ACC ~ Luke 22 v14

THE THREE DAYS OF PASSION BEGIN WITH THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: From the moment when he broke his body for his disciples and gave it [1] to his apostles, three days are numbered during which he was counted among the dead, like Adam. Although Adam lived for many years after having eaten of the fruit of the tree, [2] he was still numbered among the dead for having broken the commandment. God spoke to him, “The day on which you eat of it you shall die.” [3] Scripture also says, “Your descendants will dwell there for four hundred years,” [4] and the years were numbered from the day on which this word was pronounced. The same way of counting applies likewise to our Lord. [5] Alternatively, the sixth day must be counted as two and the sabbath as one. It was because he had given them his body to eat in view of the mystery of his death that he entered their bodies, as afterwards he entered the earth. Our Lord blessed and broke the bread, [6] because Adam had not blessed the fruit at the time when, as a rebel, he gathered it. The bread entered them, making up for the greed by which Adam had rejected God. The three days might also be counted from the descent into hell and the ascent: the sixth day, the sabbath, and the first day of the week. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 19.4. [7]

[1] Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22.

[2] See Gen 5:5.

[3] Gen 2:17.

[4] Gen 15:13.

[5] That is, the three days were counted from the moment when he broke his body and gave it.

[6] Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22.

[7] ECTD 284-85**.

THE PASSOVER A TYPE OF THE EASTER FEAST

ATHANASIUS: Above all, however, I wish to remind you and myself along with you that the Lord does not want us to come irreverently or unprepared to the Easter feast. We must have our doctrine straight, follow the proper liturgy, and do all things properly. The historical record of Israel’s feast tells us, “No foreigner, no slave purchased with money, no uncircumcised man, may eat the Passover.” [1] It is not supposed to be eaten in just any house. There is a proper place. He also commands it to be done in haste, because we were once groaning under the sorrow of our “bondage to Pharaoh” and the “commands of the taskmasters.” In the old days, the children of Israel were considered ready to receive the feast, which was the type, only if they had followed the instructions. That type was the forerunner of our feast, although the feast was not established because of the type.

When the Word of God was ready to establish the feast, which is the fulfillment of all, he told his disciples, “I have longed very much to eat this Passover with you.” The account of how the Passover was to be celebrated, as given to us in the Scriptures, [2] presents a marvelous word picture of what the festivity must have looked like. FESTAL LETTER 11. [3]

[1] Ex 12:43-44.

[2] Ex 12:11-13.

[3] ARL 178-79*.

PREPARED TO EAT THE PASCHA WITH JESUS

ATHANASIUS: On its way to Jerusalem, Israel was purified in the wilderness and was trained to forget the customs of Egypt. Similarly the Word has graciously prescribed for us the holy fast of forty days of Lent. Let us make it a time of purification and purging, so that after the fast we will be prepared to go to the upper room and eat with him, to be partakers of the joys of heaven. There is no other way for us to be prepared to go up to Jerusalem and eat the Passover but to apply ourselves to the forty-day fast. FESTAL LETTER 6. [1]

[1] ARL 109*.