Good Friday reflection - Irenaeus

From Irenaeus' On the Apostolic Preaching:

'And the transgression which occurred through the tree was undone by the obedience of the tree--which [was shown when] the Son of Man, obeying God, was nailed to the tree, destroying the knowledge of evil, and introducing and providing the knowledge of good.'

Illustrative of Irenaeus' typological read of Christ as the Second Adam, this shows the work of Christ and his undoing of the problem of sin and death in the obedience that led him to the tree. Where Adam was disobedient through his tree, Christ was obedient through his and this obedience has "introduced" and "provided" (perhaps one might say "enabled") the knowledge and practice of good in Christ's followers.

We proclaim the mystery of faith: "Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again!"

Pax!