The author of this contemplative essay is Priest Joseph Gleason, the American Orthodox priest who moved his large, lovely family to Rostov the Great, in Russia’s Golden Ring, where he serves, farms, writes, and teaches English.
I. The Primal Sacrifice
For the sake of love, a pure and holy sacrifice was needed. A perfect man, completely innocent, would close his eyes to the light of this world. No trace of sin was to be found within him. An offering of his blameless flesh was being made, as a deep and gory wound appeared in his precious side.[1]
And from this holy sacrifice God formed a pure and spotless bride, granting her the breath of life, which she never could have acquired or earned herself.
God did not allow His holy one to forever remain asleep.[2] Nor did He allow him to succumb to such a deep and gaping wound. God healed Adam, awakened him, and introduced him to his lovely bride.
And Adam said,
This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.[3]
Thus heaven and earth celebrated the first wedding.
This primal sacrifice of holy flesh was for the sake of love alone. Not for the sake of sin, which had not yet occurred; nor for the sake of wrath, for there was none. Not to appease an offended deity, but simply to give the gifts of life and love, this holy sacrifice was made, so that by participating in the flesh and blood of this holy man, Eve might participate in the same human nature as her husband, enabling her to join with him in the closest relationship of love.
The First Adam was wounded in the side,[4] so that he could have a bride.[5] Many years later, the Second Adam[6] was wounded in His side[7], so that He could have a bride.[8]
The soldier’s spear pierced His holy side, and blood and water flowed—Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist—setting apart His holy Church, which is the pure and spotless Bride of Christ. Partaking of His Body and Blood[9], we partake in the same glorified human nature as Christ Himself, enabling us to join together with Him in the closest relationship of love.
God was pleased to wound the Second Adam[10], for the same reason He was pleased to wound the First Adam. Not for the sake of wrath or anger, but for the sake of love alone. Only by sacrificing his own flesh could Adam have a wife, and only by sacrificing His own body could Jesus have a Church, because only by genuine self-giving is it possible for love to be manifest.
By the sacrifice of Adam’s flesh, Eve was created.
By the sacrifice of Christ’s flesh, the Church was created.
By the sacrifice of Adam’s flesh, Eve received Life.
By the sacrifice of Christ’s flesh, the Church receives Resurrection.
By the sacrifice of Adam’s flesh, the Gospel was foreshadowed.[11]
By the sacrifice of Christ’s flesh, the Gospel was fulfilled.
In Genesis, we find this beautiful marriage between Adam and Eve. And in Revelation, we find the marriage supper of the Lamb, celebrating the mystical union between Christ and the Church.[12]
In Genesis, God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, seeking fellowship with His people.[13] And in Revelation, the apostle John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And he heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.[14]
Thus the Bible begins and ends with perfect weddings, celebrating the blessed union between husband and wife, and the eternal love between God and man.
