ACC ~ John 3 v13
BOTH NATURES DESCEND AND ASCEND
AMBROSE: Possessing both natures, that is, the human and the divine, [Christ] endured the passion in his humanity, in order that without distinction he who suffered should be called both Lord of glory and Son of man, even as it is written: âWho descended from heaven.â ON THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 2.7.58. [1]
[1] NPNF 2 10:230-31.
IN HEAVEN AND FROM HEAVEN
AUGUSTINE: Some people, certainly, find very surprising what the Lord said in the Gospel, âNobody has ascended into heaven, except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.â How, they ask, can the Son of man be said to have come down from heaven, when it was here that he was taken on in the Virginâs womb? People who say this are not to be rejected but instructed. I think, you see, that they are raising this question out of piety but are not yet able to understand what they are inquiring about. They do not realize, I mean, that the divinity took on the humanity in such a way as to become one person, God and man; and that the humanity was attached to the divinity in such a way that Word, soul and flesh were the one Christ. And that is why it could be said, âNo one has ascended into heaven, except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.â SERMON 265B.2. [1]
[1] WSA 3 7:249.
HIS DESCENT IS HIS CONCEPTION BY THE SPIRIT
HILARY OF POITIERS: âDescended from heavenâ refers to his origin from the Spirit. For though Mary contributed to his growth in the womb and birth all that is natural to her sex, his body did not owe to her its origin. The âSon of manâ refers to the birth of the flesh conceived in the Virgin; âwho is in heavenâ implies the power of his eternal natureâan infinite nature, which could not restrict itself to the limits of the bodyâof which it was itself the source and base. By the virtue of the Spirit and the power of God the Word, though he sojourned in the form of a servant, he was ever present as Lord of all within and beyond the circle of heaven and earth. So he descended from heaven and is the Son of man, yet is in heaven. For the Word made flesh did not cease to be the Word. As the Word, he is in heaven, as flesh he is the Son of man. As Word made flesh, he is at once from heaven, and Son of man and in heaven. For the power of the Word, abiding eternally without body, was present still in the heaven he had left. The flesh owed its origin to him and to no one else. So the Word made flesh, though he was flesh, nonetheless never ceased to be the Word. ON THE TRINITY 10.16. [1]
[1] NPNF 2 9:186.
SON OF MAN STANDS FOR THE WHOLE PERSON
CHRYSOSTOM: And in this place he does not refer only to the flesh as âSon of manâ but now names, so to speak, his entire self from the inferior substance. Indeed, he often likes to do this, referring to his whole person from either his divinity or his humanity. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 27.1. [1]
[1] NPNF 1 14:94**.
IN BOTH NATURES
AUGUSTINE: As a human being he was on earth, not in heaven where he now is⌠although in his nature as Son of God he was in heaven, but as Son of man he was still on earth and had not yet ascended into heaven. In a similar way, although in his nature as Son of God he is the Lord of glory, in his nature as Son of man he was crucified. LETTER 187.9. [1]
[1] FC 30:227-28**. Theodoret makes this same point about the two natures; see Eranistes (FC 106:79).
HE DESCENDED SO THAT WE MIGHT ASCEND
AUGUSTINE: Spiritual birth happens when human beings, being earthly, become heavenly. And this can only happen when they are made members of me. So that he may ascend who descended, since no one ascends who did not descend. Therefore everyone who needs to be changed and raised must meet together in a union with Christ so that the Christ who descended may ascend, considering his body (that is to say, his church) [1] as nothing other than himself. ON THE MERITS AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND ON INFANT BAPTISM 1.60. [2]
[1] See also Bede Homilies on the Gospels 2.18.
[2] NPNF 1 5:39*. See also Sermon 362.16 and Gregory Morals on the Book of Job 27.15.30 (LF 23:221).
THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST ASCENDING AND DESCENDING
HILARY OF POITIERS: It is not possible by the laws of bodies for the same object to remain and to descend. The one is the change of downward motion, the other the stillness of being at rest. The infant wails but is in heaven: the boy grows but remains ever the immeasurable God. By what perception of human understanding can we comprehend that he ascended where he was before, and he descended who remained in heaven? The Lord says, âWhat if you should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before?â [1] The Son of man ascends where he was before. Can sense apprehend this? The Son of manâwho is in heavenâdescends from heaven. Can reason cope with this? The Word was made fleshâ can words express this? The Word becomes flesh, that is, God becomes man. The man is in heaven: the God is from heaven. He ascends who descended, but he descends and yet does not descend. He is as he ever was, yet he was not ever what he is. We pass in review of the causes, but we cannot explain the manner. We perceive the manner but cannot understand the causes. Yet, if we understand Christ Jesus even in this way, we shall know him. If we seek to understand him further, we shall not know him at all. ON THE TRINITY 10.54. [2]
[1] Jn 6:62.
[2] NPNF 2 9:197.
CHRIST IS EVERYWHERE
CHRYSOSTOM: See how even what appears very exalted is utterly unworthy of his greatness? For he is not in heaven only but everywhere, and he fills all things. But here he still speaks according to the infirmity of his hearer in the hope that he can lead him up little by little. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 27.1. [1]
[1] NPNF 1 14:94**.
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