April 11, 2015
Great and Holy Saturday
Vesperal Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
United with Christ: Romans 6:3-11, especially vs. 5: For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. . . . Saint Paul reminds us of the universality of death, for by man came death . . . [and] in Adam all die (1 Cor 15:21-22). In life and death, every human being is inextricably joined to our common forebears, Adam and Eve. This is the reason for the apostles expression by man came death.
The curse of God the divine declaration that you shall return to the ground from which you were taken because of sin (Gn 3:19) was spoken to one and all. No matter what we believe about death whether we call it falling asleep, the result of sin, a biological necessity, or a law of nature we must all die physically.
As the God-man and our Savior, the Lord Jesus chose to die. He elected to step fully into the shared, common human experience of death and take on Adams curse (Gn 3:17-19) in order to redeem us.
We remain subject to death, and the Church wisely keeps this truth before us. During the funeral service we hear the cry: I weep and I wail when I think upon death. . . . Why have we been given over unto corruption, and why have we been wedded unto death?
The inescapability of death allows us to appreciate more deeply the glorious proclamation in todays reading: We also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection (Rom 6:5). Saint Paul makes this same connection when he explains that by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Cor 15:21-22).
We note, however, that this good news has one condition: if we have been united together in the likeness of His death (Rom 6:5). We are to be united together in Christ, sharing in His death and His Resurrection.
Thus, on the eve of our celebration of the Lords Resurrection, the Church also celebrates the mystery of baptism. Along with the catechumens who traditionally enter the Church on Holy Saturday, we are reminded that God has united us to Christ in death and resurrection through baptism, that we may know the power of His own death and Resurrection. Let us raise the ancient song, As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ (Gal 3:27).
In the original Greek, the phrase united together in Romans 6:5 implies to be generated with. It is another way of speaking about the mystery of new birth in the Spirit, about the reality that the Lord Jesus explains to Nicodemus (Jn 3:3-8). Perhaps we might translate this phrase more freely at this point to read: if we have been regenerated with Christ.
How does this regeneration happen in holy baptism? Christ regenerates us when we unite ourselves to Him. Our choosing and His regenerating are synergistic, a cooperative action we undertake with God.
When God joined us to Christ in baptism, we died with Christ. The curse of eternal death has thus been removed from everyone who is baptized into the Lord Jesus, although physical death remains. Christ was raised from the dead; now we have the power to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4).
Our old man that chose death was crucified with Him that we should no longer be slaves of sin (vs. 6). Now, death no longer has dominion over Him. . . . He lives to God (vss. 9-10). Likewise, [we] also, reckon [ourselves] to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body (vs. 11-12).
Come ye, let us behold our Life placed in a tomb to give life to those who are placed in tombs. . . . Rise by Thine own power, Thou who didst deliver Thyself by Thine own choice for our sake. Orthros for Great and Holy Saturday