The Context of the Crux at Hebrews 5, 7-8 113 Resurrection—as opposed to exaltation/enthronement—is possible for Christ only because He died, and He could die only because He had assumed ‘blood and flesh’ (Heb 2,14-15). This ‘blood and flesh’ is the stuff of Christ’s sacrifice for the expiation of sins (Heb 2,17) offered on the occasion of His being ‘tested’ (peiravzw) as Abraham was tested at the Aqedah (Heb 2,18; 11,17) 56. In Heb 5,1-10 Christ’s sacrifice preliminary to His resurrection (i.e., His sacrificial death on the cross) is alluded to through the use of the technical term ‘to offer’ (prosfevrw)57 at 5,1.3 of the Old Testament Aaronic high priest, and at 5,7 of Christ. Thus the account of the Old Testament Aaronic high priest in 5,1-4, with its use of prosferw at 5,1.3, reinforces the sacrificial nature of Christ’s ‘loud cry v and tears’ (kraughv ijscurav, davkrua) portrayed as sacrificial in nature through the use of the technical term ‘having offered’ (prosenevgka") (5,7) 58. These are the ‘loud cry and tears’ uttered by Christ on the cross in His citing Ps 22 59. And this sacrifice on the cross is the bloody sacri- fice toward which the allusion to the tôdâ in Ps 22 is ordered 60. The crux about Christ at Heb 5,7-8 ends with His offer of sacrifice implicit in the citation of Ps 22 being accepted even though He was son and could reasonably expect that such a plea not be honored by His Father (. . . kai; eijsakousqei;~ ajpo; th;~ eulabeiva~ kaivper w]n uiJov") 61. Christ is then ‘brought to perfection’ (teleiwqeiv"), i.e., brought to a cor- poral completion appropriate for His divine nature at the time of his res- urrection (5,9) 62. Finally, the passage containing the crux ends at 5,10 with this risen state of Christ being ‘addressed by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek’ (prosagoreuqei;~ uJpo; tou` qeou` arciereu~ kata; th;n tavxin Melcisevdek) (5,10). The term ‘addressed’ j ; (prosagoreuw) is especially meaningful in the context, for it can refer to v a peaceful greeting used as an expression of honor 63. This fits in neatly with the use of the gezerah shawah construction at 5,5-6, where the link- ing word ‘you’ (su) is used of God to express his designation of Christ high priest according to the order of Melchizedek at the moment of His resurrection. 55 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 1,5-14», 57-58 and 57, n. 21. 56 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 1,1 – 3,6», 63-64. 57 «In Hebrews, it [sc., prosfevrw] is used overwhelmingly (the passive in 12:7 is an exception) in connection with sacrifice, especially but not only with the OT high priests or Jesus as subject» (Ellingworth, Hebrews, 273). 58 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 5,7-8», 351, and 351, n. 21. 59 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 5,7-8», 354-355. 60 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 5,7-8», 356-360. 61 Cf. Swetnam, «Hebrews 5,7-8», 355-356. 62 Cf. J. Swetnam, «Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the Hebrews», Bib 70 (1989) 75-78. 63 Cf. Ellingworth, Hebrews, 296.