BECK index / Contents / Index to Gospel Passages

THE GOOD MESSAGE OF
JESUS THE CHRIST
Interpretation

51. Jews Argue about the Christ.

At the climax of the festival Jesus invited everyone to come to him and drink of the Spirit so that they too would become like him. In the oneness of the Spirit the inner teachings would be revealed, and the life energy would flow from within each person. Thus according to his teachings everyone may attain the Christ consciousness and have direct access to the living Spirit. Some of the apostles did not actually experience this until after the resurrection, but Jesus had already declared the availability of this divine energy.

Many of those listening to him felt the energy and began to call him the Christ, but the minds of some doubted because the Christ was not supposed to come from Galilee. Nevertheless those opposing him were not able to arrest him. The Pharisees in their council did not have a first-hand experience with his presence, except for Nicodemus who pleaded for more open-minded justice.

Although the festival was officially over, Jesus came to the temple in the morning and taught again. Knowing his way of compassion and forgiveness, the scholars and Pharisees brought to him a woman who had committed the capital crime of adultery, and they asked Jesus to judge the case; thus they tested him to see if he would follow the law of Moses.

In such circumstances often a crowd would become a vindictive and violent mob, but Jesus challenged the responsibility of each individual to do what the mob energy could easily have fallen into. Who is so righteous and free of error as to judge and take the life of another person for some action? When the cowardly mob was transformed into a group of individuals each responsible, then their consciences awakened and they all walked away. In the presence of the Christ consciousness no one could condemn, and she was advised by Jesus not to make the same mistake again.

Harmony 51 * Synthesis 51
52. God the Father Harmony 52 * Synthesis 52 * Interpretation 52