true through the outcome. Therefore if you wish to see the mystery of the Lord, look then to Abel who was similarly murdered, to Isaac who was similarly bound, to Joseph who was similarly sold, to Moses who was similarly exposed, to David who was similarly persecuted, to the prophets who similarly suffered for Christ's sake. And look also to the sheep slaughtered in the land of Egypt, the one who struck Egypt and saved Israel through the blood. And the mystery of the Lord is also proclaimed through the prophetic voice. For Moses says to the people: "And you will see your life hanging before your eyes night and day and you will not believe in your life." And David said: "Why did the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ." And Jeremiah. "I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. They devised evils against me, saying: Come, let us put wood into his bread and let us root him out from the land of the living, and his name will not be remembered." And Isaiah: "As a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. Who will declare his generation?"

Many other things indeed were proclaimed by many prophets concerning the mystery of the Passover, which is Christ, "to whom be the glory for ever. Amen". He, having come from the heavens to the earth for the one who suffers, and having clothed himself in that very one through a virgin's womb and having come forth as a man, received the sufferings of the one who suffers through a body capable of suffering and destroyed the passions of the flesh, and with the spirit unable to die he killed man-slaying death. For he, led like a lamb and slaughtered like a sheep, redeemed us from the worship of the world as from the land of Egypt, and freed us from the slavery of the devil as from the hand of Pharaoh, and sealed our souls with his own spirit and the members of the body with his own blood. This is he who clothed death with shame, and made the devil mourn as Moses did Pharaoh. This is he who struck down lawlessness and made injustice childless as Moses did Egypt. This is he who delivered us from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from death to life, from tyranny to an eternal kingdom [and made us a new priesthood and a chosen people for ever.] This is the Passover of our salvation. This is he who in many ways endured many things. This is he who was murdered in Abel, and bound in Isaac, and was a stranger in Jacob, and was sold in Joseph, and was exposed in Moses, and was slaughtered in the lamb, and was persecuted in David, and was dishonored in the prophets. This is he who was incarnate in a virgin, who was hanged on a tree, who was buried in the earth, who was raised from the dead, who was taken up into the heights of the heavens. This is the silent lamb. This is the murdered lamb. This is he who was born of Mary the fair ewe-lamb. This is he who was taken from the flock and dragged to slaughter and sacrificed in the evening and buried at night, who on the tree was not broken, in the earth was not dissolved, having risen from the dead and raised man from the grave below. This one has been murdered. And where has he been murdered? In the midst of Jerusalem. For what reason? Because he healed their lame and cleansed their lepers and gave light to their blind and raised their dead. For this reason he suffered. Where is it written in the law and in the prophets: "They repaid me evil for good and bereavement to my soul, devising evils against me, saying: Let us bind the just one for he is unprofitable to us." What have you done, O Israel, this new crime? You dishonored the one who honored you. You dishonored the one who glorified you. You denied the one who confessed you. You rejected the one who proclaimed you. You killed the one who gave you life. What have you done, O

ἀληθὲς διὰ τῆς ἐκβάσεως. Τοιγαροῦν εἰ βούλει τὸ τοῦ κυρίου μυστήριον ἰδέσθαι, ἀπόβλεψον δὴ εἰς τὸν Ἀβὲλ τὸν ὁμοίως φονευόμενον, εἰς τὸν Ἰσὰκ τὸν ὁμοίως συμποδιζόμενον, εἰς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ὁμοίως πιπρασκόμενον, εἰς τὸν Μωυσέα τὸν ὁμοίως ἐκτιθέμενον, εἰς τὸν ∆αυὶδ τὸν ὁμοίως διωκόμενον, εἰς τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς ὁμοίως διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν πάσχοντας. Ἀπόβλεψον δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου πρόβατον σφαζόμενον, τὸν πατάξαντα Αἴγυπτον καὶ σώσαντα τὸν Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος. Ἔστιν δὲ καὶ διὰ προφητικῆς φωνῆς τὸ τοῦ κυρίου μυστήριον κηρυσσόμενον. Φησὶν γὰρ Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν λαόν· «Καὶ ὄψεσθε τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν κρεμαμένην ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας καὶ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐπὶ τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῶν.» Ὁ δὲ ∆αυὶδ εἶπεν· «Ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά; Παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.» Ὁ δὲ Ἰερεμίας. «Ἐγὼ ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον ἀγόμενον τοῦ θύεσθαι. Ἐλογίσαντο ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακὰ εἰπόντες· ∆εῦτε, ἐμβάλωμεν ξύλον εἰς τὸν ἄρτον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκτρίψωμεν αὐτὸν ἐκ γῆς ζώντων, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ μνησθῇ.» Ὁ δὲ Ἠσαίας· «Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἄφωνος ἐναντίον τοῦ κείραντος αὐτόν, οὗτος οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται;»

Πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἕτερα ὑπὸ πολλῶν προφητῶν ἐκηρύχθη εἰς τὸ τοῦ πάσχα μυστήριον, ὅ ἐστιν Χριστός, «ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν». Οὗτος, ἀφικόμενος ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν διὰ τὸν πάσχοντα, αὐτὸν δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐνδυσάμενος διὰ παρθένου μήτρας καὶ προελθὼν ἄνθρωπος, ἀπεδέξατο τὰ τοῦ πάσχοντος πάθη διὰ τοῦ παθεῖν δυναμένου σώματος καὶ κατέλυσεν τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθη, τῷ δὲ θανεῖν μὴ δυναμένῳ πνεύματι ἀπέκτεινεν τὸν ἀνθρωποκτόνον θάνατον. Οὗτος γὰρ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἀχθεὶς καὶ ὡς πρόβατον σφαγείς, ἐλυτρώσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου λατρείας ὡς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἔλυσεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου δουλείας ὡς ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραώ, καὶ ἐσφράγισεν ἡμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς τῷ ἰδίῳ πνεύματι καὶ τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν θάνατον ἐνδύσας αἰσχύνην, καὶ τὸν διάβολον στήσας πενθήρη ὡς Μωυσῆς τὸν Φαραώ. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἀνομίαν πατάξας καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν ἀτεκνώσας ὡς Μωυσῆς Αἴγυπτον. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ῥυσάμενος ἡμᾶς ἐκ δουλείας εἰς ἐλευθερίαν, ἐκ σκότους εἰς φῶς, ἐκ θανάτου εἰς ζωήν, ἐκ τυραννίδος εἰς βασιλείαν αἰωνίαν [καὶ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς ἱεράτευμα καινὸν καὶ λαὸν περιούσιον αἰώνιον.] Οὗτός ἐστιν τὸ πάσχα τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν πολλοῖς πολλὰ ὑπομείνας. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῷ Ἀβὲλ φονευθείς, ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰσὰκ δεθείς, ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰακὼβ ξενιτεύσας, ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ πραθείς, ἐν δὲ τῷ Μωυσῇ ἐκτεθείς, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀμνῷ σφαγείς, ἐν δὲ τῷ ∆αυὶδ διωχθείς, ἐν δὲ τοῖς προφήταις ἀτιμασθείς. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν παρθένῳ σαρκωθείς, ὁ ἐπὶ ξύλου κρεμασθείς, ὁ εἰς γῆν ταφείς, ὁ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνασταθείς, ὁ εἰς τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀναλημφθείς. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀμνὸς ὁ ἄφωνος. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀμνὸς φονευόμενος. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς καλῆς ἀμνάδος. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐξ ἀγέλης λημφθεὶς καὶ εἰς σφαγὴν συρεὶς καὶ ἑσπέρας θυθεὶς καὶ νύκτωρ ταφείς, ὁ ἐπὶ ξύλου μὴ συντριβείς, εἰς γῆν μὴ λυθείς, ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς καὶ ἀναστήσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ τῆς κάτω ταφῆς. Οὗτος πεφόνευται. Καὶ ποῦ πεφόνευται; Ἐν μέσῳ Ἰε-ρουσαλήμ. ∆ιά τι; Ὅτι τοὺς χωλοὺς αὐτῶν ἐθεράπευσεν καὶ τοὺς λεπροὺς αὐτῶν ἐκαθάρισεν καὶ τοὺς τυφλοὺς αὐτῶν ἐφωταγώγησεν καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν ἀνέστησεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔπαθεν. Ποὺ γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ καὶ ἐν προφήταις· «Ἀνταπέδωκάν μοι κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἀτεκνίαν τῇ ψυχῇ μου, λογισάμενοι ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακά, εἰπόντες· ∆ήσωμεν τὸν δίκαιον ὅτι δύσχρηστος ἡμῖν ἐστιν.» Τί ἐποίησας, ὦ Ἰσραήλ, τὸ καινὸν ἀδίκημα; Ἠτίμησας τὸν τιμήσαντά σε. Ἠδόξησας τὸν δοξάσαντά σε. Ἀπηρνήσω τὸν ὁμολογήσαντά σε. Ἀπεκήρυξας τὸν κηρύξαντά σε. Ἀπέκτεινας τὸν ζωοποιήσαντά σε. Τί ἐποίησας, ὦ