But why does the Father desire this death?
Why is it necessary?
The answer to this question constitutes the third theme of our service, and it appears first in the "praises," which follow each verse of Psalm 119. They describe the death of Christ as His descent into Hades.
"Hades" in the concrete biblical language means the realm of death, that state of darkness, despair and destruction which is death. And, being the realm of death, which God has not created and which He did not want, it also signifies that the Prince of this world is all powerful in the world. Satan, Sin, Death -- these are the "dimensions" of Hades, its content. For sin comes from Satan and Death is the result of sin -- "sin came into the world, and death through sin" (Romans 5:12).
"Death reigned from Adam to Moses" (Romans 5:14), the entire universe has become a cosmic cemetery, was condemned to destruction and despair. And this is why death is "the last enemy" (I Corinthians 15:20) and its destruction constitutes the ultimate goal of the Incarnation.
This encounter with death is the "hour" of Christ of which He said that "for this purpose, I have come to this hour" (John 12:27)... And now this hour has come and the Son of God enters into Death.
The Fathers usually describe this moment as a duel between Christ and the Death, Christ and Satan. For this death was to be either the last triumph of Satan, or his decisive defeat. The duel develops in several stages. At first, the forces of evil seem to triumph. The Righteous One is crucified, abandoned by all, and endures a shameful death. He also becomes the partaker of "Hades," of this place of darkness and despair... But at this very moment, the real meaning of this death is revealed.
The One who dies on the Cross has Life in Himself, i.e.,
He has life not as a gift from outside, a gift which therefore can be taken away from Him, but as His own essence.
For He is the Life and the Source of all life.
"In Him was Life and Life was the light of man."
The man Jesus dies, but this Man is the Son of God.
As man, He can really die, but in Him, God Himself enters the realm of death, partakes of death. This is the unique, the incomparable meaning of Christ's death.
The Very Rev. Alexander Schmemann
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