the suffering christ 812 43-44). At the intimidating voice of the Lord of life and death, death abandoned Lazarus, and life was restored: He who was dead lived again. The infernal fury must be overcome this way [in defeat], the nocturnal thief ought to be thus exposed, the tyrant of our race is to be thus overthrown [when], “[Jesus] uttered a loud cry.” This, the prophet Isaiah foresaw, and predicted regarding the eternal God wrestling against death on the mount of Golgotha. He was promised certain victory over it in these words: “And [H]e will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death for ever, and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of [H]is people [H]e will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken” (Is 25:7-9). Now this prophecy became at last a reality: Death is conquered; we are to be immortal, if only we do not receive the grace of Christ in vain. 4. John the beloved of Christ, both the most trustworthy disciple and a friend until death, describes His most sacred death: “And [H]e bowed [H]is head” he says, “and gave up [H]is spirit” (Jn 19:30). There is no lack of those who firmly believe that Christ inclined His Sacred Head [shortly] before exhaling His mighty and divine spirit, in order to lure fearful death by this nod [of the head], and, having enticed it, to suffocate [it] by dying. For just as the death of Christ is medicine for us, so it is poison to death. For death already smelled [its defeat] and trembled to come near to the One already greatly tortured and half-alive. For what, death was saying to itself, will I do with this mouthful? Shall I swallow it? I’d be afraid lest I burst in half, and I have to give up everything I have eaten up until now. What death feared was what completely took hold of it. For as it gave its own venom to Christ, with His head lowered, it itself astonishingly perished, having been breathed upon by Him. We ought to listen here to [St. John] Chrysostom who perceptively explains in these words, what has just come to our attention: “Just like those who take food but cannot keep it [down], they vomit together with it not only that food but what they have
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