The Rudolf Steiner Archive

46. The Gospels and Initiation

[ 1 ] The Gospel of Mark existed centuries before Christianity was founded. It is nothing other than an ancient initiation document describing how people were initiated in India, Central Asia, and the Iranian regions; how they ascended to occult knowledge; how they acquired the highest wisdom; how they became initiates, “sun-walkers”; where they were initiated; and even what is called the Ascension. This was recorded in these initiation certificates.

[ 2 ] They were not written in this or that language; in fact, they were very rarely written at all. But they were preserved in an imperishable language—the common language of all occultists—a symbolic language. To understand them, one must engage in occult studies. These initiation documents were kept strictly secret throughout the millennia. They were kept secret by both the priests of Egypt and the druidic priests in Europe. This was also because they were of no use to anyone. They could be of use only to those who could understand them.

[ 3 ] Now, on the stage of history, a historical event took place that we call the baptism, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. This fact, expressed outwardly, is at the same time a mystical fact. It is something that can only be understood as a historical fact if one understands what this particular initiation is, as described in the initiation document I have spoken of. To put it another way, what took place in the years 30 to 33 as the suffering and death of Christ is something that has taken place countless times within the temples. The process became a typical image for everyone after someone had transferred the sequence of stages of development to an external event.

[ 4 ] The early teachers of Christianity therefore addressed those they wished to instruct in roughly the following manner: “A great historical process has unfolded for you and for your sake. But you can only understand this if we tell you about life inside the temples.” - And now they told them, in the form of a sermon, how one is initiated. What had otherwise taken place symbolically within the temples was now recounted so that those who could not see might now believe.

[ 5 ] Transcriptions of these include documents such as the Gospel of Mark. I have now explained to you how the Gospel of John relates to all of this. John presented himself as Christ’s true executor. The words Jesus spoke on the cross are not without significance. He entrusts to his mother the disciple whom he loved. And the disciple whom Jesus loved was, according to the records of the Akashic Records, Lazarus, who had been initiated by Jesus. Thus, the miracle of Lazarus reveals itself to be an initiation process. This means nothing other than that he was the disciple who had been initiated—and who, therefore, could also express the deepest truths. That is why the Gospel of John is the most profound, and why it has become a message whose interpretation knows no end. One delves ever deeper, discovering ever new insights—even the scholar.

[ 6 ] There we find the transformation of the water of the Old Covenant into the wine of the New Covenant. The “Mother” represents the Jewish people, for whom Jesus transforms the water into the wine of the new Christianity. This is also the reason why the Gospel of John has been regarded as the truly occult one. Starting with chapter 13, it is not only to be understood intellectually; moreover, every sentence contained therein is imbued with occult power.

[ 7 ] The Gospel of John, in particular, has been regarded as the elixir of life by the followers of the Rosicrucians. Beginning with the washing of the feet, its entire content is to be experienced mystically. Whoever applies it to the whole person and allows it to permeate them in a living way will experience something within themselves and then understand that much of the Gospel cannot be understood at all without this experience. Every person can mystically work through and live out every single sentence. This is how we must understand the role of the great Teacher who stands at the beginning of Christianity. What was new about Christianity was that through it, what had previously been mystery wisdom was revealed.

[ 8 ] A fundamental experience for the theosophist is devotion. The fact that Jesus’ disciple enters the tomb to see whether he is there or not is not what is important. What is important is being carried by devotion. There is no path that is not permeated by devotion. And the further one advances on the path of knowledge, the more one will have to cultivate devotion. One will become more and more devout. From this devotion flows the power to attain the highest insights. Whoever succeeds in refraining from connecting their thoughts on their own will attain the ability to read the scriptures in the Akashic Records. One thing, however, is essential: to have set aside the personal “I” to such an extent that it makes no claim to link the thoughts itself. It is not at all easy to understand this, for human beings claim the right to link the predicate to the subject. But as long as they do so, it is impossible for them to truly study occult history. When he allows his thoughts to rise in selflessness, but also in awareness and clarity, an event occurs that, from a certain point of view, every occultist is familiar with—namely, the event in which the ideas and thoughts that he previously shaped into sentences and insights according to his personal point of view are now shaped by the spiritual world itself, so that it is not he who judges, but rather judgment takes place within him. It is then the case that he has sacrificed himself so that a higher Self may speak spiritually through his ideas. This is—from an occult perspective—what was called in the Middle Ages the “sacrifice of the intellect.” It means giving up my own opinion, my own conviction. As long as I myself connect my thoughts and do not place my thoughts at the disposal of higher powers, which then, as it were, write on the tablet of the intellect, I cannot study occult history. This is a contradiction to the higher powers; it is what is usually regarded in our time as something particularly remarkable. What is required here is what the theosophist calls devotional surrender. This surrender flows from events such as those recounted in the Gospel of John.

Q&A

[ 9 ] Since a question has been raised here about the Brotherhood, I must say that one cannot speak well of such occult societies, because occult forces are at work behind them. We are dealing with occult traditions and occult knowledge in more places than we usually realize. Occult forces and truths are present in this or that actual reality. And these occult currents have a very specific reason for existing. No one can become entangled in such currents through their own power. The question is how they were led into them, what role they play within them, and who speaks through them. — This is connected to the fact that, throughout the world, care is always taken to ensure that the streams of divine wisdom never completely dry up. Even if all occultism were to disappear from educated circles one day, there will still be places where occultism can flow forth.

[ 10 ] This fall, I will speak about what are called apocalypses. First, about the Apocalypse of John; second, about the future of thought; third, about the future of the Pneuma; and fourth, about the future of harmony.

[ 11 ] John, Lazarus, the disciple whom the Lord loved, and the disciple at the cross are one and the same person.

[ 12 ] Whether Christ can apply only to an initiate is something the Scriptures can teach us; they can be read in four different ways. The first level is that in which it is read according to the simple, literal text; the second level is that in which one harbors doubts; the third level is that in which one reads it symbolically; and the fourth level is that in which one recognizes the true meaning of the symbols and thus arrives at the true literal meaning of the Scriptures.

[ 13 ] The descent of the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism in the form of a dove is an important phase in Jesus’ life. The periods before and after the baptism can be distinguished as a higher and a highest stage. Mark and John therefore tell us only of the highest forms in which Christ appears to us. The three degrees of discipleship can be distinguished up to the baptism. But then a true transformation of Jesus’ essence by Christ takes place. This Christ-nature is identical with what is designated as God in all religions and is often also called the Father-nature. Up to the age of thirty, we must regard Jesus as any other initiate. From that point on, however, the Christ-essence enters him, and from that point on, the personality of Jesus Christ takes on a cosmological significance. This divine essence existed before Abraham was.

[ 14 ] If you ask me about the Judas issue, I must say that Judas was, in a certain sense, a sacrifice. Someone had to sacrifice himself so that the main sacrifice could take place. The very same person who played the role of the traitor during the time of Jesus of Nazareth was later active in Christianity. It is of great significance to know in which personality Judas reincarnated. But that is a rather intricate and complicated issue.

[ 15 ] The “Mother of Jesus” describes the Jews as a nation—the Jews who lived in the land and were subject to Jewish law, and those scattered throughout the world.

[ 16 ] “Galilean” means something like “pagan.” The place where Jesus was born was a bustling hub of travel. A great many strangers passed through there. You can find the answer to the question regarding Jesus’ ascension in the Gospel of John. Jesus’ bones were not broken, whereas the bones of the other two, the thieves, were broken. If you understand what the skeletal system is, then you will also understand what it means: the Resurrection in a glorified body.