying the lawyer's inquiry. He could have asked, “What must I do to be saved, or to please God and receive His reward?” Yet he ignores this and employs the very words of the Saviour to mock Him. Just as our common Saviour Christ frequently spoke of eternal life to all who approached Him, this arrogant legalist twists His own words to deride Him. If you genuinely desired to learn, you would receive teachings from Him about the path to eternal life; but since you wickedly challenge Him, you will only hear the commandments that were delivered in ancient times by Moses. For “What,” He inquires, “is written in the law? How do you interpret it?”