John Chrysostom, On "I remembered God"

of sinners, it says: He Himself bears our sins; and concerning the risen dead, The dead will rise; and concerning souls held captive, And for those sitting in darkness, a light has dawned for you. And concerning Caiaphas and Herod, it says: The rulers of the peoples were gathered together with Abraham; and concerning Judas, He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me; and concerning the synagogue of the Jews and the chief priests, The Lord will come to judgment with the elders of the people; and concerning the cross: Come and let us put wood into his bread; and concerning the thief on the right, The right hand of the Lord has wrought strength; and concerning the tomb: They have laid me in the lowest pit; and concerning the crown of thorns, My vine has put forth thorns instead of clusters of grapes; and concerning his being tempted by the Evil One, An enemy has reproached the Lord; and concerning his being called Son of man, And upon the Son whom you have made strong for yourself; and concerning his burial, And I will give the wicked for his burial; and concerning the resurrection of the Lord, Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord? and concerning his ascension: God has gone up with a shout; and concerning the seat on high, Sit at my right hand. And why do I say much? For not even the orators announce all the prophecies sung concerning the grace of Christ. Do you wish to know the certainty of a good history? that the Old Testament depicted the New, and that the things administered here were foreshadowed there?

Behold him there, arriving at the tent of Abraham with two angels, and here, entering the house of Zacchaeus with twelve disciples. Behold him there, having called two brothers to the priesthood, and here, having chosen two brothers for the apostolate: Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Peter and Andrew among his apostles. Behold him there, raising the widow's son through Elijah, and here, raising the widow's only-begotten son by himself; there, Naaman being cleansed through Elisha, and here, cleansing the leper by himself; there, instructing Miriam, the sister of the holy prophets, and here, naming with the same title the sister of the holy apostles; there, magnifying four from among the prophets, and here, honoring the number four of the evangelists.

There he typified twelve other prophets, and here he called twelve in number as apostles; there he appointed ministers for the great prophets, and here, seventy for the apostles. Thaddeus, therefore, was the one who healed Abgar. There, Jesus the son of Nun chastised the kings of Palestine; here, Jesus the true God glorified the kings of the world; there, twelve 61.693 springs gush forth in Eden; here, twelve disciples gush forth baptism from the sun of righteousness; there, seventy palm trunks were shown; here, seventy disciples of the apostles sprouted forth; there, wood sweetened the embittered water, and here, the wood of the cross changed the most bitter of sins into a sweet spring of grace; there, the tent of witness was sanctified; here, the bridal-chamber tent was glorified; there, David sang the hymns, and here, Paul proclaimed the teachings; there, Elijah from among the prophets was shown to be a virgin, and here, likewise, John from among the apostles, a virgin; there, Elijah sat in the fiery chariot, and here, John reclined upon the breast of the Lord; For our God is a consuming fire. There three great ones were shown, having the name of the Savior, declaring the character of the glorious Trinity, the three holy mighty ones. For they were not simply of the common sort, nor of the ignoble: Jesus the son of Josedech, great among priests; then the three trustworthy witnesses honor the pattern of the Holy Trinity. But truly my mind is drawn to leap forth to other things, unto saving faith. For I do not depart from the prophet who says:

ἁμαρτωλῶν λέγει· Αὐτὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐγερθέντων νεκρῶν, Ἀναστήσονται οἱ νεκροί· καὶ περὶ τῶν κατεχομένων ψυχῶν, Καὶ οἱ ἐν σκότει καθήμενοι, φῶς ἀνέτειλεν ὑμῖν. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Καϊάφα καὶ Ἡρώδου λέγει· Ἄρχοντες λαῶν συνήχθησαν μετὰ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ· καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα, Ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν· καὶ περὶ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἀρχιερέων, Ἥξει Κύριος εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ· ∆εῦτε καὶ ἐμβάλωμεν ξύλον εἰς τὸν ἄρτον αὐτοῦ· καὶ περὶ τοῦ λῃστοῦ τοῦ ἐκ δεξιῶν, ∆εξιὰ Κυρίου ἐποίησε δύναμιν· καὶ περὶ τοῦ τάφου· Ἔθεντό με ἐν λάκκῳ κατωτάτῳ· καὶ περὶ τοῦ στεφάνου τοῦ ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, Ἡ ἄμπελός μου ἀντὶ βοτρύων ἀκάνθας ἐβλάστησε· καὶ περὶ τοῦ πειρασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Πονηροῦ, Ἐχθρὸς ὠνείδισε τὸν Κύριον· καὶ περὶ τοῦ κληθῆναι Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου, Καὶ ἐπὶ Υἱὸν ὃν ἐκραταίωσας ἑαυτῷ· καὶ περὶ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ, Καὶ δώσω τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀντὶ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ· καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου, Ἐξεγέρθητι, ἵνα τί ὑπνοῖς, Κύριε; καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ· Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ· καὶ περὶ τῆς ἄνω καθέδρας, Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου. Καὶ τί πολλὰ λέγω; Ὅλας γὰρ τὰς προφητείας οὐδὲ οἱ ῥήτορες ἐξαγγέλλουσι τὰς περὶ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ᾀδομένας. Θέλεις γνῶναι καλῆς ἱστορίας ἀσφάλειαν; ὅτι περὶ τὴν Καινὴν ∆ιαθήκην ἡ Παλαιὰ ἐζωγράφησε, καὶ τὰ ὧδε οἰκονομούμενα, ἐκεῖ σκιογραφούμενα;

Βλέπε μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ μετὰ δύο ἀγγέλων παραγενόμενον, καὶ ὧδε μετὰ δώδεκα μαθητῶν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ζακχαίου εἰσερχόμενον. Βλέπε μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ δύο ἀδελφοὺς εἰς ἱερωσύνην καλέσαντα, καὶ ὧδε δύο ἀδελφοὺς εἰς ἀποστολὴν ἐκλεξάμενον· Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Πέτρος καὶ Ἀνδρέας ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ. Βλέπε μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τῆς χήρας διὰ Ἠλίου ἐγείραντα, καὶ ὧδε τῆς χήρας τὸν μονογενῆ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἐγείραντα· ἐκεῖ δι' Ἑλισαίου τὸν Νεεμὰν καθαρισθέντα, καὶ ὧδε δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν λεπρὸν ἀπολούοντα· ἐκεῖ τὴν Μαριὰμ ἀδελφὴν τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν ἐμβιβάζοντα, καὶ ὧδε τὴν αὐτὴν προσηγορίαν ἀδελφῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ἐπονομάσαντα· ἐκεῖ ἐκ τῶν προφητῶν τέσσαρας μεγαλύναντα, καὶ ὧδε τὸν ἀριθμὸν τέσσαρας εὐαγγελιστὰς σεμνύνοντα.

Ἐκεῖ δώδεκα προφήτας ἑτέρους ἐτύπωσε, καὶ ὧδε δώδεκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀποστόλους ἐκάλεσεν· ἐκεῖ τοῖς μεγάλοις προφήταις ὑπουργοὺς ἀνέδειξε, καὶ ὧδε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἑβδομήκοντα. Θαδδαῖος ἐτύγχανε τοίνυν ὁ θεραπεύσας τὸν Ἄβγαρον. Ἐκεῖ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυὴ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπαίδευσεν, ὧδε Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐδόξασεν· ἐκεῖ δώδεκα 61.693 πηγαὶ ἐν Ἐδὲμ βρύουσιν, ὧδε δώδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης βάπτισμα πηγάζουσιν· ἐκεῖ ἑβδομήκοντα στελέχη φοινίκων ἐδείχθησαν, ὧδε ἑβδομήκοντα μαθηταὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐβλάστησαν· ἐκεῖ τὸ πικρανθὲν ὕδωρ ξύλον ἐγλύκανε, καὶ ὧδε τὸ πικρότατον τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν εἰς γλυκεῖαν χαρισμάτων πηγὴν τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸ ξύλον μετέβαλεν· ἐκεῖ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἡγιάσθη, ὧδε ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ παστοφορίου ἐδοξάσθη· ἐκεῖ ∆αυῒδ ἐμελῴδησε τοὺς ὕμνους, καὶ ὧδε Παῦλος ἐκελάδησε τὰς διδασκαλίας· ἐκεῖ Ἠλίας ἐκ τῶν προφητῶν ἀνεδείχθη παρθένος, καὶ ὧδε ὁμοίως Ἰωάννης ἐκ τῶν ἀποστόλων παρθένος· ἐκεῖ Ἠλίας ἐν τῷ ἅρματι ἐκάθησε τῷ πυρίνῳ, καὶ ὧδε Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος ἀνέπεσε τοῦ Κυρίου· Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον ἐστίν. Ἐκεῖ τρεῖς ἀνεδείχθησαν μεγάλοι, ἔχοντες τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὸ ὄνομα, τῆς ἐνδόξου Τριάδος δηλοῦντες τὸν χαρακτῆρα, οἱ τρεῖς ἅγιοι δυνατοί. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἦσαν τῶν τυχόντων, οὐδὲ τῶν ἀγεννῶν, Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ ὁ μέγας ἐν ἱερεῦσιν· ἔπειτα οἱ τρεῖς ἀξιόπιστοι μάρτυρες τὸν ὑπογραμμὸν σεμνύνουσι τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος. Ἕλκεται δέ μου ἀληθῶς ἡ διάνοια καὶ εἰς ἕτερα ἐκπηδῆσαι, εἰς σωτήριον πίστιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀφίσταμαι τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·