Orthodox Easter is different date but same rejoicing

This year, Orthodox Christians throughout the world will celebrate Easter this Sunday, four weeks after other Christians marked the event on March 23. Why the difference?

According to the First Ecumencial Council held in 325 A.D., Orthodox follow the date of Easter according to the actual, astronomical full moon and the actual equinox as observed along the meridian of Jerusalem, the site of the crucifixion and Resurrection.

The council also applied the formula so that Easter is always celebrated after Passover, since the crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In Western churches, Easter sometimes precedes Passover by weeks, as was the case this year.

Easter in the Orthodox Church is the feast of feasts. We express this joy by singing over and over again the festival hymn consisting of these words: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in tombs bestowing life.” In singing so, we are celebrating the conquest of death by his death, the destruction of hell and the beginning of new and everlasting life.

At Easter, we celebrate the conquest of death by Christ’s death on the cross. Death came into our world when Adam sinned by putting his own will above that of God. It was conquered when Christ accepted God’s will and freely gave up his own life on the cross to atone for Adam’s sin. Christ, thus, satisfied the debt payment in full to saved fallen humanity. And as a result, death no longer is a barrier to eternal union with God now that humanity is reunited with God. This is why St. Paul in Philippians 1:21 could say, “for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” because as long as he lived in his body he felt separated from Christ.

In Hebrews, Paul writes, “For this world is not our home: we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.” For Paul, to die is to be clothed with eternity. For Paul and us, death is no an end; it is a beginning.

Death is also defeated in the victory of Christ over sin and death itself in the harrowing of hell. The power of hell becomes annihilated or destroyed. The Orthodox rite teaches that the purpose of our Lord’s descent into hell or sheol, as the Jews referred to it in the Old Testament, was to preach salvation and forgiveness to its captives and to extend to them his redemptive work. His cry to those who, when alive, believed and lived their lives in anticipation of his coming as the promised Messiah was — enter again into paradise. One of our church hymns puts it this way: “You liberated those who were captive for ages and granted incorruptibility to the race of men.”

Interestingly, the Orthodox Resurrection icon is a depiction of Christ’s descent into Hades. His descent took place on Saturday, the day before his earthly Resurrection. The icon portrays Christ surrounded by radiant glory, standing in triumph over death and raising up the dead. Death is pictured as an old man, stretched out in a darkened area below and bound in chains. From the interior of Hades emerge the souls of the devout of ancient times, led by Adam and Eve who, having been the first to fall, are now the first to be liberated. Christ is shown on the icon holding Adam and Eve as they emerge from the darkness of Hades over which stands Christ. John the Baptist is shown standing by, as are other figures, as representatives of the patriarchs, kings, prophets and the righteous of the Old Testament who had been waiting all this time for their redemption.

Having destroyed the power of hell by his own death, Christ’s promise to those who are joined to him is, “Because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19) It is in his Resurrection that he bestows eternal life on the living as well as the upon those long dead.

Eternal life is not something that begins after we die. It begins now and continues into eternity. The risen Christ resurrects us how provided we take him into our lives as Lord and saviour.

In closing, let us embrace him and live. This is the underlying message of “the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Christ is risen. Indeed, he is risen.

X The Rev. Daniel Rohan is the pastor at St. Mark Orthodox Church, Liberty.