He was about to be crucified and the same Isaiah says as a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, and so on. You have in this both the meekness and the authority and the capacity for suffering on our behalf, and the whole economy bound together into one wonder. He was about to be struck and scourged, and again the same one says: I gave my back to the scourges, and my cheeks to blows. He was about to be nailed to the wood and he proclaimed beforehand through the prophet David, saying: They pierced my hands and my feet. Being thirsty, he was about to drink vinegar, and he says through David: They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. He was about to ascend into the heavens to his own, to his father's domain, even though all things were his and he himself fills all things. But ascending to the lot fitting for him, since he was about to endure this mystery on our behalf also, he says through Isaiah the prophet: Who is this that comes from Edom?. But bear with me a little, beloved, so that I may tell you the subject of the present festival, and teach you how to celebrate, not as one who does not know, but as one who knows.

I remind you that I may establish you more accurately with narratives, so that you may sincerely worship the power of him who suffered for you. Since he was about to ascend into the heavens, having endured all things for us. But he went up not as he came down; for he came down without a body, he goes up with a body, no longer suffering the things of the body; but commingled, unconfusedly one by the power of the divinity. Therefore, since he was ascending into the heavens, the heavenly powers, being amazed at the extraordinary events, say: Who is this that comes from Edom? Who is ascending from earth to heaven? No one came down from above in this way. We have not been accustomed to receive such a body; man does not travel the air, he does not travel the heavens. Who is this that comes from Edom?. Who is ascending from earth to heaven? For Edom is interpreted as earth. Who, they say, is the one cutting through the ethereal gates? Who is becoming greater than the elements? Who has changed nature? Who is leading the earthly into the heavens? Who has freed the captive Adam? We see an image treading the heavens, we are amazed at the things that are happening. 129 Who is this that comes from Edom?. The word of those who are perplexed, the thought of those who do not know. The Son of God was hidden, he did not communicate his descent to angels, he did not communicate it to the powers; he came down hiding his presence, so that he might secretly triumph over the tyrant. It was not the time for a bodyguard, there was a need for dishonor, so that the servants might not learn; for this reason the master is silent. Since, therefore, the powers above did not behold the descent, at the ascent they are amazed, seeing a new wonder and a strange thing being accomplished contrary to nature, and they say to one another: Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?. Bozrah, in turn, is interpreted as flesh; therefore the redness of his garments from Bozrah is from flesh. What sort of redness then? Surely the blood that came out from his side. For he keeps, as we have often said, the side and the blood for the Jews, so that seeing him in glory they will not deny the cross and say: we did not crucify this one. For this reason he shows both the blood and the marks of the wounded side, so that he might put them to shame in the time of his kingdom. The redness of his garments from Bozrah, beautiful in a forceful robe. And "forceful" is interpreted as power, but by others it is interpreted as "very" and "exceedingly" and "especially." Therefore, he says, beautiful in a very fine robe, since indeed by taking on our dishonor through the glory of his sufferings he freed those who were enslaved by shame and called them to freedom.

That he was in dishonor the prophet says: We saw him and he had no form nor beauty, but his form was dishonored, failing beyond the sons of men. For he was in spittings, in shame, in mockery, in hunger, in thirst, in courts of law, in reckonings, among the crowds of the Jews, in threats, in laughter, in insults,

Σταυροῦσθαι ἔμελλεν καί φησιν ὁ αὐτὸς Ἡσαΐας ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείραντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἔχεις καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὸ πρᾶον καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθητικὸν καὶ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ συνδεδεμένην εἰς ἓν θαῦμα τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Ῥαπίζεσθαι καὶ μαστιγοῦσθαι ἔμελλεν καί φησιν πάλιν ὁ αὐτός· Τὸν νῶτόν μου δέδωκα εἰς μάστιγας, τὰς δὲ σιαγόνας μου εἰς ῥαπίσματα. Προσηλοῦσθαι ἔμελλεν ξύλῳ καὶ προανεφώνησεν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ∆αβὶδ λέγων· Ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου καὶ πόδας. ∆ιψήσας ἔμελλεν πίνειν ὄξος καί φησιν διὰ τοῦ ∆αβίδ· Ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολὴν καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος. Ἀνιέναι ἔμελλε εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ ἴδια, ἐπὶ τὰ πατρῷα, εἰ καὶ πάντα αὐτοῦ ἦν καὶ αὐτὸς πάντα πληροῖ. Πλὴν ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτῷ πρέπουσαν λῆξιν ἀνιὼν ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλεν καὶ ταύτην ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπομένειν τὴν μυσταγωγίαν, φησὶν διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου· Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγινόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ;. Μικρὸν δὲ ἀνάσχου, ἀγαπητέ, ἵνα τῆς παρούσης πανηγύρεως εἴπω σοι τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, διδάξω δέ σε πῶς πανηγυρίζειν οὐχ ὡς μὴ εἰδότα, ἀλλ' ὡς εἰδότα.

Ὑπομιμνήσκω ἵνα ἀκριβέστερόν σε διηγήμασιν ἐπιστήσω, ἵνα εἰλικρινῶς προσκυνῇς τοῦ πεπονθότος ὑπέρ σου τὴν δύναμιν. Ἐπειδὴ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνιέναι ἔμελλεν πάντα ὑπομείνας δι' ἡμᾶς. Ἀνῄει δὲ οὐχ ὡς κατῆλθεν· κατῆλθεν γὰρ ἀσώματος, ἀνέρχεται μετὰ σώματος οὐκέτι τὰ τοῦ σώματος πάσχων· συγκεκραμμένως δέ, ἀσυγχύτως εἷς τῇ τῆς θεότητος δυνάμει. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἀνίει εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐξαισίοις πράγμασιν ξενιζόμεναι αἱ οὐράνιοι δυνάμεις φασίν· Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγινόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ; Τίς ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνέρχεται; Οὐδεὶς οὕτως κατῆλθεν ἄνωθεν. Ἡμεῖς τοιοῦτον δέχεσθαι οὐ μεμελετήκαμεν σῶμα· οὐκ ἀεροπορεῖ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ οὐρανοπορεῖ. Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγινόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ;. Τίς ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνέρχεται; Ἐδὼμ γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται γῆ. Τίς, φασίν, ὁ τέμνων τὰς αἰθεροπόρους πύλας; Τίς ὁ κρείττων στοιχείων γινόμενος; Τίς ὁ μεταβαλὼν τὴν φύσιν; Τίς τὸ γεῶδες εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάγει; Τίς τὸν αἰχμάλωτον ἠλευθέρωσεν Ἀδάμ; Εἰκόνα ὁρῶμεν οὐρανοβατοῦσαν, ξενιζόμεθα ἐπὶ τοῖς γιγνομένοις. 129 Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγινόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ;. Ἀπορούντων ὁ λόγος, οὐκ εἰδότων ἡ ἔννοια. Ἔλαθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν κάθοδον οὐκ ἀνεκοινώσατο ἀγγέλοις, οὐκ ἀνεκοινώσατο δυνάμεσιν· κατῆλθεν λαθὼν τὴν παρουσίαν, ἵνα θριαμβεύσῃ λάθρᾳ τὸν τύραννον. Οὐκ ἦν καιρὸς δορυφορίας, ἀτιμίας ἦν χρείας, ἵνα μὴ μάθωσιν οἱ ὑπηρέται· διὰ τοῦτο σιωπᾷ ὁ δεσπότης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὴν κάθοδον οὐκ ἐθεάσαντο αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις, ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνόδῳ ξενίζονται θαῦμα καινὸν καὶ πρᾶγμα ξένον παρὰ τὴν φύσιν τελεσιουργούμενον ὁρῶσαι καί φασιν πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγινόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ, ἐρύθημα ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἐκ Βοσόρ;. Βοσὸρ πάλιν ἑρμηνεύεται σάρξ· τὸ οὖν ἐρύθημα ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἐκ Βοσόρ, ἐκ σαρκός ἐστιν. Ποῖον ἆρα ἐρύθημα; Ἦ τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ ἐξελθόν. Τηρεῖ γάρ, ὡς πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, τὴν πλευρὰν καὶ τὸ αἷμα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἵνα μὴ ἐν δόξῃ ὁρῶντες ἀρνήσονται τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ εἴπωσιν· τοῦτον ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐσταυρώσαμεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ τὰ ἴχνη τῆς τετρωμένης πλευρᾶς δεικνύει, ἵνα ἐντρέψῃ ἐκείνους ἐν καιρῷ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. Ἐρύθημα ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἐκ Βοσόρ, ὡραῖος ἐν στολῇ βιαίᾳ. Βιαία δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται δύναμις, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑρμηνεύεται πάνυ καὶ λίαν καὶ μάλιστα. Ὡραῖος οὖν φησιν ἐν στολῇ πάνυ, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀδοξίαν ἀναδεξάμενος διὰ τῆς τῶν παθημάτων δόξης ἠλευθέρωσεν τοὺς καταδεδουλωμένους τῇ αἰσχύνῃ καὶ εἰς ἐλευθερίαν ἀνεκαλέσατο.

Ὅτι μὲν ἦν ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ φησὶν ὁ προφήτης· Εἴδαμεν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὔτε κάλλος, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἐν γὰρ ἐμπτύσμασιν γέγονεν, ἐν αἰσχύνῃ, ἐν χλεύῃ, ἐν πείνῃ, ἐν δίψῃ, ἐν δικαστηρίοις, ἐν εὐθύναις, ἐν δήμοις Ἰουδαίων, ἐν ἀπειλαῖς, ἐν γέλωτι, ἐν ὕβρεσιν,