The transition from death to eternal life

He says that the prisoners were entering, and he recognized his voice while walking in the prison, and having turned to all the prisoners with him from eternity, saying: 'I hear the sound of some feet entering toward us; and if he has been permitted to come here at all, we have been freed from the bonds; if we see him completely with us, we are being ransomed from Hades.' These and such things Adam says to all his co-condemned: 'The Lord has entered among them, holding the victorious weapon of the cross.'

Adam, the first-formed, seeing him and striking his chest with a blow, cried out to all and said: 'My Lord is with all.' And Christ, responding, says to Adam: 'And with your spirit.' And grasping his hand, he raises him, saying: 'Rise, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you.'

I am your God, who became your son through you, who through you also made those from you; now saying and by authority permitting those in bonds: 'Come out,' and those in darkness: 'Be enlightened,' and those who have slept: 'Rise'; I command you: 'Rise, sleeper'; for not for this purpose I have made you, that you be held as a prisoner in Hades. Rise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Rise, my creature, rise, my form, and having been made according to my image.

Rise, let us go forth from here; for you are in me, and I in you, we exist as one and indivisible person; through you your God has become your son; through you the Lord took your form of a slave; through you the one above the heavens came to earth and under the earth; through you I became man, as a helpless man, free among the dead; through you, the one coming out of a garden, was delivered to the Jews from a garden, and in a garden was crucified.

Behold the spittle on my face, which I endured for you, so that I might restore you to the original inspiration. Behold the lashings of my cheeks, which I endured, so that I might rectify your distorted form into that according to my image. Behold the bruising of my side, which I endured, so that I might scatter the burden of your sins lying upon the side. Behold my hands well-nailed to the wood, for you, the one stretching out the hand in the...

Through the evil wood, behold my crucified ones, and those whose feet were pierced by the wood because of your feet, which ran badly toward the wood of admonition on the sixth day when the decision was made; and I have suffered for your rebirth and the opening of paradise. I tasted gall through you, so that I might heal for you the bitter pleasure of that food. I tasted vinegar, so that I might nullify the sharpness of your death, which is by nature a cup. I received a sponge, so that I might wipe out your handwriting of sin. I received a reed, so that I might write freedom for the human race.

I fell asleep in the cross, and by a sword my side was pierced, because you, sleeping in paradise, brought Eve out from a side. My side healed the pain of the side; my sleep will rouse you from the sleep in Hades; my sword set upright the sword turned against you. Therefore arise, let us lead away from here. The enemy led you out from the earth of paradise; I am restoring you not in paradise, but on a heavenly throne. I prevented you from the wood of the type of life, but behold, I myself have given life to you. I commanded the cherubim to guard you servilely; I make the cherubim worship you godward. You were hidden from God as a naked man; but behold, you hid within yourself a naked God. You put on the leathern garment of shame; but God, being, put on the bloody garment of your flesh.

Therefore arise, let us lead away from here, from death into life, from corruption into incorruption, from darkness into the eternal light. Arise, let us lead away from here, from pain into joy, from slavery into freedom, from prison into the upper Jerusalem, from bonds into release, from possession into the enjoyment of paradise, from the earth into heaven. For this you died, and rose, so that you might rule both the dead and the living. Arise, let us lead away from here; for my heavenly Father receives the lost sheep. The ninety-nine of the angels are waiting for the slave of Adam, the sheep, to see when he will rise, and when he will ascend and return to God. A cherubic throne is prepared; those carrying it are sharp and ready; the bridegroom is prepared; the banquets are ready; the eternal dwellings and abodes are ready; the...