De Incarnatione (5)

Examen of chapters 20-26

“Therefore, death upon the cross was fitting and suitable”

We see and read here that it was for no arbitrary reason that the God Word chose to die in the way that He did. We know from previous chapters why the death itself was necessary, and why in particular the incarnation itself was made known and visible to mankind, but then arises a second question: why a visible death? It was necessary if we were to follow the logic of the incarnation. Who in their right mind would see a man on Friday morning, and on Sunday morning believe that he had died and resurrected in the time you had spent apart. God appeals to us in the simplest ways to reach us. He is not some impersonal far-off force, but rather One who loves us and wishes to save those whom He loves. So once again He appeals to our common sense and reaches us in the state that we are in, not forcing us to accept some impossible or imperceivable reality.

Continuing, we also question not only the perceptibility of His death, but also the way our Lord chose to die. If He was truly the king and creator of all, why die in a way so unbefitting of royalty and power? The answer likewise is very simple and goes to show the ability of God to relate to our logic and senses. He died a shameful death at the hand of His enemies to remove any doubt or dispute of His death being at His own hands, leaving open the possibility of a faked death. But rather, in allowing for the pharisees and romans to kill him, He removes any doubt that he would have been left alive. And likewise we see Athanasius pointing out the incorruptibility of His body, although experiencing tiredness and hunger, He is not overcome by them, and in the same manner, being the divine Healer, is unable to attain any natural ailment that would require healing, as He Himself contains the Life necessary to overcome such things, only giving in to what is required of God for humanity, i.e. death at the hands of evil.

We also see in the smallest of details the purpose His death serves. The sky being the realm of the spiritual, where spirits dwell and in some mysterious way, God also dwells there according to the evangelist in Matthew 16:9

“Our Father who art in Heaven”

And in Christ we see that He, attached to the ground via a tree, is raised up to the heavens, a sort of middle way, and in touching that middle way, purifies it, leaving it open for God to be able to reach us, and for us to reach Him. Likewise in His outstretched hands, showing the openness of His love for both the Jew and the Greek.

Finally, in keeping the theme of purification of all that the Light touches, we see that even the plots of the devil used for evil are for good. For the devil hated this man Christ, using the hearts of even Christ’s disciples in order to bring Him to death and finally claim victory over all, but we know and testify that He defeated death itself, resurrected, and made known to all men who hear and believe, bringing the first fruits to the Father which pleased Him greatly, preparing for us a great harvest that will culminate in the universal resurrection, completing the work of creation for all time, showing the goodness of our God.