From Chris Speckhard:

Metropolitan Hilarion writes that the “life and witness of the first Christians were permeated by paschal joy and the knowledge of the central meaning of Christ’s resurrection for the salvation of mankind. The Orthodox Church preserves this joy and this knowledge until this day, to which the whole liturgical structure witnesses, oriented to Christ’s resurrection…If the feast of Christ’s nativity acquired significance in Western Christianity as the main feast day of the ecclesial year, then in the East the “Feast of feasts” has always been Pascha, celebrating victory over death by Christ who was resurrected from the dead, resurrecting the whole race of man with himself.”

In our discussion of this brief but theologically rich chapter, we will examine how the resurrection lies at the crux of the Orthodox Faith and how it represents the culmination of Christ’s redemptive work, inseparably connected with His crucifixion and descent into Hades. As Orthodox Christians, we participate in Christ’s resurrection through the Mystery of Holy Baptism, and we can experience the Paschal joy in the services of the Church.

From Michael Ruse:

In Chapter 19, we discuss the resurrection of Christ in light of the rich theology and language of paschal texts of the Church. Melito of Sardis says: He is human in that he is buried. He is God in that he is raised up. Much of the Old Testament symbols and prophecies become fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection as Melito explains, “For there was once a type, but now the reality has appeared.” Metropolitan Hilarion covers some important texts from the Church Fathers that dwell on why Pascha is called “the feast of feasts,” a mystery, and a victory over Hades. If Christ was really raised from the dead after death, should we really be afraid of death anymore?