The Rudolf Steiner Archive

The Gospel of St. John II

[ 1 ] Last time, I spoke about the first twelve chapters of the Gospel of John. We saw that the miracle of Lazarus represents a person’s initiation into the spiritual world. The Gospel of John is to be understood in such a way that every sentence points to the higher world. When we bring it to life within ourselves, we come to know Christian initiation. Anyone familiar with other forms of discipleship—anyone who knows that such other paths of initiation also exist—also knows that those who strive for discipleship today are guided upward through other methods, as most of you are indeed aware. Those who have already drawn closer to the spiritual life know that there is also an esoteric aspect to our spiritual scientific endeavors. Christian initiation bears a resemblance to other paths of initiation, but today it is not possible to follow this path. Anyone who wishes to follow it must do so under the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher; however, given our normal living conditions today, it is questionable whether this path is even possible anymore. Let us recall the miracle of Lazarus once more, specifically in relation to Christian initiation.

[ 2 ] Let us take the ordinary state of sleep as our starting point. What happens to a person who is asleep? — In human beings, we are dealing with the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the I. What, then, happens to a person during sleep from an occult perspective? — The physical and etheric bodies remain in bed, while the astral body rises together with the “I” and, in the case of the imperfect human being, hovers above the physical body in the form of a ring, and later in the form of the physical body itself. The astral body is not idle; it has work to do. When a person is awake, the astral permeates the physical body. When it has stepped out, it works on the physical body, nurturing and caring for it. The astral body relates to the physical body like a worker to a machine, but with the difference that here the worker is inside the machine; he animates the various parts that he sets in motion. But this analogy of the worker at the machine applies more accurately when a person is asleep: The astral body acts from the outside. And what does it do? Through its work on the physical body, it compensates for the damage the latter sustains during the day. From this, one can see the disadvantages faced by people who sleep poorly. The astral body itself is influenced by beings belonging to the third elemental kingdom. Beings from the second elemental kingdom attack the human etheric body, and those belonging to the first elemental kingdom gain access to the physical body in order to destroy it. Only when the astral body works on the physical body during sleep are these destructive processes counteracted.

[ 3 ] Mere physical awareness has no influence here. But when a person begins to work on themselves spiritually, they must also create the necessary conditions for the astral body to act upon the physical body. Meditation affects the work of the astral body on the physical and etheric bodies during the night. Only good beings should be allowed access to the human being. Anyone seeking initiation must ensure the greatest possible tranquility. This includes avoiding all stimulants, particularly alcohol. Among the prerequisites for any higher aspiration are control of one’s thoughts, a morally impeccable life, and the very effort not to surrender to every emotional impulse—whether pain or joy—but rather to maintain a spiritual equilibrium. This also creates the possibility for benevolent beings to be active when the astral body works on the physical and etheric bodies during sleep.

[ 4 ] In the initiation as described in the Gospel of John, the astral body, together with the etheric body, leaves the physical body. The physical body then remains behind, as in death. This is the basis for the description that Lazarus lay in the tomb for three days. The miracle of Lazarus is thus a symbol of an initiation. The process involves guiding the astral and etheric bodies back into the physical body. This is accomplished by the Master. The person is now a resurrected being who can recall the experiences in the higher worlds. This is possible for every human being. However, what in ancient times was a three-and-a-half-day procedure is carried out differently today. The result is the same, but it is achieved through different methods.

[ 5 ] The student on the Christian path of initiation had to undergo seven trials. These were not only physical but also spiritual experiences. Those who had undergone them knew that real experiences are possible outside the body. At the first stage, the student learns how human beings became what they are today. This was illustrated by the following parable: The plant must have mineral soil. Although the mineral lies deeper than the plant, the plant must lower itself and say: “To you, stone, who are indeed lower than I, I owe my existence, my life.” — The animal stands higher than the plant. It inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide; otherwise, it cannot live. The plant exhales oxygen. The animal must say to the plant: “To you, plant, I bow in humility, for without you I could not exist.” — And so does the higher-standing human relate to the lower-standing one. He, too, must say to the latter: “Without your existence, I do not exist.” — One must allow this feeling to permeate one’s entire being and bow in humility. From the depths of his innermost experience, a human being must be able to bow before those who are lower than he is. This is the washing of the feet, the first stage of Christian initiation: Christ bows before the disciples and washes their feet. What is experienced here represents a symbol of the higher world. Whoever can live spiritually in this higher world, whoever has developed the feeling described here—like Lazarus—experiences the washing of the feet in the higher world. Whoever experiences humiliation in the physical world experiences the washing of the feet in a higher world. This experience indicates to them that they have reached the first stage on the path to initiation. This is also expressed physically: they have a feeling as if all their muscles were being strengthened anew. The strengthening of the muscles following the feeling of humiliation corresponds to the first stage.

[ 6 ] The second stage of Christian initiation consists of scourging and slaps to the face. A person must learn to calmly endure what once caused them pain and to take upon themselves the sufferings of the world. This is also expressed in the higher world: this strength of soul is symbolized as scourging and as actual blows. Then, one day, the student feels a kind of stinging sensation throughout his entire body—a sign that he has passed the test. This is a real experience that a person undergoes when he walks the path from his own experience. The great mystics have experienced this. Such a person has thus reached the second stage.

[ 7 ] The third stage is the crowning with thorns. It involves enduring not only pain but even contempt from one’s fellow human beings. One must develop inner fortitude to endure this sense of annihilation—when there is no one left to give one courage and strength except oneself, when one is deemed to have no value whatsoever, and yet one remains upright within. This is how it must be experienced. This plays out in the spiritual world just as the crowning with thorns does: the person sees themselves wearing the crown of thorns. In the physical body, pain is felt in the head. The brain undergoes changes, a process that becomes noticeable later even while awake.

[ 8 ] The fourth stage is the crucifixion. This is experienced when a person learns to perceive his own body as if it were a foreign object—much like a piece of wood. He no longer identifies his “I” with his body. In the spiritual world, they see themselves with the cross on their back. With this, the fourth stage is reached. Physically, this manifests as stigmatization: the stigmata appear. In the case of certain saints, this is not merely a legend, but indicates that they have reached this fourth stage. Such saints are bearers of the cross.

[ 9 ] Once a person has progressed this far, he reaches the fifth stage. This is the mystical death. To the student, the entire world seems to be veiled. Everything around him has lost its former value. While he feels himself to be in darkness, the veil suddenly tears apart, and the human being begins to perceive the spiritual primordial goals. He gazes into a completely new world. At the same time, he learns to recognize what lies at the very core of the human soul. He becomes a second self beside himself and looks down upon his lower self, which he perceives as separate from himself. His body is the mother whom he sees standing beneath him, and the transformed lower self is the disciple who bears witness that Christ lives. Now the higher self can say to the lower self: “Behold, this is your mother!”

[ 10 ] Once a person has passed through this fifth station, he can proceed to the sixth: the Entombment and Resurrection. Everything that belongs to the planet becomes the body of the Christian mystic. At this stage, he feels as if the entire Earth belongs to him. The human being has ceased to be a separate entity; he is one with all earthly life. He is inwardly connected to it through the burial. The tomb becomes the source of his experience: humans and animals, plants and stones around him become transparent. He has lost his separate existence, but he has absorbed the life of the entire Earth—its higher life—into himself. The seventh stage is called the Ascension. It signifies complete absorption into the spiritual world.

[ 11 ] The Gospel of John is an account of this Christian path of initiation. Those who regard it merely as an external narrative do not understand it. It can only be understood when a person experiences it inwardly. In this sense, Angelus Silesius says:

When you rise above yourself and let God take the reins
Then the Ascension takes place within your spirit.

[ 12 ] Just as no being can see the light of the sun unless its eyes are opened, so no one can understand the mystery of Golgotha unless they experience it inwardly. Only when a person attains such an inner experience will they understand why the calendar is divided into two parts: before and after Christ.

[ 13 ] Christianity only attains its true meaning when it is lived as an inner journey. The Gospel of John is a text that can be experienced sentence by sentence. And anyone who has experienced it knows that external criticism is completely meaningless. In that moment, all criticism vanishes and every doubt fades when a person realizes: you must experience what is written through and through. Every line can be lived through inwardly.