A Holy Week Reflection

The Kingdom of God is the life of the Holy Trinity in the world.  It is the Kingdom of holiness, goodness, truth, beauty, love peace, and joy.  These qualities are not works of the human spirit.  They proceed from the life of God and reveal God.  Christ Himself is the Kingdom.  He is the God-Man, who brought God down to earth (John 1:1,14).  “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not.  He came to His own home, and His own people received Him Not” (John 1:10-11).  He was reviled and hated.

Palm Sunday summons us to behold our King – the Suffering Servant.  we cannot understand Jesus’ Kingship apart from the Passion.  Filled with infinite love for the Father and the Holy Spirit, and for creation, in His enexpressible humility, Jesus accepted the infinite abasement of the cross.  He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions and made Himself an offering for sin (Isaiah 53).  His glorification which was accomplished by the resurrection and the ascension was achieved through the cross.

In the fleeting moments of exhuberance that maked Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the world received its King.  The King who was on His way to death.  His passion, however, was no morbid desire for martyrdom.  Jesus’ purpose was to establish the mission for which the Father sent Him.

(Taken from; “Great Week and Pascha in the Greek Orthodox Church,”  by Fr. Alkiviadis C. Calivas, pg. 23)

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