The Monthly Message to the Fathers, the Priests December, Why Do You Strike Me? (John 18:23)

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1 The Monthly Message to the Fathers, the Priests December, 2014 Why Do You Strike Me? (John 18:23) Nowadays, some Christians have gotten used to waving this verse Why do you strike Me? (John 18:23), in the face of whoever asks them to live according to the logic of the Cross accepting the pain that might be inflicted by fanaticism or radicalism. In reality they are mistaken, those who think that this verse contradicts the rest of Jesus Christ s teachings and His conduct with those who crucified Him. This verse is not incongruous. Like all of Jesus Christ s words and teaching, it is loaded with significance. For, at the time when Jesus Christ insisted completely on not defending Himself before Pilate and Herod, refusing Pilate s authority and power to deliver Him free and innocent, Jesus answered, 'You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin' (John 19:11), after having been slapped by an officer on his face, Jesus Christ replied before the head of the priests And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Do You answer the high priest like that? Jesus answered him, 'If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?' Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest (John 18:22-24). + And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.. Then Pilate said to Him, 'Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?' But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly (Matthew 27:12-14) + And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, 'Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!' But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled (Mark 15:3-5). + Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him (Luke 23:8). The question that raises itself is: why did our Lord Jesus Christ not defend Himself before Pilate or Herod, but did so before the chief priest? + Jesus Christ s answer why do you strike me appeared in the Holy Gospel of St. John only digging deeply into the roots of the Old Testament and the rituals of the offerings. For, the 14th day of Nisan, the trial and crucifixion day was the day the Passover lamb would be slaughtered. So, St. John records that just like a lamb tied at its legs; so was Jesus Christ sent to Caiaphas tied with a rope. What does the Old Testament tell us about the Passover lamb?

2 + Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 'This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.'' (Exodus 12:1-7). The lamb is being described as without blemish, with no broken leg, severed ear or blind eye to signify Jesus Christ s absolute clearness from any blame or sin, being holy and pure in everything or else He would not fulfill the requirements of the Passover lamb. + But if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 15:21). + You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 17:1). + knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18-19). It is obvious that the Lord Jesus Christ answered the officer before the chief priest whose duty was to examine the offering very well before being offered. Jesus Christ wanted to testify that He was a blames sacrificial lamb; as if to say Go ahead and slaughter. The Sanhedrin s verdict was a sign for the slaughtering knife of the law to take its action. Thus Jesus Christ offered Himself for derision and disrespect, His cheek for slapping, and His face for spitting. + 'What do you think?' They answered and said, 'He is deserving of death.' Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?' (Matthew 26:66-68) + 'You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think? And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, Prophesy! And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands (Mark 14:64-65). + And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, 'Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?' (Luke 22:64). + But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also (Matthew 5:39).

3 After having urged the fulfillment of the prescribed, our Lord Jesus Christ not only turned His cheek but His self and all His life not just for slapping but for what is far worse than slapping. He turned His self to death on the cross of curse. Thus Jesus Christ s reply to the officer was not at all in self-defense to obtain acquittal from the death sentence. How does Jesus Christ s attitude compare to the attitude of those who, under a wrong interpretation of the verse Why do you strike me use it as an excuse to appeal to demonstrations, strikes and violence in all its forms of throwing stones, attacking cobs and offending those in leadership positions? Where are they from the One whom Isaiah described as He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,... Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:7,12). The One who said Why do you strike me? is the One who came forth to the Cross willfully: No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father (John 10:18). Does this mean that following Jesus Christ s commandment is making one a doormat for people s maltreatment? No! On the contrary it will make us an icon and testimony for eternal life. Willful acceptance of pain, persecution and maltreatment will fulfill in us Jesus Christ s words A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! (Matthew 10:24-25). Do you want to be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ by accepting pain and death with willingness and compliance in order to cross the bridge like Him and with Him and become one of the witnesses of His Resurrection? Indeed, St. John s tongue in the Holy Gospel is mystical and deep not fit to be read on a superficial level.

4 Articles on the Christian History - The Fourth Century The Sixteenth Article for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:3). For the sake of truth, and the accuracy in reporting what has been written about Constantine, two episodes were written about him. These two stories, if true, would raise a number of unanswerable questions and speculations. For, what happened truly in Emperor Constantine s life is known only to the omniscient. for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:3). The First Episode: Towards the end of Emperor Constantine s life, a few years after the Council of Nicea during which the Arian bishops were excommunicated, these Arian men turned around and managed to reach Constantine accusing Pope Athanasius of many things among which were imposing his rule over Egypt, prohibiting the exportation of wheat and expelling Arius and his followers. These accusations raged the Emperor; so he sent the pope in exile to France. St Anthony, the father of all the Egyptian monks, sent the Emperor a message asking him to revise his verdict against Pope Athanasius. Emperor Constantine s reply was rather harsh and cruel. However, the terrible death with which Arius life ended led Constantine the Emperor to revise his decree. His death in 337 AD stood between him and his desire to return St. Athanasius to his See in Alexandria, but he proposed that the pope be returned with great honor by his son Constantius who wrote a letter to the people of Alexandria saying, I believe that you have not forgotten that Athanasius, the interpreter of the law of worship was sent to France for a tentative period of time on purpose because of the brutality of his enemies who were thirsty for bloodshed and anchored in their enmity. They followed him in their persecution to the extent that endangered his life. In this way, he was saved from an incurable conspiracy that sprang from the behavior of those rebels. To protect him, my father removed him from the jaws of his opponents. According to the message of the son Constantius, the father s intention was protection and not punishment or dishonoring. However, between the two year (or more) implemented exiling decision and the recommendation for returning Pope Athanasius there remain multiple still unanswered nor explained questions and exclamation marks. The Second Episode: Whether this story is true or not, nobody can tell but it has it that Emperor Constantine did not receive the mystery of baptism till the last year of his life (337 AD), given to him by the Arianizing bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. The unanswered questions that pose themselves are why did Emperor Constantine have to delay his baptism in spite of his strong love for the church and the Christians? Why did he accept Arius doctrine despite the church s opposition of him?

5 In the year 337 AD the righteous Emperor Constantine died and was buried in the city of Nicomedia. The historian Eusebius, his autobiographer, wrote: a coin money was made to perpetuate Constantine s good memory with the portrait of the emperor on one side and on the other side, the emperor riding a chariot pulled by 4 horses while a hand extended from heaven to receive him (book 4:73). The Coptic church placed his story in the Synaxaruim and commemorates him on the 28 th of Paremhotep (his reposing date ) and the 12 th of Mesore (his enthronement on the Roman Empire instead of Maxentius). Eusebius mentioned that no emperor like Constantine ever received such great honor while alive or after his death. Because he honored God, God in return honored him even after his death. May the prayers of Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena be with us.