the cloud by day and the crossing of the Red Sea? For how much did you value the giving of manna from heaven and the providing of water from the rock and the lawgiving on Horeb and the inheritance from the earth and the gifts there? For how much did you value the suffering ones whom He himself, being present, healed? Value for me the withered hand which He restored to the body. Value for me those blind from birth whom He enlightened by His voice. Value for me the dead who were lying whom He raised from the tomb after three or even four days. Priceless are the gifts to you from Him. But you shamefully repaid Him with ungratefulness, returning to Him evil for good and affliction for joy and death for life, for whom you also ought to have died.

Then if a king of a nation is seized by enemies, for his sake a war is started, for his sake a wall is broken down, for his sake a city is plundered, for his sake a ransom is sent, for his sake ambassadors are dispatched so that he might be taken back, or sent back to life, or buried as a corpse. But you cast a vote against your Lord. For Him whom the nations worshipped and the uncircumcised marveled at and foreigners glorified, for whom also Pilate washed his hands, you killed this one at the great feast. Therefore bitter for you is the feast of unleavened bread, as it is written for you: “You shall eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs.” Bitter for you are the nails which you sharpened, Bitter for you is the tongue which you provoked. Bitter for you are the false witnesses whom you set up. Bitter for you are the bonds which you prepared. Bitter for you are the scourges which you plaited. Bitter for you is Judas whom you hired. Bitter for you is Herod whom you followed. Bitter for you is Caiaphas whom you obeyed. Bitter for you is the gall which you prepared. Bitter for you is the vinegar which you produced. Bitter for you is the thorn which you harvested. Bitter for you are the hands which you bloodied. You killed your Lord in the midst of Jerusalem. Hear, all you tribes of the nations, and see: A new murder has occurred in the midst of Jerusalem, in a city of the law, in a Hebrew city, in a prophetic city, in a city considered righteous. And who has been murdered? And who is the murderer? I am ashamed to say, and I am compelled to speak. For if the murder had happened at night or he had been slain in a deserted place, it would have been useful to be silent; but now in the middle of the square and the city, in the midst of the city with all watching, the unjust murder of a just one has happened. And thus he is lifted up on a tree and a title is added, indicating the one who was murdered. Who is this? It is grievous to say, and more fearful not to say. But listen, trembling, because of whom the earth trembled: The one who hung the earth is hung. The one who fixed the heavens has been fixed. The one who established all things has been established on a tree. The Master has been outraged. God has been murdered. The King of Israel is slain by an Israelite right hand. O new murder, O new injustice!

The Master is disfigured with a naked body and not even deemed worthy of a garment so that he might not be seen. For this reason the lights turned away and the day grew dark, so as to hide the one stripped naked on the tree, not darkening the Lord's body, but the eyes of these men. For while the people did not tremble, the earth trembled. While the people were not afraid, the heavens were afraid. While the people did not rend their garments, the angel rent his. While the people did not wail, “the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High gave his voice.” For this reason, O Israel, you did not tremble at the Lord, you were not afraid of the Lord, you did not wail for the Lord, you wailed for your firstborn, you did not rend your garments for the hung Lord, you rent them for your slain; You abandoned the Lord, you were not found by him. You struck down the Lord, you were struck down to the ground. And you lie dead, but he rose from the dead and ascended to the heights of the heavens. The Lord, having put on humanity, and having suffered for the one who suffers, and having been bound for the one who is held captive, and having been judged for the one condemned, and having been buried for the one who is buried, rose from the dead and cried out with this voice: “"3Who is the one who contends with me? Let him stand against me."3

τὴν ἡμερινὴν νεφέλην καὶ τὴν δι' Ἐρυθρᾶς διάβασιν; Πόσου ἀνετιμήσω τὴν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ μαννοδοσίαν καὶ τὴν ἐκ πέτρας ὑδροπαροχίαν καὶ ἐν Χωρὴβ νομοθεσίαν καὶ τὴν ἐκ γῆς κληρονομίαν καὶ τὰς ἐκεῖ δωρεάς; Πόσου ἀνετιμήσω τοὺς πάσχοντας οὓς αὐτὸς παρὼν ἐθεράπευσεν; Τίμησαί μοι τὴν ξηρὰν χεῖρα ἣν ἀποκατέστησεν τῷ σώματι. Τίμησαί μοι τοὺς ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλοὺς οὓς διὰ φωνῆς ἐφωταγώγησεν. Τίμησαί μοι τοὺς κειμένους νεκροὺς οὓς ἐκ μνημείου ἀνέστησεν γ' δὴ δ' ἡμέρων. Ἀτίμητοι αἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ σοι δωρεαί. Σὺ δὲ ἀτίμως ἀνταπέδωκας εἰς αὐτὸν τὰς ἀχαριστίας ἀνταποδοὺς αὐτῷ κακὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν καὶ θλῖψιν ἀντὶ χαρᾶς καὶ θάνατον ἀντὶ ζωῆς, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν σε ἔδει.

Εἶτα ἐὰν μὲν ἔθνους ἁρπαγῇ βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ ἐχθρῶν, δι' αὐτὸν πόλεμος συνίσταται, δι' αὐτὸν τεῖχος ῥήγνυται, δι' αὐτὸν πόλις ἀναρπάζεται, δι' αὐτὸν λύτρα πέμπεται, δι' αὐτὸν πρέσβεις ἀποστέλλονται ἵνα λημφθῇ ἢ ἵνα εἰς ζωὴν ἀναπεμφθῇ ἢ ἵνα νεκρὸς ταφῇ. Σὺ δὲ ἐναντίον κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου σου ἤνεγκας ψῆφον. Ὃν γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη προσεκύνει καὶ ἀκρόβυστοι ἐθαύμαζον καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐδόξαζον, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ Πιλᾶτος ἐνίψατο τὰς χεῖρας, σὺ τοῦτον ἀπέκτεινας ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἑορτῇ. Τοιγαροῦν πικρά σοι ἡ τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτή, καθώς σοι γέγραπται· «Ἔδεσθε ἄζυμα μετὰ πικρίδων.» Πικροί σοι ἧλοι οὓς ὤξυνας, Πικρά σοι γλῶσσα ἣν παρώξυνας. Πικροί σοι ψευδομάρτυρες οὓς ἔστησας. Πικροί σοι βρόχοι οὓς ἡτοίμασας. Πικραί σοι μάστιγες ἃς ἔπλεξας. Πικρός σοι Ἰούδας ὃν ἐμισθοδότησας. Πικρός σοι Ἡρώδης ᾧ ἐξηκολούθησας. Πικρός σοι Καϊάφας ᾧ ἐπείσθης. Πικρά σοι χολὴ ἣν ἐσκεύασας. Πικρόν σοι ὄξος ὃ ἐγεώργησας. Πικρά σοι ἄκανθα ἣν ἤμησας. Πικραί σοι χεῖρες ἃς ᾕμαξας. Ἀπέκτεινάς σου τὸν κύριον ἐν μέσῳ Ἰερουσαλήμ. Ἀκούσατε πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἴδετε· Καινὸς φόνος γέγονεν ἐν μέσῳ Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἐν πόλει νομικῇ, ἐν πόλει Ἑβραϊκῇ, ἐν πόλει προφητικῇ, ἐν πόλει δικαίᾳ νομιζομένῃ. Καὶ τίς πεφόνευται; Τίς δὲ ὁ φονεύς; Εἰπεῖν αἰδοῦμαι καὶ λέγειν ἀναγκάζομαι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ νύκτωρ γεγόνει ὁ φόνος ἢ ἐπ' ἐρημίας ἦν ἐσφαγμένος, σιγᾶν εὔχρηστον ἦν· νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ μέσης πλατείας καὶ πόλεως, ἐν μέσῳ πόλεως πάντων ὁρώντων γέγονεν δικαίου ἄδικος φόνος. Καὶ οὕτως ὑψοῦται ἐπὶ ξύλου καὶ τίτλος πρόσκειται τὸν πεφονευμένον σημαίνων. Τίς οὗτος; Τὸ εἰπεῖν βαρὺ καὶ τὸ μὴ εἰπεῖν φοβερώτερον. Πλὴν ἀκούσατε τρέμοντες δι' ὃν ἐτρόμησεν ἡ γῆ· Ὁ κρεμάσας τὴν γῆν κρέμαται. Ὁ πήξας τοὺς οὐρανοὺς πέπεκται. Ὁ στηρίξας τὰ πάντα ἐπὶ ξύλου ἐστήρικται. Ὁ δεσπότης παρύβρισται. Ὁ θεὸς πεφόνευται. Ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀνῄρεται ὑπὸ δεξιᾶς Ἰσραηλίτιδος. Ὢ φόνου καινοῦ, ὢ ἀδικίας καινῆς.

Ὁ δεσπότης παρεσχημάτισται γυμνῷ τῷ σώματι καὶ οὐδὲ περιβολῆς ἠξίωται ἵνα μὴ θεαθῇ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οἱ φωστῆρες ἀπεστρά-φησαν καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα συνεσκότασεν, ὅπως κρύψῃ τὸν ἐπὶ ξύ-λου γεγυμνωμένον, οὐ τὸ τοῦ κυρίου σῶμα σκοτίζων, ἀλ-λὰ τοὺς τούτων ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμούς. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ λαοῦ μὴ τρέμοντος ἔτρεμεν ἡ γῆ. Τοῦ λαοῦ μὴ φοβηθέντος ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί. Τοῦ λαοῦ μὴ περιεσχισμένου περιεσχίσατο ὁ ἄγγελος. Τοῦ λαοῦ μὴ κωκύσαντος «ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κύριος, καὶ ὕψιστος ἔδωκεν φωνήν». ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὦ Ἰσραήλ, ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου οὐκ ἐτρόμησας, ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου οὐκ ἐφοβήθης, ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου οὐκ ἐκώκυσας, ἐπὶ τῶν πρωτοτόκων σου ἀνεκώκυσας, ἐπὶ τοῦ κρεμαμένου κυρίου οὐ περιεσχίσω ἐπὶ τῶν πεφονευμένων σου περιεσχίσω· Ἐγκατέλιπες τὸν κύριον, οὐχ εὑρέθης ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Ἠδάφισας τὸν κύριον, ἠδαφίσθης χαμαί. Καὶ σὺ μὲν κεῖσαι νεκρός, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὰ ὑψηλὰ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Κύριος, ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ παθὼν διὰ τὸν πάσχοντα, καὶ δεθεὶς διὰ τὸν κρατούμενον, καὶ κριθεὶς διὰ τὸν κατάδικον, καὶ ταφεὶς διὰ τὸν τεθαμμένον, ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ ταύτην ἐβόησεν τὴν φωνήν «"3Τίς ὁ κρινόμενος πρός με; Ἀντιστήτω μοι."3