Wednesday of Holy Week Meditation

The sequence of Madrashe during Holy Week is reasonable: Monday establishes Christ as the fulfillment of all symbols in the Old Testament beginning from Eden. Tuesday introduces the Passover Lamb as a theme, as well as the notion of Old Testament symbols being shadows of realities fulfilled by Christ. Wednesday presents the Passover Lamb theme in more detail.

The basic notion in all three verses is that of one over the many: despite the many animals killed during the time of temple sacrifices, God’s grace and salvation came through one Lamb’s sacrifice, Christ himself. This one/many contrast follows from the reality/shadow idea introduced on Tuesday, since one being is able to cast many different shadows depending on the number of light sources. Similarly, one thing can be symbolized any number of ways. The second and third verses leave behind the Passover lamb and continue to later lambs in the Old Testament, ending abruptly with two. This is an indication that these Madrashe were probably selected out of longer metrical homilies.

- Glory to the Son, who saved us by his Blood, as its symbol saved the sons of Jacob.
* The Lamb of God released, through his Blood, the nations from error as from Egypt. Many lambs were slain, but through one alone was Egypt overcome.
* On feast days, lambs were offered, but one alone overcame error. Samuel brought up a suckling lamb, in which he overcame the warriors and the power of the Philistines.
* Through a lamb, the son of David weakened the mighty evil of Gilead. The priests take the veil from the altar, pure purple, and throw it upon him.

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