John’s Gospel – The Spiritual Gospel

In the Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels (only John’s gospel is independent), the New Jerusalem Bible explains, “The gospels are not ‘lives’ or ‘biographies’ of Jesus, but are four versions of the record of the Good News brought by Jesus. Jesus himself preached the coming of God’s rule, the establishment of his sovereignty, breaking through the bonds of evil, sin, and death to which all people had been a subject. The gospels are full also of wonder at the mystery of Jesus himself…” Synoptic means ‘the same eye’, which suggests that the authors of the first three gospels had tallied notes with each other and had adopted a similar line.

The Fourth Gospel, authored by John is written differently. It is popularly known as the ‘spiritual gospel’ and is believed to have wielded a profound influence on the development of early Christian doctrine. Along with James and Peter, John was one of the three disciples that were considered close to Jesus. Of these John was close to the three Mary’s also. He was very discreet too and was also to be seen wherever the three Mary’s were present. In fact, some people believe that Mary Magdalene may have been betrothed to Jesus before he had made his escape to the East in search of enlightenment as a boy of thirteen.

It was a common belief that John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, and it should not be surprising that more direct statements of Jesus, that went beyond the parables, should be found only in John’s Gospel. What is called ‘self’ or ‘Aatma’ in Upanishad, is called ‘I’ in Bhagavad Gita and also by Jesus, the Christ. He considered I-ness in a person to be the Son and all-ness as the Father. In John 14:6, “Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the ‘Father’ except through me. If you know ‘me’ (your ‘self’), you will know my ‘Father’ too.” However, all these things were too hard to understand for most of the disciples of Jesus at the time these were spoken about.

In fact, in John 16:12-15, Jesus himself speaks about a Paraclete, who will argue his case at a future date: “I still have many things to say to you, but they would be too much for you to bear now. However, when the Spirit of the Truth comes, this advocate will lead you to complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the ‘Father’ has is mine; that is why I said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine.”

In John 15:26-27, Jesus says, “When the Paraclete comes, who I shall send to you from the ‘Father’, the Spirit of Truth that issues from the ‘Father’ will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with ‘me’ from the beginning.” The Spirit of Truth being a witness means, it will explain the basis behind all these things to vouchsafe for them, while on their side the disciple will put on record what Jesus had been saying and demonstrating before them.

The Paraclete mentioned by Jesus need not be a person, in fact, but revelation of the ‘Essence or Spirit of Truth of our Existence’ itself, which he had said would stand revealed at ‘one time’ and Jesus had also mentioned a few signs that would be visible when that time was near. The context is clarified further in John 14:16-17, “I shall ask the ‘Father’ and he will give you another Paraclete (a counsellor) to be with you for ever (since it can even be in the form of a written detail that can be referred to as often as one needed); the Spirit of Truth whom the world can never accept, since it neither sees nor knows him (the ‘self’ at the back of your body and mind that cannot be seen or known by any other—the world), but you know him (since it is your own ‘self’)—because he is with you, he is in you.”

The Message Across Two Millenniums

This book, now in your hand, itself should be a sign that the time, the situations, and the people, even the opportunity—all have changed now. The edicts to kill, to strike first blow, to punish at the hint, assumption, or allegation of blasphemy or apostasy have all become mostly infructuous now. Times have changed and the humanity is maturing. Purging and reform is the need of the hour, to save and preserve humanity in the mankind.

It was time that the heads of the religions should come together and must issue fresh edicts specifically withdrawing the old and the infructuous ones that target idol-worshippers or any other particular communities or people or which confer special punitive powers on one of their follower or followers as against any other person. This may save the mankind from being obliterated altogether and it may help people to come together to be able to work for a still higher evolution of mankind.

Mankind has matured in a major way, even if not as a whole. It was the time that religious beliefs were replaced by true knowledge about the reality, and about the omnipresent and omniscient God—when the mankind can leave behind the clumsy baggage of the past and can learn to travel light. Clumsy baggage not only slows the journey of a people, it also obstructs the traffic for others.

There are only two broad sides to Nature—a right side, and a left side which we can also call the wrong side (Matthew 25:32-33). It should be possible to so divide the road for the traffics in a way that everyone can travel at its own pace, without coming in the way of the other. At some point in time, the lanes may merge and everyone may be able to unload the extra baggage—no longer of any use—and to catch up. Mankind may begin to breathe as a single organism then, free from lack of mutual trust, and from any sense of insecurity from another of their kind, forever. And then, there will be neither fear nor guilt to hinder the Homo-sapiens, and even the sky may keep raising the limit! However, a broad divide—as once instigated by Jesus, and as foreseen by him as a likelihood in the future—may be necessary beforehand, as a measure of ultimate prudence on the part of the leaders of the world, especially those who have a stake in survival of the Homo-sapiens.

Luke 12:51-53 “Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather a division. For, from now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; father opposed to a son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to the mother-in-law.” Matthew 10:36 “A person’s enemies will be the members of his ‘own’ household (or close friend-circle).” It is clear that Jesus is referring to a firm denial for the evil or the unjust, one is often tempted to indulge under the influence of one’s family and friends.

(The above is an extract from Chapter-7 of ‘JESUS CHRIST AND THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH’, under the heading “THE SIDDHA ASHRAMS IN THE HIMALAYAS”)