On the iconography of the resurrection of Christ. There is NO icon of the Resurrection of Christ in Orthodox iconography

Kopirovsky A.M., prof.

1. in the Orthodox Encyclopedia. It is about the Resurrection of Christ in general; you need to get acquainted with it in order to navigate the theological understanding of the Resurrection. See especially the section “Iconography”.

2. . . M., Progress-Tradition, 2001. About the iconography of “The Descent into Hell”: pp. 482 – 519.

3. Bobrov Yu.G. . St. Petersburg, AXIOM, 1995. About the Resurrection – Descent into Hell: pp. 158 – 167.

4. Pripachkin I.A. . M., 2008. (brochure). The concept in it is of little interest: the author is trying to prove that calling the iconography “The Descent into Hell” is wrong, it should only be “Resurrection,” but this is speculating from scratch. But he has many references to fathers and other literature.

5. Catalogs (in them look for information about the iconography of the “Resurrection – Descent into Hell”):

1) Icons of Tver, Novgorod, Pskov: XV–XVI centuries. Collection catalog Center. Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. Andrey Rublev. Issue I / Ed.-comp. L.M. Evseeva, V.M. Forty. M., 2000.

2) Icons of Moscow XIV–XVI centuries. Collection catalog Center. Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. Andrey Rublev. Issue II / Ed.-stat. L.M. Evseeva, V.M. Forty. M., 2007.

3) Popov G.V., Ryndina A.V. Painting and applied art of Tver of the 14th–16th centuries. M., 1979 (icon painting: pp. 7 – 476)

4) Smirnova E.S. Painting of Veliky Novgorod: Mid-XIII – early XV centuries. M., 1976.

5) Smirnova E.S., Laurina V.K., Gordienko E.A. Painting Vel. Novgorod: XV century. M., 1982.

Iconography options

1. Option 1. Resurrection as the leading of Adam and Eve from hell (Christ swiftly moves from bottom to top, holding their hands). Icon of the 15th century. from Pskov. Located in State. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

2. Option 2. Resurrection as a descent for people (Christ leans towards Adam and Eve, moving from top to bottom). Daniil Cherny and Andrey Rublev. Icon 1425-27 from the iconostasis of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

3. Option 3. Resurrection as the appearance to “those in hell” of Christ in glory (Christ in the center, depicted frontally between Adam and Eve, whom He holds by the hands). Dionysius. Icon of 1502 from the iconostasis of the Ferapontov Monastery. Located in State. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

There are many more options for combining 1, 2 and 3, but these are the main, most typical ones.

4. Option 4, connecting options 2 and 3 (Christ in the center, between Adam and Eve, but leaning towards Adam). Icon from the 1540s. from Karelsky Selts, Novgorod. Located in the Central Museum. Andrey Rublev, Moscow.

"The Descent of Christ into Hell"

Let's try to take a virtual tour of this wonderful icon from the collection of the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev, 1540s, Karelskoe Seltso, Novgorod.

Icons of this kind of iconography are usually called “Descent into Hell”, because it is precisely the image of Christ descending into hell that we see on them. But its name, written in red paint at the top of it, is different: “The Resurrection of Christ.” Why?

There is well-known Western iconography where Christ is depicted rising from the tomb. He holds in his hand a bright banner with the image of a cross - a sign of His victory over death, and next to Him the guards fall to the ground in horror. Such an image seems more understandable, more accessible to perception - but this is an illusion. After all, the Resurrection takes place in secret, it is by no means a spectacular, almost theatrical event. The icon of the Resurrection, like any other, shows not the external side of the event, but its meaning, content: the secret as obvious, the invisible as visible. Therefore, in the icon Christ does not rise from the grave. He, on the contrary, moves down into the hellish abyss (this can be seen from His pose and fluttering cloak). Hell here is not frying pans, not fire and not ice, as in Dante's Divine Comedy, but absolute darkness. This word itself (from the Greek Ἅδης) literally means “invisible place” or “place where nothing is visible.”

But, nevertheless, we see in the lower part of the icon, under the feet of Christ, some boards, nails, pliers, hammers, locks placed crosswise on each other. What it is?

These are the doors of hell, ripped off their hinges, and what they were closed and boarded up with. Now all the constipations are broken by Christ entering hell. (Note for yourself: the written source of the image is not the Gospel, where (the illustration) there is no such plot, but a later text revered in the church - “The Gospel of Nicodemus”).

Christ is depicted in the radiance of heavenly glory. It is so great that nothing remains of the hellish darkness. Around the head of Christ is a shining golden halo, a symbol of holiness, the fullness of heavenly light. Gold is applied here to the icon in the form of very thin leaves (it is called “leaf”). Christ's clothing is covered with shiny stripes - this is also gold (only “created”, that is, dissolved in a binder, liquid like ordinary paint).

Hellish darkness is defeated by this light. People who were in it after death see Christ and rush to Him. This means that the content of the image of the Resurrection is revealed not so much through a description of how it happened, but more through the manifestation of its meaning - the victory of the Risen Savior over death.

However, here you can see details that are surprising in their specificity. For example, Christ takes the hand of the person standing on the right to lead him out of hell. This man is the first of the people created by God, Adam. Take a look: it doesn’t seem to matter exactly how their hands are connected. But that's not true. Christ in the icon takes Adam not by the fingers, but by the wrist - very firmly, with authority. At the same time, Adam himself stretches out his hand to Christ somehow hesitantly, as if he was trembling internally (the state of “fear of God”). This is no coincidence: after all, it was his fall that led to the fact that all people (“children of Adam and Eve”) die and find themselves in darkness...

Here we are faced with the need to supplement the general idea of ​​the icon. It is known that an icon, unlike a painting, is conventional, symbolic, and mysterious. And when earlier researchers found some living details in it, it was customary to attribute them to elements of realism, which, as they thought, opposed the conventions of the icon and destroyed its figurative structure. But the peculiarity of icon painting is that in it the conventional and the concrete do not normally conflict, but only enhance the impression of the unusualness of the image.

Let's see how this happens. The arrangement of the figures in the foreground is perfectly balanced, symmetrical: Christ is in the center, Adam is to his left, Eve is to his right. She also stretches out her hands to Christ in a gesture of humble request, covering them with the hem of her robe (this technique in icon painting is called “covered hands”, this is a sign of reverence). She looks a bit like the Virgin Mary, doesn't she? The similarity is not accidental. The Mother of God is often called “the new Eve” in liturgical texts.

Adam is in dark green clothes, Eve is in bright red. And to the right of them is a man whose clothes combine both of these colors: on his head is a red hat with a green trim, on his shoulders is a green robe that looks like animal skin. Who is this?

Probably their son?

Yes, right. His name is Abel, he is a shepherd, so he has a curved shepherd's staff in his hand. Abel looks at a man standing next to him with a high, domed forehead, who is holding what appears to be a book in his hand. But a book almost always has a red edge, and here it is not visible. What is this?

Tablet?

Certainly. A stone tablet, that is, a slab with the Ten Commandments of the Law written on it. So this is the prophet Moses.

And the old man in the crown and the young man standing next to him, also in the crown?

David and his son Solomon.

Right! There are many famous saints here Old Testament. But pay attention - they all have halos, although they are still in hell, in darkness. This means that the coming of Christ not only brings them back to life, but moreover: it introduces them to the divine light. Even Adam and Eve have halos! With this technique, the icon painter shows that they, the first sinners, are not only forgiven, but are elevated by Christ higher than they were in the paradise state before the Fall.

And therefore the entire icon is painted in extremely bright, festive colors, saturated with light.

However, the face of Christ is endowed with tragic rather than triumphal features. His gaze is full of attention and compassion for Adam, for whom He descended to hell. In other icons of similar iconography, even with the same arrangement of figures, the pose of Christ may be vertical, more solemn. Or much more dynamic: He quickly descends into hell or, conversely, just as quickly brings up the people in it from hell.

On the left, behind the figure of Adam, is a man with an ascetic, stern face, sunken cheeks and disheveled hair. He raises his hand, incredibly thin (also a sign of asceticism, “refinement of the flesh”), and turns it to Christ. But the fingers of the hand are turned towards himself: this means that he receives grace from Christ. This is John the Baptist (in Slavic - “Forerunner”, i.e. predecessor). You remembered, of course, Alexander Ivanov’s painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People.” The arrangement of the figures of John and Christ on our icon and in this picture is the same. But in the icon, Christ is in the foreground, John the Baptist is on the side, even behind. But in Ivanov’s film it’s the other way around. The reason is that in the picture the “appearance” of Christ is only expected, but in the icon it has already happened...

The icon “Resurrection - Descent into Hell,” which we have been looking at all this time, gives a feeling of joy, light, and spiritual triumph. But it should be noted that the victory of Christ over death and hell depicted on it, at the same time, is full of harmony and inner silence. One cannot help but pay attention to the amazingly meek, deep, inwardly profound faces of the saints.

All the people depicted in the icon are not extras, reacting to the phenomenon of divine light only externally. On the contrary, they are immersed in it with their whole being, comprehend it as a revelation, themselves become its bearers and therefore are transformed.

The icon was painted in the 1540s Novgorod lands. More than half a century earlier, Novgorod had lost its former strength and glory, having been forcibly annexed to Moscow by Ivan III. However, judging by the integrity and depth of the figurative structure of the icon, the icon-painting traditions of both cities were organically combined in it. Novgorod masters here followed the Moscow masters, but not contemporary ones, but earlier ones: Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. There were no “iconists” who could be compared with these great artists in Rus' at that time. But the spiritual ideal of the time of Rublev and Dionysius - the “golden age of the Russian icon” - as we see, spread far beyond Moscow and remained relevant even many years after their death.

See: Alexander Kopirovsky. Introduction to the temple. Essays on church art. – M.: Cultural and educational foundation “Preobrazhenie”, 2015. P. 193 – 198.

The main tenet of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ the Savior on the third day after death on the cross. Easter is considered the central celebration of the annual liturgical circle. An invariable attribute of any event glorified by the church is its picturesque image. Thanks to the capabilities of printing production, the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is one of the most widespread today.

However, the emergence of the now popular image was associated with the centuries-old history of hymnography and dogmatic creativity of the Church Fathers. The difficulty of forming a pictorial plot lies not only in the saturation of the composition with numerous figures, but also in the fact that the evangelists do not have descriptions of this event.

It cannot be otherwise: the disciples-apostles were not present at this, and the miracle itself is incomprehensible to human mind. The image of the Resurrection is considered indescribable, so paintings depict events directly related to it.

In the rite of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom there are these words: “in the grave with the flesh, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief.” The text describes to some extent the events leading up to the resurrection. Apocryphal writings also left their mark.

The first images Picturesque images of the first three centuries were allegorical and symbolic. The emerging church art was marked by severe persecution by the pagans. Under these conditions, shrines had to be carefully protected from desecration. Major Event christian church depicted in the form of Old Testament prototypes

. The most common image was of the prophet Jonah in the belly of Leviathan. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days, and then was thrown out into the world, and Christ was in the tomb for three days, and then resurrected. This event is glorified in Easter hymns.

Iconographic types.

The very moment of the resurrection of the flesh is impossible to depict because human consciousness is not even able to conceptually imagine this process, much less express it graphically. In Christian iconography, there are a limited number of storylines that embody the grandeur of the event for believers.

The image of classical orthodox origin is not called the icon of “Christ’s Resurrection”, but “The Descent of Christ the Savior into Hell”. Western tradition has introduced into liturgical use two now widespread pictorial images that are more understandable to the consciousness of the average person: “The Risen Christ at the Tomb” and “The Appearance of the Risen Savior to the Myrrh-Bearing Women.” There are variations on these basic themes, for example, the icon "The Resurrection of Christ with the Feasts". Unique fact Every action in the church must be consistent with the charter and justified dogmatically

. Modern theologians compare church teaching to a turtle that has a strong shell for protection. This armor was developed in the fight against many heresies and false teachings over many centuries. Activities in the field of art are also strictly regulated. On an icon, every brush stroke must be justified.

But the icon of “Christ’s Resurrection” is based on not entirely canonical sources of information. Namely, on the texts of a 5th century source, the so-called Gospel of Nicodemus, rejected by the canonical thought of the church. Icon “Resurrection of Christ”. Meaning The picturesque image tells about great and incomprehensible events.

It is the Gospel of Nicodemus that is, perhaps, the only ancient handwritten source that tells about what happened to Christ from the moment of burial to his rise from the grave. This apocrypha describes in some detail the dialogue between the devil and the underworld and the subsequent events. Hell, anticipating its collapse, orders the unclean spirits to tightly “lock the copper gates and the iron bars.” But the Heavenly King destroys the gates, binds Satan and delivers him into the power of hell, commanding him to be kept in chains until the second coming.

After this, Christ calls all the righteous to follow Him. As centuries passed, dogmatists transformed non-canonical texts into orthodox teaching. The Creator has no measurement of time; every person who lived before the preaching of Christ, His contemporaries and us living today is valuable to Him. The Savior, descending into the underworld, brought everyone who wanted it out of hell. But those living today must make their choice themselves. The icon shows the omnipotence of the Creator, who freed the captives of the underworld. And over time, He will appear in order to carry out judgment and finally determine the measure of punishment for evil and the eternal reward for the righteous.

Serbian fresco.

In the men's monastery Milesheva (Serbia) there is ancient temple Ascension of the 13th century. One of the images of the medieval wall painting ensemble is the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ”. The fresco depicts an angel in shining robes, which corresponds to the description of these events by the Evangelist Matthew. The heavenly messenger sits on a stone rolled away from the cave door. Near the coffin lie the burial shrouds of the Savior. Next to the angel are women who brought vessels of peace to the coffin. This version was not particularly widespread among Orthodox icon painters, but Western realistic painting readily uses it. It is interesting that in this case the event is depicted without its main participant - Christ.

The oldest canonical image

In 1081, a church was built on the outskirts of Constantinople. Based on its location, it received the name Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Fields. In Greek, “in the fields” is ἐν τῃ Χώρᾳ (en ti hora). Thus, the temple and the monastery built later are called “Chora” to this day. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new mosaic covering of the interior was installed in the temple. Among those that have survived to this day is the icon “The Resurrection of Christ, the Descent into Hell.” The composition depicts the Savior standing on the ripped-off gates of hell. Christ is surrounded by an almond-shaped halo. He holds the hands of Adam and Eve rising from their graves. Behind the ancestors of the human race are the righteous people of the Old Testament. This version is most widespread in iconography.

What is depicted on the icon?

The image represents the dogma of the church, expressed in pictorial form. According to church teaching, heaven was closed to the righteous until the moment of the Savior’s death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. The composition of the icon includes images of the most famous saints of the pre-Christ era of mankind. The Savior stands on the cross-shaped gates of hell. tools and extracted nails are sometimes depicted next to them. Adam and Eve, as a rule, are located on opposite sides of Christ. Behind the foremother stand Abel, Moses and Aaron. On the left behind Adam are John the Baptist, kings David and Solomon. The figures of Adam and Eve can be located on one side of Christ. The lower part of the composition may depict the underworld with angels oppressing unclean spirits.

Icon “Resurrection of Christ”.

Description The image, which is of Western origin, is not a symbolic composition, but a pictorial representation of gospel events. As a rule, an open cave-coffin is depicted, an angel sits on a stone or is located next to a sarcophagus, in the lower part of the composition there are defeated Roman soldiers and, of course,

Christ in shining robes with a sign of victory over death in his hands. A red cross is placed on the banner. The arms and legs depict wounds from nails driven into the flesh during crucifixion. Although the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” was borrowed in the 17th century from the Catholic realistic tradition, clothed in orthodox canonical forms, it is quite popular among believers. It does not require any theological interpretation.

Holidays holiday.

The Holy Resurrection of Christ is considered by the church charter not just a holiday, but a special celebration, the glorification of which continues for forty days. Moreover, the celebration of Easter itself lasts seven days as one day. This exalted attitude of believers towards the Savior’s rise from the tomb was also reflected in church art.

The original line of development of the pictorial tradition is the icon “The Resurrection of Christ, the Descent into Hell with the Twelve Feasts.” This image contains in the center an image of the main event in the life of the church, and along the perimeter in the stamps there are plots of the twelve most important holidays associated with the earthly life of Christ and the Mother of God.

Among such shrines there are also very unique specimens. Events are also depicted Holy Week. Practically, the icon “The Resurrection of Christ with the Twelve Feasts” is summary evangelical events and the annual cycle of services. In event images, the descent into hell is depicted in many details.

The composition includes figures of the righteous, a whole string of whom Christ leads from the underworld. Icon on a lectern In the center of the temple there is a stand with an inclined board, called a lectern. It is believed to be an image of a saint or a holiday to which the service on that day is dedicated. The icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is placed on the analogue most often: during the forty days of Easter celebrations and at the end of each week. After all, the name of the weekend is of Christian origin; the last day of the week is dedicated to the glorification of Christ’s victory over death.

The most outstanding churches in honor of the Resurrection.

One of the grandest churches in Russia is the Resurrection Cathedral New Jerusalem Monastery, erected in 1694. With this building, Patriarch Nikon wanted to reproduce the Church of the Resurrection in the Holy City and emphasize the dominant position of the Russian Church in Orthodox world. For this purpose, drawings and a model of the Jerusalem shrine were delivered to Moscow. Another, although smaller in scale, but not inferior in monumentality, is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg.

Construction began in 1883 in memory of the assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II. The uniqueness of this cathedral is that the interior decor is made of mosaics. The mosaic collection is one of the largest in Europe. It is unique in its quality of execution. In the clear sunny days iridescent multi-colored tiles create a unique feeling of celebration and involvement in the spiritual world.

In the temple itself there is an amazingly beautiful image. Outside, above one of the entrance portals, there is also an icon of the “Resurrection of Christ”. The photo, of course, cannot convey the fullness of the sensations, but it creates a complete idea of ​​the splendor of the decoration.

Icon of the Resurrection of Christ depicts the central event of the Christian faith, its cornerstone. If there had not been the Resurrection of Christ, then not only would there not have been Christianity, but also faith in God, in the power of goodness and truth, might have been undermined, and the meaning of the life of an Orthodox Christian would have been lost. The apostles said: “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain (in vain), and our faith is also vain.” “But Christ was raised from the dead, the firstborn of those who died” (i.e. He is the beginning of our future resurrection) (1 Cor. 15, 14, 20).

The moment of the Resurrection of Christ is incomprehensible in its essence for man, which is why the Savior appeared to his disciples for forty days with true evidence of his Resurrection (he allowed the disciples to touch the wounds from nails and spears, ate in front of them, etc.) and talked with them about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. And only having been imbued with faith, the apostles begin to preach, while they speak about the Resurrection of Christ not as an event only in his life, but in the lives of those who accepted the “Easter gospel” (believed in the Resurrection of Christ), because “the Spirit of Him, He who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you” (Rom. 8:11). The unusual thing about what happened to Christ is that His death and Resurrection “work in us” (2 Cor. 4:12). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too should walk in newness of life. For if we are united to Him in the likeness of His death (in baptism), we must also be united in the likeness of the resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him... so that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Rom. 6:4-6) .

The essence of the Christian faith, expressed in the words: “Christ is Risen!”, determines the meaning of a Christian’s life, he sees this meaning in eternal life in God, otherwise called salvation, understands that real (earthly) life is not a self-sufficient value, but a necessary condition, a transitory form of being of a person for his achievement of perfect life in God. In other words, the meaning of a Christian’s life is to become like Christ and unite with Him - leading a highly spiritual life, in which eternal life in the Kingdom of God will become possible.

And here I would like to cite the words of St. Leo the Great, which are still relevant for our time, spoken by him in the 5th century on Easter: “So, since through forty days of abstinence we wished to achieve at least to some extent, during the suffering of the Lord, to feel His cross, we We must strive to become participants in the Resurrection of Christ and, while still in this body, to pass from death to life. After all, for every person who changes and becomes from one to another, the end is not to be what he was, and the beginning is to be what he was not. But it is important for whom a person will die and for whom he will live, because there is death leading to life, and there is life leading to death. And not just somewhere, but in this transitory age one can find both; and the difference in eternal rewards depends on how we act in time. So, you need to die for the devil, and live for God; you need to get rid of injustice in order to rise up for the truth. Let the old fall so that the new may appear. And since, as the Truth says, “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24), let him not be master who caused those standing to fall, but He who raised up those who were cast down to glory.”

Events associated with the Resurrection of Christ

The very moment of the Resurrection of Christ, due to its greatness that cannot be described, is absent in the texts of the Gospels; there is only a description of events one way or another connected with the Resurrection of Christ.

A series of events closely related to icon of the Resurrection of Christ, begins with the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus, which took place in the days of the approaching Jewish Passover - last days earthly life of Christ. By this time, the anger of the high priests and scribes, directed at the teaching of Jesus Christ, was already boiling, and the great miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, on the one hand, significantly increased the number of people who believed in Christ, on the other hand, it strengthened and accelerated the decision of the high priests to seize the Savior and put him to death ( John 11, 12). The resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus Christ is remembered by the Orthodox Church on Saturday in the sixth week of Lent (the eve of Palm Sunday).

The day after the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus Christ made a ceremonial entry into Jerusalem, and asked to bring him a donkey as a symbol that he was coming in peace (entering the city on horseback meant hostile intentions at that time). According to ancient Jewish tradition, the Messiah - the King of Israel - should be revealed in Jerusalem on Passover. The people, knowing about the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus, solemnly greet Jesus as the coming King. Many people cover the road before the Savior with their outer clothing and palm leaves (Matt. 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-19; Luke 19:29-48; John 12:12-19). This event is remembered by the Church on Sunday of the sixth week of Lent and is colloquially called Palm Sunday, willows replace palm leaves in Russian folklore. In the old days, kings were greeted with green branches when they returned in triumph after defeating their enemies. Now the willow branches blooming in the spring glorify the Savior as the Conqueror of death.

All subsequent days Jesus Christ taught in the temple, and spent his nights outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since the Savior was surrounded all the time by people listening to Him attentively, the high priests did not have the opportunity to commit murder; all that remained was to tempt him with questions (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12). The preaching of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem Temple is remembered by the church on Maundy Tuesday (Tuesday of Holy Week, the last before the Resurrection).

On the fourth day after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus Christ said to his disciples: “You know that in two days the Passover will be, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2). On this day, the high priests, scribes and elders of the Jewish people decide to destroy the Savior by cunning and not at the time of the holiday, when many people gather, but earlier, in order to avoid general popular indignation. On the same day, one of the apostles, Judas Iscariot, unable to overcome his greed, came to the high priests, promising for thirty pieces of silver to find an opportunity to betray Jesus Christ “not in front of the people” (Matthew 26:1-5,14-16 ; Mark 14:1-2, 10-11; Luke 22: 1-6). The Church remembers this day on Wednesday of Holy Week.

On the evening of the fifth day after entering Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, knowing that he would be betrayed that night, came with the twelve apostles to the upper room prepared for the Easter meal. Here Jesus Christ said: “I greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, because, I tell you, I will no longer eat it until it is completed in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16). Having washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus Christ taught them humility and showed them that they should not consider it a humiliation to serve anyone. At this evening, after eating the Old Testament Passover, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion, which is why it is called the “Last Supper.” During the Last Supper, the Savior told the apostles that one of them would betray Him. The teacher’s words saddened the apostles, each asked himself and others the question: “Is it not I?”, turning to Judas Iscariot, Jesus said: “What are you doing, do it quickly.” The apostles did not understand the true meaning of these words and thought that Jesus was sending him to buy something for the holiday or give alms to the poor. After Judas left, continuing to talk with his disciples, Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, so you also love one another; By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35). Seeing that the news of His return to the Father saddened the apostles, he promises to send them another comforter: “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me; and you also will testify, because you were with Me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27). This promise of Jesus will be fulfilled fifty days after his Resurrection. Jesus also predicted to the apostles that they would have to endure many things for their faith in Him. He ended his conversation with his disciples with a prayer for them and for all who will believe in Him. After the prayer, the Savior went, as usual, to the Mount of Olives, to the Garden of Gethsemane, and his disciples followed him (Matthew 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:7-39; John 13-18 ). These events are remembered by the church on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week.

That night, members of the Sanhedrin gathered, despite the fact that the Supreme Court could only meet during the day and in the temple. At this gathering, in addition to the members of the Sanhedrin, there were elders and scribes, they all agreed in advance to condemn Jesus Christ to death, but for this they needed to find some kind of guilt worthy of death. They interrogated Jesus about His teaching and His disciples, but could not find guilt until one of the high priests asked: “I adjure You by the living God, tell us, Are you the Christ, the Son of God?” To which Jesus answered him: “You said ; I even say to you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” “He is blaspheming! - was the verdict of the high priest. “What do you think?” They all said in response: “Guilty of death” (Matthew 26:63-66).

It's Friday morning. The high priests with the elders and scribes and the entire Sanhedrin again convened a meeting. They brought Jesus Christ and again condemned Him to death for calling Himself Christ, the Son of God. When Judas learned that Jesus Christ was condemned to death, painful repentance took possession of his soul; perhaps he did not think that things would go so far. He went to the high priests and elders and returned to them the thirty pieces of silver, saying: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They answered him: “What is that to us; see for yourself” (that is, be responsible for your own affairs). And they led Jesus Christ to trial by the Roman governor in Judea, Pontius Pilate, since they themselves could not fulfill their sentence without his approval (Matthew 27:3-10).

Pontius Pilate was in Jerusalem on the occasion of Easter. When Jesus was brought to him, he said to the chief priests: “What do you accuse this man of? If he is a villain, take him and judge him yourself according to your laws.” “We are not allowed to put anyone to death,” they answered him. Pontius Pilate, having talked with Jesus Christ, realized that before him stood a preacher of truth, a teacher of the people, and not a rebel against the power of the Romans. Going out to the high priests, he announced to them that he did not find any guilt in this man. The chief priests and elders insisted, saying that he was disturbing the people by teaching throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee. Having learned that Jesus is from Galilee, Pontius Pilate sends him to trial before the Galilean king Herod, who, on the occasion of Easter, was also in Jerusalem. Pilate was glad to get rid of this unpleasant trial, since he understood that Jesus was betrayed because of envy (Matthew 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 15:1-7; John 18 :28-38).

Herod sent Jesus Christ back to Pontius Pilate, and in light - justifying - clothes (Luke 23: 8-12). Pilate, having called the high priests, rulers and people, said to them: “You brought this man to me as one who corrupts the people, and so I examined you and did not find this man guilty of anything of which you accuse Him, and neither did Herod, for I sent Him to him, and nothing was found in Him worthy of death. So, having punished Him, I will release Him” (Luke 23: 14-17). It was the custom of the Jews to release one prisoner, chosen by the people, for the Passover holiday. Pontius Pilate was confident that the people would choose Jesus over Barabbas, the robber and murderer. But, apparently, the high priests and Pharisees, playing the role of teachers of the Jewish people and therefore having authority, taught the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. And the crowd chanted: “Crucify him! And release Barabbas to us!” Three more times Pontius Pilate tried to persuade people to let Jesus go, and to find out from the crowd what evil he had done that they wanted him dead so much. But the crowd was inexorable and, without giving an explanation, continued to shout: “Crucify him!” Pilate, seeing that nothing was helping, and the confusion was increasing, took water to wash his hands before the people, and said: “I am not guilty of shedding the blood of this Righteous One; look you” (that is, let this guilt fall on you). Answering him, all the Jewish people said in one voice: “His blood be on us and on our children.” Then Pilate released the thief Barabbas to them, and handed Jesus Christ over to them to be crucified (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-40; 19:1 -16).

Those condemned to crucifixion were required to carry their cross to the place of execution. The hill to which Jesus Christ was led was called Golgotha; the road there was uneven and mountainous. Exhausted from beatings and mental suffering, Jesus Christ could barely walk, falling several times and getting up again. When the procession reached the city gates, where the road began to climb up the mountain, he was already completely exhausted. Then the soldiers ordered Simon to carry the cross, who looked at Christ with compassion (Matthew 27:27-32; Mark 15:16-21; Luke 23:26-32; John 19:16-17).

The execution of crucifixion was the most cruel and lowest, since according to Jewish law, someone hanged on a tree was considered damned. The high priests who sentenced Jesus Christ to such death wanted to debunk His glory forever, but when He was crucified, He prayed for them: “Father! Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” On the cross of each crucified person a sign was nailed indicating his guilt; on the cross of Jesus it was written: “King of the Jews.” The high priests insisted that Pontius Pilate add “He said that he was the King of the Jews,” but the Roman governor did not do this. The last hours of the life of Jesus Christ were filled with insults and ridicule: the high priests, scribes, elders and soldiers who guarded the executed said: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If He is the Christ, the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross so that we can see, and then we will believe in Him. Trusted in God; let God deliver Him now, if He pleases Him; for He said: “I am the Son of God.” During the Savior's suffering on Calvary, a great sign occurred. As soon as Jesus Christ was crucified, a rare phenomenon began - a solar eclipse. The famous philosopher from Athens, Dionysius the Areopagite, was at that time in Egypt, in the city of Heliopolis, observing the sudden darkness, and said: “Either the Creator suffers, or the world is destroyed.” Subsequently, Dionysius the Areopagite converted to Christianity and was the first bishop of Athens.

Before Jesus died, he said in a loud voice: “Father! “Into Your hands I commend My spirit,” bowed his head and died. Then everyone present felt a shock from under the ground - an earthquake began. The centurion and the soldiers who guarded the crucified Savior were afraid and said: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.” And the people, watching the execution and seeing everything, became frightened and began to disperse (Matt. 27:33-56; Mark 15:22-41; Luke 23: 33-49; John 19:18-37).

The famous member of the Sanhedrin and secret disciple of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, a good and righteous man, asked Pilate for permission to remove the body of Christ from the cross and bury it. Joseph and Nicodemus (another disciple of Christ from the Sanhedrin) wrapped the Savior’s body in a shroud and laid Him in a cave that Joseph carved into the rock for his burial, covering the entrance with a huge stone. The next day, Saturday, the high priests and Pharisees (disturbing the peace of the Sabbath and Easter) came to Pilate and began to ask him: “Sir! We remembered that this deceiver, while still alive, said: “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore, order that the tomb be guarded until the third day, so that His disciples, coming at night, do not steal Him and tell the people that He has risen from the dead; and then the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate answered them: “You have a guard; go and protect it as best you can.” Then the high priests and the Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus Christ and, having carefully examined the cave, they applied their (Sanhedrin’s) seal to the stone and set up a military guard (Matt. 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50- 56; John 19:38-42). Good Friday Holy Week is dedicated to the remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the removal of His body from the cross and burial.

When the body of the Savior lay in the tomb, He descended with His soul into hell, and all the souls of righteous people who were waiting for His coming were freed (Eph. 4:8-9; Acts 2:31; 1 Pet. 3:19-20) . In the canonical books of the New Testament there are only isolated references by the apostles to the descent of Christ into hell; this event is most fully described in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. This apocrypha had a huge influence on the formation of church teaching on this issue, as well as on its iconography. According to the teachings of the Church, the human soul of Jesus in the depths of hell also preached to the souls of dead sinners (before the descent of Christ in hell, John the Baptist had already preached the gospel). The stay of Jesus Christ in the tomb and His descent into hell for the deliverance of the souls of the dead is remembered by the church on Holy Week on Holy Saturday.

After the Sabbath, at night, on the third day after suffering and death, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. His human body was transformed. He came out of the tomb without rolling away the stone, without breaking the Sanhedrin seal and invisible to the guards. From that moment on, the soldiers, without knowing it, guarded the empty coffin.

In the morning, an angel of the Lord came down from Heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. The soldiers standing guard at the coffin were in awe and dumbfounded, and when they woke up from fear, they fled. At the same time, Mary Magdalene, Mary of James, Joanna, Salome and other myrrh-bearing women, taking the prepared fragrant myrrh, went to the tomb of Jesus Christ to anoint His body, according to tradition. Approaching the cave, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. The angel, turning to them, said: “Do not be afraid: for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He's not here; He rose again, as He said, while He was still with you. Come and see the place where the Lord lay. And then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.”

Peter and John were the first of the disciples to run to the tomb. John, not daring to enter, remained at the entrance, but Peter immediately went inside. John, seeing the neatly folded swaddling clothes and knowing the prohibition of Jews touching a dead body, was the first of the apostles to believe in the Resurrection of Christ, while Peter was amazed within himself at everything that had happened. When John and Peter left, Mary Magdalene, who remained at the tomb, had the first appearance of Christ after the Resurrection. Mary, seeing that Jesus Christ was standing in front of her, joyfully rushed to Him, but the Savior did not allow her to touch himself, saying: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; But go to My brothers and say to them: I ascend to My Father and to your Father and to My God and your God.”

Then Mary Magdalene hurried to the disciples with the news that she had seen the Lord. On the way, Mary Magdalene caught up with Mary of Jacob, who was also returning from the Holy Sepulcher. Jesus Christ met them on the road and said to them: “Rejoice!” They came up, grabbed His feet and worshiped Him. Jesus Christ said to them: “Do not be afraid, go and tell my brothers so that they go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Mary Magdalene and Mary of James told the eleven disciples and everyone who was nearby about the great joy that Jesus Christ was alive, and they saw Him, but the disciples did not believe them. After this, Jesus Christ appeared separately to Peter and assured him of His Resurrection. After the third appearance, many ceased to doubt the reality of the Resurrection of Christ, although there were still those among the disciples who did not believe in the possibility of what happened.

The warriors guarding the entrance to the cave reported everything that had happened to the high priests. Fearing that the glory of Jesus would strengthen even more, the high priests decided to hide what had happened from the people and bribed the soldiers, telling them to tell them that the body of Jesus Christ was carried away by his disciples at night while the guards were sleeping. The soldiers did so, as they were taught (Matt. 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18).

Towards the evening of the day when Jesus Christ resurrected and appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary of James and Peter, two of Christ’s disciples (from among the 70), Cleopas and Luke, were walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. On the way, they talked about all the events that had happened in Jerusalem, suddenly a traveler joined them and, hearing their doubts that Jesus was the deliverer of Israel, said to them: “O foolish ones (who cannot see the essence) and slow (not sensitive) in heart to believe everything that the prophets foretold! Isn’t this how Christ had to suffer and enter into His glory?”, then continuing to explain everything that was said by the prophets, starting with Moses. During dinner, the traveler took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, at that moment their eyes opened and they recognized Jesus Christ, but He became invisible to them. Cleopas and Luke immediately gathered and went back to Jerusalem to tell about the miracle that happened to them (Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:18-35).

During the conversation of the apostles with the disciples who had returned from Emmaus, despite the doors being locked due to fear of the Jews, Jesus Christ appeared among the apostles. The apostles were confused and frightened by this event, thinking that a spirit was standing before them. But Jesus Christ said to them: “Why are you troubled, and why do such thoughts enter your hearts? Look at My hands and at My feet, it is I Myself; touch (touch) Me and look at me; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Further, in confirmation of his words, Jesus Christ ate and drank in front of the disciples, talking with them: “Behold, now that which I spoke to you about while I was still with you must be fulfilled, that everything that was written about me in the law of Moses must be fulfilled. both in the prophets and in the psalms." "Peace to you! As the Father sent Me into the world, so I send you,” having said this, the Savior breathed on them and continued: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him.” Thomas was not among the apostles that evening; the apostles told him about the appearance of Jesus Christ to them, but Thomas, after listening to them, said that he would not believe until he himself saw the risen Savior (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-45 ; John 20:19-25).

A week later, on the eighth day after the Resurrection of Christ, the disciples all gathered together again, this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, just like the first time. Jesus Christ entered the house with the doors closed, stood among the disciples and said: “Peace be with you!” Then, turning to Thomas, he said to him: “... and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer.” Then the Apostle Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” Jesus Christ replied: “You believed because you saw Me, but blessed are those who did not see and believed” (John 20: 26-29). The Church remembers two appearances of Jesus Christ to the apostles on the Sunday following Easter - the holiday of Antipascha or St. Thomas Week (Fomino Sunday).

According to the command of Jesus Christ, which he conveyed through Mary Magdalene and Mary of James at his second appearance, the disciples went to Galilee. There, near the Sea of ​​Tiberias, Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples, forgave and restored the denied Peter to the apostleship (John 21). During the next appearance to the apostles and more than five hundred of his disciples, Jesus Christ said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, teach all nations (My teaching), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; teach them to observe everything that I have commanded you. And behold, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen". Forty days after his Resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples and talked with them about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-16).

All four Gospels, which are the most important part of Christian Holy Scripture, testify to all the events described above (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21).

The story uses materials from the widely known
textbook “The Law of God” by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky.

Briefly about the iconography of the Resurrection of Christ

In ancient Christian art on icons Resurrection of Christ was depicted in a symbolic-allegorical form; Old Testament prototypes were often used, for example, the image of Jonah in the belly of a whale. (Matthew 12:40) Due to the lack of a gospel story about the Resurrection of Christ, artists for a long time avoided depicting this story on icons. It was replaced by episodes and plots of the appearances of the risen Christ: to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples on the way to Emmaus, in Emmaus itself, and others.

Early Byzantine art combined an illustration of the gospel narrative and an image of the tomb of the Savior in the form of a temple (or cross) built by Emperor Constantine the Great on the site of the Resurrection of Christ - the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Later Resurrection of Christ, which in its essence is the salvation of man from death and the key to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, began to be portrayed as the “Descent of Jesus into hell” to save the souls of the dead. This event is almost not described in the Gospels, so the main literary source for this composition was apocryphal sources, primarily the Gospel of Nicodemus, the oldest part of this text supposedly dates back to the 4th century.

The composition “The Descent of Jesus into Hell” appeared around the 12th century, at which time the first attempts to write icon of the Resurrection of Christ in the form of His exit from the tomb. Since the 17th century, two centers have appeared on Russian icons: the Resurrection of Christ itself, where Jesus is depicted in a halo above the tomb, and the “Descent into Hell” with many minute details from apocryphal sources.

Since the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ were the myrrh-bearing women, the composition “Myrrh-bearing women at the Holy Sepulcher” becomes an independent plot, widespread in Rus'. The victory over death and the joy of what had happened, which the angel preached to the myrrh-bearing women, attracted Christian artists and encouraged them to depict this event again and again.

All of the above plots are united by the fact that in them the figure of Christ was always depicted, unlike all other plots, surrounded by light, radiating rays in all directions. Over time icons of the Resurrection of Christ, as in the icon of Yu.E. Kuznetsov, all plot elements, as a rule, were omitted, and only the figure of the Savior remained in the center in a bright radiance.

What a miracle happened

It is strange to talk about God, asking about the miracles of the Lord: “What miracle happened?”, for we always talk about His miracles in our stories about Christian saints in the history of the Orthodox Church. All the miracles performed by Him are recorded in the Four Gospels, all miracles according to His will were performed by the apostles and holy fathers who were miracle workers.

But the greatest miracle is the resurrection of the human soul, when a person finds the Lord in his heart. The miracle of deification occurs, and the children of men become the children of God. This is the great happiness that He granted to the human race in the future, which was announced by the Old Testament prophets. We celebrate the miracle of the Resurrection of the Lord every year, when the sacred Easter fire is lit - a sign and symbol of the Lord's selfless and all-forgiving love.

The flock rejoices. In Jerusalem
The sacred fire runs through the candles,
This means that You, Lord, have not abandoned us -
We have someone to pray to and serve.

But of all Your miracles in the world
I am amazed at one thing first -
To Your immeasurable patience
To such big and naughty children...
Olga Troitskaya
Easter, 2011

Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ

From time immemorial, this place attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Every year the rite of the descent of the Holy Fire, used in the Easter ceremony of the removal of the Holy Light from the Holy Sepulcher, is performed in the temple. This ceremony is held on Holy Saturday and in symbolic actions shows the events of the Passion of the Lord - the death, entombment and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The bringing out of the Holy Light (Fire) symbolizes the risen Lord. The ceremony in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ has long been held with the participation of various Christian churches.

The Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection of Christ, better known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. In 326, his mother, Empress Helena, arrived in Jerusalem for the purpose of pilgrimage and search for Christian relics; it was she who initiated the construction of the temple over the cave in which Jesus Christ was buried. The temple was solemnly consecrated in the presence of representatives of the clergy from different countries on September 13, 335.

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ is a huge architectural complex, including: Golgotha ​​with the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; Edicule - a chapel in the center of the temple, directly hiding a cave with a coffin; The Stone of Anointing on which the body of Jesus was placed before burial and was anointed with incense; Catholicon ( main temple complex); underground temple of the Finding of the Life-Giving Cross; Church of St. Helen of the Apostles and several chapels.

Currently, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ is divided between six denominations of the Christian Church: Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian, each of which is allocated its own chapels and hours for prayer. So, for example, the Holy Sepulcher, which is the main altar of the temple, is jointly owned by the Orthodox, the Armenians of the Apostolic Church and Catholics, and only they have the right to alternately serve the liturgy here. Often this division causes conflicts between representatives of different faiths. To avoid misunderstandings, the keys to the temple have been kept by the Arab-Muslim Joudeh family since 1109, with the right to unlock and lock the door belonging to another Muslim family, the Nusseibeh. These rights have been passed down from father to son in both families for centuries.

In ancient times, worship in the Jerusalem Church - the Easter vigil (vespers and liturgy of Great Saturday) began with the rite of lighting the evening light. The ritual of blessing the evening candle is described in the Lectionary (a collection of biblical liturgical readings) of the 5th – 7th centuries. However, in the “Second Discourse on the Resurrection” by Gregory of Nyssa, a famous church writer, theologian and philosopher who lived in the 4th century, there is already a mention of the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ, which is annually expected by all Christians in our time. In the textbook “The Law of God” by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky, which has been used by Orthodox Christians for more than half a century educational institutions, the Holy Fire is also spoken of as a miracle, citing stories from pilgrims.

From the point of view of Orthodoxy, the Holy Fire is a guarantee between God and people, the fulfillment of the vow given by the risen Christ to his followers: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” It is believed that the year when the Heavenly Fire does not descend on the Holy Sepulcher will mean the end of the world and the onset of the power of “darkness.”

The church ceremony of bringing out the Holy Fire begins approximately one day before the start of Orthodox Easter. Pilgrims begin to gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, wanting to see with their own eyes the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire; among them, in addition to Christians, there are representatives of many religions and atheists. Jewish police monitor public order during the ceremony. The temple itself can accommodate up to ten thousand people, the entire area in front of it and the enfilade of surrounding buildings are also filled with people.

All the people in the temple are waiting with trepidation for the patriarch to emerge from the Edicule with Fire in his hands. The prayer and ritual continue until the expected miracle occurs. IN different years The tedious wait lasts from five minutes to several hours. In the future, lamps will be lit from the Holy Fire throughout Jerusalem, then it will be delivered by air to different countries of the world, to last years and to the states of the former Soviet Union.

Meaning of the icon

Icon of the Resurrection of Christ- evidence of the most important event that occurred in the past and future history of mankind. By him, the Resurrection of Christ, death was abolished. First of all, spiritual. For all those who repent, for all who are ready to take the path of Christianity. In the Gospel we see the first example of this, how the thief crucified with Jesus Christ asks the Savior to remember him when He is in His Kingdom. And Christ promises Him this (Luke 23:42-43). And so it happened.

This was the first example of repentance, true and deep, and the great resurrection of a soul transformed by faith in Him.

Date of publication or update 11/26/2017

"Moscow Diocesan Gazette" has repeatedly addressed the topic of iconography of the Resurrection of Christ. This article will discuss complex iconographic compositions on this topic, which include several related plots.

The basis for the creation of such compositions was, first of all, the Sunday Gospel conceptions - liturgical readings from the last chapters of all four Gospels, which speak of the appearances of the Risen Christ to the disciples. The Sunday hymn according to the Gospel - Having seen the Resurrection of Christ - sounding after the reading of the Gospel began, as if inviting not only to hear the story of the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ, but also to see it. Therefore, the Church, from early Christian times, sought to show the Resurrection of Christ. It was necessary to talk about this - and, based on the texts of Holy Scripture and Tradition, the holy fathers wrote about the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the victory of the risen Christ over hell and death, and liturgical texts were compiled.

A number of apocrypha are also known. It was much more difficult to depict the Resurrection of Christ itself: there were no eyewitnesses to the mysterious event on earth.

Early Christian art solved this problem on the basis of the texts of Old Testament prophecies - the Lord himself pointed out this possibility to the apostles: starting with Moses, of all the prophets he explained to them what was said about Him in all Scripture (Luke 24:27). At least since the 3rd century, symbolic images of the Resurrection of Christ through the prototype of the prophet Jonah have been known - in the paintings of Roman catacombs, mosaics, and on the reliefs of sarcophagi. A century later, there are not only symbolic, but also historical images illustrating the Gospel texts.

It should be noted that the desire for an accurate historical depiction of the Resurrection of Christ sometimes led to unexpected results: early Byzantine images - for example, a diptych of the 5th century. from the Milan Cathedral - show not only the events described in the Gospel, but also quite accurately depict the very place where the Resurrection of Christ took place. But by this time, on the site of the Holy Sepulcher, Emperor Constantine the Great had built a temple in honor of the Resurrection. One of the subjects of the diptych shows soldiers sleeping at the coffin - but this is not a coffin, but a building built by St. Constantine rotunda! This, of course, should not be considered an inaccuracy or error, this is a symbol - the Sepulcher of Christ, the source of our resurrection is revealed here as a place surpassing in grandeur the very royal palaces.

16. Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Thus, on a small icon the artist placed almost all the subjects associated with the Easter cycle.

For comparison, here is a Greek icon from the 16th century. (Crete). Here (No. 100) all the scenes associated with the myrrh-bearing women are depicted. Noteworthy is the fact that the artist arranged all the subjects of the composition not in registers, not in marks, but in one space.

As we see from the examples given, the expanded iconography of the Resurrection of Christ makes it possible to prayerfully contemplate the economy of the salvation accomplished by Christ. These icons not only contain a story about the historical circumstances of the Resurrection of Christ, but also reveal the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as a victory over death and sinful forces. This is a powerful call to holiness. Let us remember the Apostle Paul:

Now that you have been freed from sin and become slaves of God, your fruit is holiness, and the end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:22, 23). We are called to this eternal life orthodox icons Resurrection of Christ.

Bishop Nikolai of Balashikha

Source of material: magazine “Moscow Diocesan Gazette”, No. 3-4, 2013.

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