The Fifth Gospel
GA 148
3 October 1913, Oslo
Lecture III
When I said yesterday that the personalities who we usually call the apostles of Christ Jesus experienced a certain awakening which began at the so-called Pentecost, I didn't mean to claim that it happened in full consciousness. Nevertheless, when clairvoyant consciousness immerses itself in the souls of those apostles, it recognizes the images in those souls. But in the apostles themselves it was less images than – if I may say so – life, as a direct experience, as feeling and force of soul.
And what the apostles were then able to say, by which they even attracted the Greeks of those times, by which they gave the impulse for what we call Christian development, that which they carried within them as power of the soul, of the mind, flowed from what lived in their souls as the living force of the Fifth Gospel. They were able to speak as they spoke, act as they acted, because they bore in their souls the things we are now deciphering as the Fifth Gospel, although they didn't tell these things with the same words which one must use to relate the Fifth Gospel now. For they had received like an awakening the fecundation through all-embracing cosmic love, and under the influence of this fecundation they continued to act. And here we are at the point where we must speak of the earthly life of Christ in the sense of the Fifth Gospel.
It isn't easy to describe all this in words using contemporary concepts. But we can approach that greatest of earthly secrets by using many of the concepts and ideas with which we are already familiar through our spiritual scientific considerations. If we want to understand the Christ-being, we must use the concepts we already have through our spiritual scientific analyses in a somewhat different form.
Let us consider, in order to gain some clarity, what is usually called the baptism by John in the Jordan. It is compared in the Fifth Gospel, in relation to the earthly life of Christ, with the act of conception in a human being. The life of Christ from then until the Mystery of Golgotha is understood when we compare it with the life of an embryo in the mother's body. It is in a sense the embryonic life of the Christ-Being which this being lived through from the baptism in the Jordan till the Mystery of Golgotha.
We must understand the Mystery of Golgotha itself as an earthly birth—that is, the death of Jesus as the earthly birth of Christ. And we must look for his actual earth-life after the Mystery of Golgotha, when Christ was in contact with the apostles, when they were in another state of consciousness, as I indicated yesterday. That is what followed the actual birth of the Christ-being, and what is described as the Ascension and the immediately following outpouring of spirit, which in respect to the Christ-Being we must understand as corresponding to what we are accustomed to see as the entrance into the spiritual world upon human death. And the life of Christ in the earthly sphere since the Ascension, or since Pentecost, we must compare with what the human soul experiences when it is in the so-called Devachan, or Spirit-land.
We also see, my dear friends, that in the Christ-Being we have a being before us about which we must completely change all the concepts we have acquired about the successive stages of human life. The human being goes, after a short interval called purification-time, Kamaloka-time, to the spiritual world in order to prepare for the next life on earth. The human being lives though a spiritual life after death. From Pentecost on, the Christ-being experiences immersion in the earth-sphere—what for the human being is the transition to the Spirit-land. Instead of going to a Devachan, to a spiritual region, as man does after death, the Christ-Being made the sacrifice to seek the earth as his heaven. The human being leaves the earth in order—if we may use a common expression—to change his place of residence to heaven. Christ left heaven in order to change his place of residence to earth.
I beg you to see this in the right light, and to combine it with the feeling about what happened through the Mystery of Golgotha, in which his actual sacrifice consisted: namely in leaving the spiritual spheres in order to live with the earth and the human beings on the earth and to consolidate the impulse he gave for further human evolution on earth. This means that before the baptism in the Jordan this being did not belong to the earthly sphere. He descended from the over-earthly sphere to the earthly sphere. And what was experienced between the baptism by John and Pentecost had to be lived out in order to transform the heavenly being of Christ into the earthly being of Christ.
It is saying infinitely much when this secret is revealed here with the words: Since the Pentecost event the Christ-being is with human souls on the earth; previously he had not been with human souls on the earth. What the Christ-Being underwent between the baptism by John and Pentecost happened in order for the place of residence in the spiritual world could be exchanged for the place of residence in the earthly sphere. That happened so the divine-spiritual Christ-being could take on the necessary form in order to be able to be in community with human souls. Why did the events of Palestine take place? In order for the divine-spiritual being of Christ to be able to take on the form needed to be in community with human souls on the earth.
That this event in Palestine was unique is something which I have previously often indicated: the descent of a higher, unearthly being into the earthly sphere and the remaining of this unearthly being together with the earthly sphere until the earthly sphere undergoes the corresponding transformation. Since that time the Christ-Being is active on the earth.
If we want to clearly understand the Pentecost event in the sense of the Fifth Gospel, we must use the concepts we have developed in spiritual science. It has been brought to your attention that in ancient times there were Mysteries, initiations, through which the human soul was raised to participation in spiritual life. This pre-Christian initiation process can be seen most clearly when one observes the so-called Persian or Mithras mysteries. There were seven stages of initiation. The person who was to be raised to the higher stages of spiritual experience was led first to what was symbolically called the “Raven” stage; he became an “occulter”, a “hidden one”. In the third degree he became a “Fighter”, in the fourth a “Lion”, in the fifth he took on the name of the people to whom he belonged. In the sixth degree he became a “Sun-Hero”, in the seventh a “Father”. For the first four degrees it is sufficient today to say that he was gradually led deeper and deeper into spiritual experience. In the fifth degree the person reached the capacity for an expanded consciousness, which enabled him to become a spiritual guardian of his people. Therefore he was assigned the name of the corresponding people. When someone at that time was initiated into the fifth degree, he had a certain participation in the spiritual life.
We know from a lecture cycle that I gave here that the nations of the earth are led by what we call in the hierarchies of spiritual beings archangeloi or archangels. The person initiated in the fifth degree participated in the life of the archangels. Initiates in the fifth degree were needed in the cosmos. Therefore an initiation in this fifth degree existed on earth. When such a person was initiated in the mysteries and received the soul-content which corresponded to the fifth degree, the archangel looked at the soul of such a person and read in that soul as we read in a book that informs us of certain things which we must know in order to accomplish something. The archangel read in the person who was initiated in the fifth degree what a nation [an ethnic group] needed. Initiates of the fifth degree must be formed on earth in order for the archangeloi to lead correctly. Those initiates are the intermediaries between the leaders of the ethnic group and the people of the nation. They carry up to the sphere of the archangels what is needed in order for the nations to be correctly led.
How could this fifth degree be attained in pre-Christian times? It could not be attained while the soul remained in the body. The human soul had to be elevated out of the body. The initiation consisted of the soul being elevated out of the body. And while out of the body the soul experienced what gave it the content I have just described. The soul had to abandon the earth and enter the spiritual world in order to attain what it had to attain.
When the sixth degree of the old initiation was reached, the Sun-Hero degree, then in the soul of such a Sun-Hero reigned not only what is necessary to lead a people, but what is higher than that. If, my dear friends, you observe the evolution of humanity on the earth, you will see how nations arise and disappear, how they develop. Nations are born and die as individuals are. What a nation has accomplished for the earth must, however, be retained in the earth's evolution. Not only must a nation be led and guided, but also what that nation [or people] accomplishes on earth must be preserved beyond that nation. In order for this to happen the Sun-Heroes were necessary. In the higher worlds it is possible to read what lives in the soul of a Sun-hero and gain the strength which carries over the achievements of a nation into the work of humanity as a whole. And just as he who was to be initiated in the fifth degree of the ancient mysteries had to leave his body in order to accomplish what was necessary, he who would be a Sun-hero had to leave his body and take as residence in the sun.
These are things which for contemporary consciousness sound almost incredible, perhaps even foolish. But the Pauline words are appropriate—that wisdom, which can be divine, can be thought foolish by men. The Sun-Hero lived together with the whole solar system during the time of his initiation. The sun was his dwelling, as the earth is for the normal man. As mountains and streams surround us, the planets of the solar system surrounded the Sun-Hero during his initiation. The Sun-Hero had to be carried out to the sun during his initiation. That could only be achieved when he was out of the body in the ancient mysteries. And when he returned to his body he remembered what he had experienced and could use it as the ability to further the evolution of humanity, for the benefit of humanity as a whole. The Sun-Heroes left their bodies during the initiation and reentered them when they returned and had the strength which could transfer a nation's work to the evolution of humanity as a whole.
And what did those Sun-Heroes experience during the three-and-a-half days of their initiation? What did they experience when they were on the sun? Togetherness with Christ, who was not yet on the earth before the Mystery of Golgotha! All the ancient Sun-Heroes had gone to the higher spiritual spheres. For it was only there that one could experience togetherness with Christ in ancient times. It was from that world, to which the initiates had to ascend, that Christ descended to the earth.
We can therefore say that what was achieved by a few through the initiation procedure in ancient times was achieved as a natural event by Christ's apostles during Pentecost. Whereas previously one had to ascend to Christ, he now descended to the apostles. And the apostles had become in a certain sense men who carried within themselves the same content which the ancient Sun-Heroes had had in their souls. The spiritual power of the sun had streamed into the souls of men and was subsequently active in human evolution. In order for that to happen, the events of Palestine were necessary.
From what source did Christ's sojourn on earth grow? It grew from deepest suffering, from a suffering which exceeds all human understanding of suffering. In order to conceive of all this correctly, it is again necessary to overcome certain obstacles of contemporary consciousness.
Recently a book was published which I can enthusiastically recommend, because it was written by a very intelligent man and proves what nonsense even intelligent people can say about spiritual things. I mean Maurice Maeterlinck's Vom Tode (“About Death”). Among many nonsensical things, he affirms that when a person dies he is a spirit, and can no longer suffer because he has no physical body. Maeterlinck, a very intelligent man, suffers under the illusion that only the physical body can suffer and a dead person can therefore not suffer. He doesn't notice the phenomenal, almost incredible nonsense it is to affirm that only the physical body, which consists of physical forces and chemical elements, can suffer. As if a stone could suffer! The physical body cannot suffer; it is the soul that suffers. It has come to the point where people think the opposite of what makes sense about the simplest things. There would be no kamaloca-suffering if the spirit could not suffer. It is just because it has been relieved of the physical that suffering exists in kamaloca. Whoever believes that a spirit cannot suffer cannot have a correct idea of the infinite suffering of Christ during his time in Palestine.
Before I speak of this suffering however, I must bring something else to your attention. We must be aware that with the baptism in the Jordan by John a spirit descended to the earth, lived on the physical plane for three years and experienced death on Golgotha, a spirit who, before the baptism in the Jordan, had lived in circumstances which were completely different from earthly ones. What does that mean? It means, anthroposophically speaking, that that spirit had no earthly karma. I beg you to keep this in mind. A spirit lived for three years in the body of Jesus of Nazareth without having an earthly karma in his soul. Therefore all of Christ's earthly experiences have a completely different meaning than that of a normal human soul. When we suffer, when we have this or that experience, we know that the suffering is founded in karma. That was not the case for the Christ spirit. He had to go through a three-year earthly experience without a karmic burden. What did that mean for Him? Suffering without karmic meaning, truly unearned suffering, innocent suffering! The Fifth Gospel is the anthroposophical Gospel and shows us the only three-year earthly life for which the concept of karma in the human sense is not applicable.
A further consideration of this Gospel teaches us something else about those three years, which we have compared to the life of an embryo, created no karma, was not charged with guilt. A life was lived on the earth that was not conditioned by karma and also created no karma. One must assimilate all these concepts in the profoundest sense in order to correctly understand those extraordinary events of Palestine, which are otherwise inexplicable. For how greatly have they been misunderstood over the ages! And what impulses have they nevertheless given! Their profound meaning is often ignored.
How thoughtless one passes over things which are profoundly meaningful. Perhaps many of you have heard of the book Leben Jesu (“The Life of Jesus”) by Ernest Renan, which was published in 1863. One reads this book without recognizing its significance. Perhaps one day people will wonder at how many people read this book without realizing how peculiar it is. What is peculiar about it is that it is a mixture of a sublime description and cheap novel. Read “The Life of Jesus” with this idea in mind, read what he makes of Christ, who for him is of course mainly Christ Jesus. He makes him out to be a hero who originally had good intentions, who was a great benefactor of humanity, who however was seduced by the mob's enthusiasm and more and more surrendered to it and tells them what they want to hear.
In great style Renan uses for Christ what is often used by lesser talents. It often happens that when people see something spreading, Theosophy for example, they use the following criticism: At the beginning you had good intentions, but then came those evil followers to hear what they wanted to hear and little by little you were seduced. That is how Renan handles Christ Jesus. He doesn't hesitate to describe the resurrection of Lazarus as a kind of fraud which Christ Jesus allowed to happen as a means of impressing the masses. He doesn't hesitate to lead Christ Jesus into a kind of raging fury and finally be seduced by the people's instinctual desires. Thus a cheap novel is mixed with a sublime presentation. What is remarkable is that someone with healthy feelings should be shocked upon hearing of a person who originally had the best intentions but is finally seduced by the mob's instincts and allows all kinds of fraud to be perpetrated. Renan is not shocked however, but has only beautiful words for that person. Curious, isn't it? But is an indication of how attracted people are to Christ even though they don't understand him. It can go so far that such a person makes the life of Christ into a cheap novel and then can't find enough admiring words to draw people's attention to him. It's only possible with a being in whom something entered as entered into the Christ Jesus. Oh, much karma would have been amassed in the three years of Christ's life on earth if his life had been as Renan describes it. In the future, however, it will be recognized that such a description collapses with the knowledge that a life was lived on earth without karma having been created. That is the message of the Fifth Gospel.
The Fifth Gospel tells us that on the occasion of the baptism in the Jordan the words which appear in the Gospel of Luke are an accurate rendition of what a highly developed clairvoyant consciousness would have heard: “This is my beloved son, today I have begotten him.” [Luke, 3, 22] And it is an accurate description of what occurred: the begetting, the conception of Christ on earth.
It the following days we will speak of the Being who descended into the body of Jesus; now we will only emphasize that Jesus of Nazareth had come [to the Jordan], and gave his body to the Christ being. The Fifth Gospel tells us – what we can read with retroactive clairvoyant vision – that at the beginning of Christ's wandering on earth he was not fully incorporated in the body of Jesus, that only a loose connection existed between the Christ being and the body of Jesus of Nazareth. It was not like that of a normal person's connection between soul and body, rather that, when necessary, the Christ-Being could leave Jesus of Nazareth's body. While Jesus of Nazareth's body was as sleeping, the Christ being went wherever it was necessary.
The Fifth Gospel shows us that the body of Jesus of Nazareth was not always present when the Christ being appeared to the apostles, but that Jesus of Nazareth's body stayed somewhere else and the spirit, the Christ-Spirit, appeared to the apostles. But the appearance was such that it could be confused with Jesus of Nazareth's body. They probably noticed a difference, but the difference was too small for them to clearly recognize. The four gospels don't say much about it, but the Fifth Gospel does. The apostles could not always clearly differentiate and say: Now Christ Jesus stands physically before us, or now only the Christ-Spirit. They mostly took the appearance to be the Christ-Spirit (to the extent they recognized him) in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. But during the three years the spirit gradually bound itself ever more closely to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, so that the etheric Christ-Being came to closely resemble the body of Jesus of Nazareth.
Please note how different all this was with respect to a normal human being. The normal person is a microcosm related to the macrocosm, an image of the whole macrocosm. What is expressed in the human physical body can be understood in this way. What the human being on earth becomes is a reflection of the cosmos. The reverse is the case with the Christ-Being. The macrocosmic Sun-Being formed itself according to the image of the human microcosm, contracted and pressed more and more until it resembled the human microcosm. Just the reverse!
At the beginning of the Christ's earthly life, just after the baptism in the Jordan, the connection with the body of Jesus of Nazareth was loosest. The Christ-Being was still almost completely outside the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore what the Christ-Being did as he walked on the earth was completely over-earthly. He healed in a way which no earthly force could heal; he spoke to the people with such intensity that it was a divine intensity. But gradually he became more and more similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, contracted, pressed more and more into earthly conditions until the divine power deserted him. The Christ-Being went through this process as he came more and more to resemble the body of Jesus of Nazareth, something which, in a certain sense, can be considered to be a devolving evolution. The Christ-Being had to feel the godly power weakening as he became similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth. A god gradually became a man.
As someone who sees his body weaken and die under extreme pain, so the Christ-Being saw his divine content disappear in that he became ever more similar, as an etheric being, to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, to the point where he was so similar that he could feel fear like a man. The other Gospels describe this when Christ Jesus goes up to the Mount of Olives with his disciples and the Christ-Being in the body of Jesus of Nazareth has the sweat of fear on his brow. It was the humanizing, the gradual humanizing of Christ and the increasing similarity to the body of Jesus of Nazareth. In the same measure as the etheric Christ-Being approached similarity to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, Christ became man. Divine miraculous power left him. Here we see the Passion from the point when he came to the Jordan, to where the astonished crowds saw what he could do and said: no being on earth has ever done these things. That was when the Christ-Being had little similarity to the body of Jesus of Nazareth. From that moment of amazed bystanders it took the three years to come to the point where the Christ-Being was so similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth that in that wasted body he could no longer answer Pilate's, Herod's or Caiphas's questions. So identical had he become to the weak, wasting body of Jesus of Nazareth, that he remained silent to the question by the high priest of the Jews: Did you say that you will destroy the temple and in three days rebuild it? The Christ-Being no longer spoke from the decaying body of Jesus of Nazareth and stood dumb before Pilate, who asked: Did you say that you are the king of the Jews? The way of the Passion went from the baptism in the Jordan to powerlessness. And soon the masses, who had previously been amazed at the Christ-Being's over-earthly miraculous power, no longer admired him, but stood in front of the cross mocking the weakness of the god who became man with the words: You helped others, now help yourself! That was the Passion path—endless suffering, to which was added sorrow for humanity at that moment of the mystery of Golgotha.
That pain and suffering, however, gave birth to the spirit which poured out on the apostles at Pentecost. From that pain was born the all-embracing cosmic love which descended with the baptism in the Jordan from the over-earthly, heavenly spheres into the earthly sphere – which became similar to a human body and realized the moment of highest divine powerlessness in order to give birth to the impulse which we know as the Christ-Impulse in the subsequent evolution of humanity.
These are things we must keep in mind if we want to understand the full meaning of the Christ-Impulse, as it will have to be understood in the future in order for humanity to advance in its path of evolution and culture.
Dritter Vortrag
Wenn ich gestern davon gesprochen habe, daß diejenigen Persönlichkeiten, die man gewöhnlich die Apostel des Christus Jesus nennt, eine gewisse Auferweckung erlebt haben in dem Augenblick, der im sogenannten Pfingstfest seinen Ausgangspunkt hat, so ist damit durchaus nicht etwa behauptet, daß dasjenige, wovon ich zu sprechen habe als von dem Inhalt des sogenannten Fünften Evangeliums, gleich dazumal so, wie ich es jetzt erzähle, im Bewußtsein, im vollen Bewußtsein dieser Apostel gewesen sei. Allerdings, wenn sich das hellsichtige Bewußtsein in die Seelen dieser Apostel vertieft, dann erkennt es jene Bilder in diesen Seelen. Aber in den Aposteln selber lebte das dazumal schon weniger als Bild, sondern es lebte, nun, wenn ich sagen darf als Leben, als unmittelbares Erleben, als Gefühl und Macht der Seele. Und dasjenige, was die Apostel dann haben sprechen können, wodurch sie sogar die Griechen in der damaligen Zeit hingerissen haben, wodurch sie den Anstoß gegeben haben zu dem, was wir die christliche Entwickelung nennen, dasjenige, was sie so als Macht der Seele, als Macht des Gemütes in sich trugen, das erblühte aus dem, was in ihrer Seele lebte als lebendige Kraft des Fünften Evangeliums. Sie konnten so reden, wie sie redeten, sie konnten so wirken, wie sie wirkten, weil sie die Dinge, die wir jetzt als Fünftes Evangelium entziffern, lebendig in ihrer Seele trugen, auch wenn sie die Dinge nicht so in Worten erzählten, wie man jetzt dieses Fünfte Evangelium erzählen muß. Denn sie hatten ja empfangen, wie durch eine Auferweckung, die Befruchtung durch die allwaltende kosmische Liebe, und unter dem Eindruck dieser Befruchtung wirkten sie nun weiter. Was in ihnen wirkte, war dasjenige, wozu der Christus geworden ist nach dem Mysterium von Golgatha. Und hier stehen wir an einem Punkte, wo wir im Sinne des Fünften Evangeliums über das Erdenleben des Christus sprechen müssen.
Es ist für heutige Begriffe, für Begriffe der Gegenwart, nicht ganz leicht, das in Worte zu fassen, um was es sich dabei handelt. Aber wir können uns mit mancherlei Begriffen und Ideen, die wir schon gewonnen haben durch unsere geisteswissenschaftlichen Betrachtungen, diesem größten Erdengeheimnisse nähern. Wenn man das ChristusWesen verstehen will, dann muß man manche Begriffe, die wir schon haben durch unsere geisteswissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzungen, in etwas veränderter Form auf die Christus-Wesenheit anwenden.
Gehen wir einmal, um zu einiger Klarheit zu kommen, aus von demjenigen, was man gewöhnlich nennt die Johannestaufe im Jordan. Sie stellt sich im Fünften Evangelium dar in bezug auf das Erdenleben des Christus wie etwas, was gleich ist wie eine Empfängnis bei einem Erdenmenschen. Das Leben des Christus von da ab bis zu dem Mysterium von Golgatha verstehen wir, wenn wir es vergleichen mit demjenigen Leben, das der Menschenkeim im Leibe der Mutter durchmacht. Es ist also gewissermaßen ein Keimesleben der ChristusWesenheit, das diese Wesenheit durchmacht von der Johannestaufe bis zum Mysterium von Golgatha. Das Mysterium von Golgatha selber müssen wir verstehen als die irdische Geburt, also den Tod des Jesus als die irdische Geburt des Christus. Und sein eigentliches Erdenleben müssen wir suchen »ach dem Mysterium von Golgatha, da der Christus seinen Umgang gehabt hat, wie ich gestern angedeutet habe, mit den Aposteln, als diese Apostel in einer Art von anderem Bewußtseinszustand waren. Das war dasjenige, was der eigentlichen Geburt der Christus-Wesenheit folgte. Und was beschrieben wird als die Himmelfahrt und die darauf folgende Ausgießung des Geistes, das müssen wir bei der Christus-Wesenheit auffassen als dasjenige, was wir beim menschlichen Tode als das Eingehen in die geistigen Welten anzusehen gewohnt sind. Und das Weiterleben des Christus in der Erdensphäre seit der Himmelfahrt oder seit dem Pfingstereignis müssen wir vergleichen mit dem, was die Menschenseele durchlebt, wenn sie im sogenannten Devachan, im Geisterlande ist.
Wir sehen also, meine lieben Freunde, daß wir in der ChristusWesenheit eine solche Wesenheit vor uns haben, gegenüber welcher wir alle Begriffe, die wir sonst uns angeeignet haben über die Aufeinanderfolge der Zustände des menschlichen Lebens, vollständig verändern müssen. Der Mensch geht nach der kurzen Zwischenzeit, die man gewöhnlich nennt Läuterungszeit, Kamalokazeit, in die geistige Welt über, um sich vorzubereiten zum nächsten Erdenleben. Der Mensch durchlebt also nach seinem Tode ein geistiges Leben. Vom Pfingstereignisse an erlebte die Christus-Wesenheit dasjenige, was für sie dasselbe bedeutete, wie für den Menschen der Übergang ins Geisterland: das Aufgehen in die Erdensphäre. Und anstatt in ein Devachan, anstatt in ein geistiges Gebiet zu kommen, wie der Mensch nach dem Tode, brachte die Christus-Wesenheit das Opfer, ihren Himmel gleichsam auf der Erde aufzuschlagen, auf der Erde zu suchen. Der Mensch verläßt die Erde, um, wenn wir mit den gebräuchlichen Ausdrücken sprechen, seinen Wohnplatz mit dem Himmel zu vertauschen. Der Christus verließ den Himmel, um diesen seinen Wohnplatz mit der Erde zu vertauschen. Das bitte ich Sie im rechten Lichte sich anzuschauen und daran zu knüpfen dann die Empfindung, das Gefühl, was geschehen ist durch das Mysterium von Golgatha, was geschehen ist durch die Christus-Wesenheit, worin das eigentliche Opfer der Christus-Wesenheit bestanden hat, nämlich im Verlassen der geistigen Sphären, um mit der Erde und mit den Menschen auf der Erde zu leben, und die Menschen, die Evolution auf der Erde durch den ihr so gegebenen Impuls weiterzuführen. Das besagt schon, daß vor der Johannestaufe im Jordan diese Wesenheit nicht der Erdensphäte angehörte. Sie ist also hereingewandert aus den überirdischen Sphären in die Erdensphäre. Und dasjenige, was erlebt wurde zwischen der Johannestaufe und dem Pfingstereignis, das mußte erlebt werden, um umzuwandeln die himmlische Wesenheit des Christus in die irdische Wesenheit des Christus.
Es ist unendlich viel gesagt, wenn dieses Geheimnis hier ausgesptochen wird mit den Worten: Seit dem Pfingstereignis ist die Christus-Wesenheit bei den menschlichen Seelen auf der Erde; vorher war sie nicht bei den menschlichen Seelen auf der Erde. Das, was die Christus-Wesenheit durchgemacht hat zwischen der Johannestaufe und dem Pfingstereignis, ist geschehen, damit der Wohnsitz eines Gottes in der geistigen Welt vertauscht werden konnte mit dem Wohnsitz in der irdischen Sphäre. Das ist geschehen, damit diese göttlich-geistige Christus-Wesenheit die Gestalt annehmen konnte, welche notwendig war für sie, um mit den menschlichen Seelen fortan Gemeinschaft zu haben. Warum sind also die Ereignisse von Palästina vollzogen worden? Damit die göttlich-geistige Wesenheit des Christus die Gestalt annehmen konnte, die sie brauchte, um mit den menschlichen Seelen auf der Erde Gemeinschaft zu haben.
Es ist damit zugleich darauf hingewiesen, daß dieses Ereignis von Palästina ein einzigartiges ist, worauf ich ja schon öfter aufmerksam gemacht habe: es ist das Herabsteigen einer höheren, nicht irdischen Wesenheit in die Erdensphäre und das Zusammenbleiben dieser nicht irdischen Wesenheit mit der Erdensphäre, bis unter ihrem Einfluß die Erdensphäre die entsprechende Umgestaltung erfahren haben wird. Seit jener Zeit ist also die Christus-Wesenheit auf der Erde wirksam.
Wollen wir nun das Pfingstereignis im Sinne des Fünften Evangeliums vollständig verstehen, so müssen wir die Begriffe zu Hilfe nehmen, die wir in der Geisteswissenschaft ausgearbeitet haben. Aufmerksam gemacht worden ist darauf, daß es in den alten Zeiten Mysterieneinweihungen gegeben hat, daß die Menschenseele durch diese Einweihung heraufgehoben worden ist zur Teilnahme am spirituellen Leben. Am anschaulichsten wird dieses vorchristliche Mysterienwesen, wenn man ins Auge faßt die sogenannten persischen oder Mithrasmysterien. Da gab es sieben Stufen der Einweihung. Da wurde derjenige, der heraufgeführt werden sollte in die höheren Grade des geistigen Erlebens, zuerst zu dem geführt, was man symbolisch einen «Raben» nannte. Dann wurde er ein «Okkulter», ein «Verborgener». Im dritten Grade wurde er ein «Streiter», im vierten ein «Löwe», im fünften übertrug man ihm den Namen desjenigen Volkes, dem er angehörte. Im sechsten Grade wurde er ein «Sonnenheld», im siebenten Grade ein «Vater». Für die vier ersten Grade genügt es heute, wenn wir sagen, daß der Mensch allmählich immer tiefer und tiefer in das geistige Erleben hineingeführt wurde. Im fünften Grade erlangte der Mensch die Fähigkeit, ein erweitertes Bewußtsein zu haben, so daß dieses erweiterte Bewußtsein ihm die Fähigkeit gab, ein geistiger Behüter des ganzen Volkes zu werden, dem er angehörte. Deshalb übertrug man ihm auch den Namen des betreffenden Volkes. Wenn jemand in diesen alten Mysterien in den fünften Grad eingeweiht war, dann hatte er eine bestimmte Art der Teilnahme an dem geistigen Leben.
Wir wissen gerade aus einem Vortragszyklus, den ich hier gehalten habe, daß die Erdenvölker geführt werden von dem, was wir in den Hierarchien der geistigen Wesenheiten die Archangeloi oder Erzengel nennen. In diese Sphäre wurde hinaufgehoben der in den fünften Grad Eingeweihte, so daß er teilnahm an dem Leben der Erzengel. Man brauchte solche Eingeweihte in den fünften Grad, man brauchte sie im Kosmos. Daher gab es auf Erden eine Einweihung in diesen fünften Grad. Wenn solch eine Persönlichkeit in die Mysterien eingeweiht wurde und alle die inneren Seelenerlebnisse durchmachte, den Seeleninhalt bekam, der dem fünften Grade entsprach, dann blickte gleichsam der Erzengel des betreffenden Volkes, dem diese Persönlichkeit angehörte, hinab auf diese Seele und las in dieser Seele, wie wir in einem Buche lesen, das uns gewisse Dinge mitteilt, die wir wissen müssen, damit wir diese oder jene Tat vollbtingen können. Was einem Volke notwendig war, was ein Volk brauchte, das lasen die Archangeloi in den Seelen derjenigen, die in den fünften Grad eingeweiht worden waren. Man muß, damit die Archangeloi in der richtigen Weise führen können, auf der Erde Eingeweihte des fünften Grades schaffen. Diese Eingeweihten sind die Vermittler zwischen den eigentlichen Volksführern, den Archangeloi, und dem Volke selber. Sie tragen gleichsam hinauf in die Sphäre der Archangeloi dasjenige, was dort gebraucht wird, damit das Volk in der richtigen Weise geführt werden kann.
Wie konnte nun dieser fünfte Grad erlangt werden in alten vorchristlichen Zeiten? Nicht konnte er erlangt werden, wenn die Seele des Menschen im Leibe blieb. Die Seele des Menschen mußte aus dem Leibe herausgehoben werden. Die Einweihung bestand gerade darin, daß die Seele des Menschen aus dem Leibe herausgeholt worden ist. Und außerhalb des Leibes machte dann die Seele durch, was ihr den Inhalt gab, den ich soeben beschrieben habe. Die Seele mußte verlassen die Erde, mußte in die geistige Welt hinaufsteigen, um dasjenige zu erreichen, was sie erreichen sollte.
Wenn nun der sechste Grad der alten Einweihung erreicht wurde, der Grad des Sonnenhelden, dann wurde in der Seele eines solchen Sonnenhelden dasjenige rege, was nicht nur zur Führung, zur Leitung und Lenkung eines Volkes notwendig ist, sondern was höher ist als die bloße Lenkung und Leitung eines Volkes. Wenn Sie den Blick hinwenden auf die Entwickelung der ganzen Menschheit auf der Erde, so sehen Sie, wie Völker entstehen und wieder hinschwinden, wie Völker sich gleichsam verwandeln. Wie die einzelnen Menschen, so werden Völker geboren und sterben. Dasjenige aber, was ein Volk für die Erde geleistet hat, muß fortbewahrt werden für die ganze Entwickelung der Menschheit auf Erden. Es muß nicht nur ein Volk geleitet und gelenkt werden, sondern es muß dasjenige, was dieses Volk als irdische Arbeit leistet, weitergeführt werden über das Volk hinaus. Damit eine Volksleistung herausgeführt werden kann über das Volk hinaus von den Geistern, die höherstehen als die Erzengel, von den Zeitgeistern, waren notwendig die Eingeweihten des sechsten Grades, die Sonnenhelden. Denn in dem, was in der Seele eines Sonnenhelden lebte, konnten die Wesen der höheren Welten dasjenige lesen, was die Arbeit eines Volkes hinübertrug in die Arbeit des ganzen Menschengeschlechtes. So konnte man die Kräfte gewinnen, die in der richtigen Weise die Arbeit eines Volkes herübertragen in die Arbeit der ganzen Menschheit. Über die ganze Erde wurde hingetragen dasjenige, was in dem Sonnenhelden lebte. Und so wie derjenige, der in den fünften Grad in den alten Mysterien eingeweiht werden sollte, aus seinem Leibe herausgehen mußte, um das Notwendige durchzumachen, so mußte derjenige, der ein Sonnenheld werden sollte, herausgehen aus seinem Leibe und zum Wohnplatz während der Zeit seines Herausgegangenseins wirklich die Sonne haben.
Das sind allerdings Dinge, die für das heutige Zeitbewußtsein fast fabelhaft klingen, ja, vielleicht als eine Torheit gelten. Aber dafür gilt auch das Paulinische Wort, daß was Weisheit vor den Göttern, oftmals Torheit ist für die Menschen. Der Sonnenheld lebte also für diese Zeit seiner Einweihung mit dem ganzen Sonnensystem zusammen. Die. Sonne ist sein Wohnplatz, wie der gewöhnliche Mensch auf der Erde als auf seinem Planeten lebt. Wie um uns Berge und Flüsse sind, sind für den Sonnenhelden während seiner Einweihung um ihn die Planeten des Sonnensystems. Entrückt auf die Sonne mußte der Sonnenheld während der Einweihung sein. Das konnte man in den alten Mysterien nur außerhalb des Leibes erreichen. Und wenn man zurückkehrte in seinen Leib, erinnerte man sich daran, was man außerhalb seines Leibes erlebt hatte und konnte es verwenden als Wirkenskräfte für dieEvolution der ganzen Menschheit, für das Heil der ganzen Menschheit. Die Sonnenhelden verließen also während der Einweihung ihren Leib; hatten sie sich mit diesen Kräften erfüllt, dann traten sie wiederum in ihren Leib zurück. Wenn sie zurückgekehrt waren, dann hatten sie die Kräfte in ihrer Seele, welche die Arbeit eines Volkes herausführen konnten in die ganze Entwickelung der Menschheit.
Und was erlebten diese Sonnenhelden während der dreieinhalb Tage ihrer Einweihung? Während sie — wir können es schon so nennen wandelten nicht auf der Erde, sondern auf der Sonne, was erlebten sie? Die Gemeinsamkeit mit dem Christus, der vor dem Mysterium von Golgatha noch nicht auf der Erde war! Alle alten Sonnenhelden waren so in die Sonnensphäre hinaufgegangen, denn nur da konnte man in den alten Zeiten die Gemeinsamkeit mit dem Christus erleben. Aus dieser Welt, in die hinaufsteigen mußten während ihrer Einweihung die alten Eingeweihten, ist der Christus herabgestiegen auf die Erde. Wir können also sagen: Dasjenige, was durch die ganze Prozedur der Einweihung in alten Zeiten für einzelne Wenige hat erreicht werden können, das wurde erreicht wie durch ein naturgemäßes Ereignis in den Pfingsttagen von denjenigen, welche die Apostel des Christus waren. Während früher die Menschenseelen hatten hinaufsteigen müssen zu dem Christus, war jetzt der Christus zu den Aposteln herabgestiegen. Und die Apostel waren in gewisser Weise solche Seelen geworden, die in sich trugen jenen Inhalt, den die alten Sonnenhelden in ihren Seelen gehabt haben. Die geistige Kraft der Sonne hatte sich ausgegossen über die Seelen dieser Menschen und wirkte fortan weiter in der Menschheitsevolution. Damit dies geschehen konnte, damit das Wirken einer ganz neuen Kraft auf die Erde kommen konnte, mußte das Ereignis von Palästina, mußte das Mysterium von Golgatha sich vollziehen.
Aus was heraus aber ist das Erdensein des Christus erwachsen? Es ist erwachsen aus dem tiefsten Leiden, aus einem Leiden, das hinausgeht über alle menschliche Vorstellungsfähigkeit vom Leiden. Um an dieser Stelle richtige Begriffe über die Sache zu bekommen, sind auch wieder einige Widerstände des gegenwärtigen Bewußtseins hinwegzuräumen. Ich muß nun einmal manche Einschaltung machen in die Erklärung des Fünften Evangeliums.
Vor kurzem ist ein Buch erschienen, das ich recht sehr zur Lektüre empfehlen möchte, weil es von einem sehr geistreichen Manne herrührt und beweisen kann, welchen Unsinn geistreiche Menschen in bezug auf geistige Dinge aussprechen können. Ich meine das Buch Maurice Maeterlincks «Vom Tode». Unter mancherlei unsinnigen Dingen, die darin stehen, ist auch die Behauptung, daß wenn der Mensch einmal gestorben sei, er nicht mehr leiden könne, da er ja dann ein Geist sei, keinen physischen Leib mehr habe. Ein Geist aber könne nicht leiden. Der Leib sei es allein, der leide. — Maeterlinck, der geistvolle Mann, gibt sich also der Illusion hin, daß nur das Physische leiden könne und ein Toter deswegen nicht leiden könne. Er merkt gar nicht den phänomenalen, fast unglaublichen Unsinn, der darin liegt, zu behaupten, daß der physische Leib, der aus physischen Kräften und chemischen Stoffen besteht, allein leidet. Als ob Leiden an physische Stoffe und Kräfte gebunden sei! Stoffe und Kräfte leiden überhaupt nicht. Wenn diese leiden könnten, dann müßte auch ein Stein leiden können. Der physische Leib kann nicht leiden; was leidet, das ist doch eben der Geist, das Seelische. Es ist heute so weit gekommen, daß die Menschen über die einfachsten Dinge das Gegenteil von dem denken, was Sinn hat. Es gäbe kein Kamalokaleiden, wenn das geistige Leben nicht leiden könnte. Weil es entbehrt, wirklich entbehrt den physischen Leib, gerade darin besteht das Kamalokaleiden. Wer nun der Meinung ist, daß ein Geist nicht leiden könne, der wird auch nicht die richtige Vorstellung bekommen können von dem unendlichen Leiden, das der Christus-Geist durchmachte während der Jahre in Palästina. |
Bevor ich aber von diesem Leiden spreche, muß ich Sie noch auf etwas anderes aufmerksam machen. Ins Auge fassen müssen wir, daß mit der Johannestaufe im Jordan ein Geist auf die Erde herabgekommen ist, fortan drei Jahre in einem irdischen Leib gelebt und in diesem dann den Tod auf Golgatha durchgemacht hat, ein Geist, der vor der Johannestaufe im Jordan in ganz anderen als irdischen Verhältnissen gelebt hat. Und was heißt das, dieser Geist habe in ganz anderen als irdischen Verhältnissen gelebt? Das heißt, anthroposophisch gesprochen, dieser Geist habe auch kein irdisches Karma gehabt. Was das bedeutet, bitte ich ins Auge zu fassen. Ein Geist lebte drei Jahre im Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, der diese Laufbahn auf der Erde durchgemacht hat, ohne ein irdisches Karma in seiner Seele zu haben. Damit gewinnen alle irdischen Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse, die der Christus durchgemacht hat, eine ganz andere Bedeutung als die Erfahrungen, die etwa eine Menschenseele durchmacht. Leiden “wir, haben wir diese oder jene Erfahrung, so wissen wir, daß Leiden im Karma begründet sind. Für den Christus-Geist aber war es nicht so. Er hatte eine dreijährige Erdenerfahrung durchzumachen, ohne daß ein Karma auf ihm lastete. Was war also das für ihn? Leiden ohne karmischen Sinn, wirklich unverdientes Leiden, ein unschuldiges Leiden! Das Fünfte Evangelium ist das anthroposophische Evangelium und zeigt uns, daß das dreijährige Christus-Leben das einzige Leben in einem menschlichen Leibe ist, das ohne Karma gelebt wurde, auf welches der Begriff von Karma im menschlichen Sinne nicht anwendbar ist.
Aber die weitere Betrachtung dieses Evangeliums lehrt uns noch etwas anders dieses dreijährige Leben erkennen. Dieses ganze dreijährige Leben auf der Erde, das wir betrachtet haben wie ein Embryonalleben, das erzeugte auch kein Karma, das lud auch keine Schuld auf sich. Es wurde also auf der Erde ein dreijähriges Leben gelebt, das nicht durch Karma bedingt war und auch kein Karma erzeugte. Man muß alle diese Begriffe und Ideen, die man damit empfängt, nur im ganz tiefen Sinne aufnehmen und man wird mancherlei gewinnen für ein richtiges Verständnis dieses außerordentlichen Ereignisses von Palästina, das sonst wirklich in mancher Hinsicht unerklärlich bleibt. Vieles muß man zusammentragen zu seinem Verständnis. Denn was alles hat es hervorgerufen an sich widersprechenden Erklärungen, in welcher Weise ist es mißverstanden worden! Und dennoch, wie hat es Impuls auf Impuls bewirkt in der Menschheitsentwickelung! Man nimmt diese Dinge nur nicht immer in der richtigen tiefen Bedeutung. Man wird einmal über diese Dinge ganz anders reden, wenn man das in seiner ungeheuren Tiefe einsehen wird, was wir hier angedeutet haben, indem wir davon sprachen, daß wir hier ein dreijähriges Erdenleben vor uns haben, das ohne Karma gelebt wurde.
Wie gedankenlos geht vielfach der Mensch an Dingen vorbei, die eigentlich tief bedeutsam sind. Vielleicht hat mancher von Ihnen doch auch etwas gehört von dem im Jahre 1863 erschienenen Buche «Leben Jesu» von Ernest Renan. Man liest dieses Buch, ohne auf das Signifikante dieses Buches recht Rücksicht zu nehmen. Vielleicht werden sich später die Menschen wundern, daß unzählige Menschen bis heute dieses Buch gelesen haben, ohne zu empfinden, was eigentlich das Sonderbare, Merkwürdige an diesem Buche ist. Das Merkwürdige an diesem Buche ist, daß es ein Zwischending, ein Gemisch ist einer erhabenen Darstellung und eines Hintertreppenromans. Daß diese zwei Dinge zusammengemischt werden können, eine schöne Darstellung und eine richtige Hintertreppengeschichte, das wird man später einmal als höchste Absonderlichkeit ansehen. Lesen Sie mit diesem Bewußtsein einmal dieses «Leben Jesu» von Ernest Renan, lesen Sie, was er aus dem Christus macht, der für ihn natürlich hauptsächlich der Christus Jesus ist. Er macht einen Helden daraus, der erst ganz gute Absichten hat, ein großer Wohltäter der Menschheit ist, der aber dann gleichsam von der Volksbegeisterung mitgerissen wird und nachgibt immer mehr und mehr dem, was das Volk will und wünscht, was es so gerne hört und so gerne gesagt bekommt.
Im großen Stile wendet Ernest Renan dasjenige auf den Christus an, was man im kleineren Stile oftmals auf uns angewendet findet. Denn es kommt schon vor, daß Leute, wenn sie irgend etwas sich ausbreiten sehen, wie zum Beispiel die Theosophie, dann an dem Lehrer die folgende Kritik üben: Anfangs hatte er ganz gute Absichten, dann kamen die bösen Anhänger, die ihm schmeichelten und ihn verdarben. Da verfiel er in den Fehler, das zu sagen, was die Zuhörer gerne hören möchten. — So behandelt Renan das Christus-Leben. Er entblödet sich nicht, die Auferweckung des Lazarus wie eine Art Betrug darzustellen, den Christus Jesus hat geschehen lassen, damit ein gutes Agitationsmittel da seil Er entblödet sich nicht, Christus Jesus in eine Arte Rage, eine Leidenschaft hineinzuführen und immer mehr und mehr dem Volksinstinkt verfallen zu lassen! Dadurch ist ein Hintertreppenromanhaftes hineingemischt in die erhabenen Darstellungen, die auch in diesem Buche enthalten sind. Und das Eigentümliche ist, daß eigentlich ein etwas gesundes Empfinden - ja, ich will nur wenig sagen — zurückgeschreckt werden müßte, wenn es geschildert bekommt eine Wesenheit, die anfangs die besten Absichten hat, schließlich aber den Volksinstinkten verfällt und allerlei Schwindeleien geschehen läßt. Renan aber fühlt sich gar nicht abgeschreckt davon, sondern hat schöne Worte, hinreißende Worte für diese Persönlichkeit. Kurios, nicht wahr! Aber es ist ein Beispiel dafür, wie groß die Hinneigung der menschlichen Seelen zu dem Christus ist, ganz unabhängig davon, ob sie Verständnis hat für den Christus oder nicht, wenn sie auch nichts von dem Christus verstehen. Es kann so weit gehen, daß ein solcher Mensch das Leben Christi zu einem Hintertreppenroman macht und dennoch nicht bewundernde Worte genug findet, um die Menschen hinzulenken auf diese Persönlichkeit. Solche Dinge sind nur möglich gegenüber einer solchen Wesenheit, die in die Erdenentwickelung so eintritt wie die Christus-Wesenheit. Oh, es wäre viel Karma geschaffen worden in dem dreijährigen Leben Christi auf der Erde, wenn Christus so gelebt hätte, wie Renan es schildert. Das aber wird man erkennen in künftigen Tagen, daß eine solche Schilderung einfach zerbrechen muß, weil man erkennen wird, daß das Christus-Leben kein Karma mit sich brachte und auch keines geschaffen hat. Das ist die Verkündigung des Fünften Evangeliums.
Es war also das Ereignis am Jordan, das wir als die Johannestaufe bezeichnen, etwas das man vergleichen kann einer Empfängnis beim Erdenmenschen. Das Fünfte Evangelium sagt uns, daß die Worte, so wie sie im Lukas-Evangelium stehen, eine richtige Wiedergabe sind dessen, was dazumal hätte gehört werden können, wenn ein entwikkeltes, hellsichtiges Bewußtsein zugehört hätte dem kosmischen Ausdruck dieses Geheimnisses, das sich da vollzog. Die Worte, die vom Himmel herabtönten, lauteten wirklich: «Dieser ist mein vielgeliebter Sohn, heute habe ich ihn gezeuget.» Das sind die Worte des LukasEvangeliums, und das ist auch die richtige Wiedergabe dessen, was damals geschehen ist: die Zeugung, die Empfängnis des Christus in die Erdenwesenheit. Das vollzog sich im Jordan.
Wollen wir vorläufig einmal davon absehen, auf welche irdische Persönlichkeit sich herabgesenkt hat dieser Geist des Christus in der Johannestaufe. Wir wollen in den nächsten Tagen davon sprechen. Halten wir uns heute zunächst nur daran, daß ein Jesus von Nazareth gekommen war, der den Leib gegeben hat der Christus-Wesenheit. Nun sagt uns das Fünfte Evangelium — und das ist, was wir lesen können durch den rückgewendeten hellsichtigen Blick -, daß sich nicht völlig mit dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth verbunden hatte, daß die Christus-Wesenheit vom ersten Augenblick an ihres irdischen Wandels zuerst nur eine lose Verbindung hatte mit dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth. Die Verbindung war nicht so, wie beim gewöhnlichen Menschen die Verbindung des Leiblichen und der Seele ist, so daß diese vollständig im Leibe wohnt, sondern so, daß jederzeit, zum Beispiel wenn es nötig war, die Christus-Wesenheit den Leib des Jesus von Nazareth wiederum verlassen konnte. Und während der Leib des Jesus von Nazareth irgendwo war wie schlafend, machte die ChristusWesenheit geistig den Weg da- oder dorthin, wo es eben gerade nötig war.
Das Fünfte Evangelium zeigt uns, daß nicht immer, wenn die Christus-Wesenheit den Aposteln erschienen war, auch der Leib des Jesus von Nazareth dabei war, sondern daß oftmals die Sache so sich vollzogen hat, daß der Leib des Jesus von Nazareth irgendwo geblieben war und nur der Geist, eben der Christus-Geist, den Aposteln erschienen war. Aber er war dann so erschienen, daß sie die geistige Erscheinung verwechseln konnten mit dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth. Sie merkten wohl einen Unterschied, aber der Unterschied war zu gering, als daß sie ihn immer deutlich bemerkt hätten. In den vier Evangelien tritt das nicht so sehr hervor; das Fünfte Evangelium sagt es uns klar. Die Apostel konnten nicht immer deutlich unterscheiden: Jetzt haben wir den Christus im Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth vor uns, oder jetzt haben wir den Christus als geistige Wesenheit allein. Der Unterschied war nicht immer klar, sie wußten nicht immer, ob das eine oder das andere der Fall war. Sie hielten diese Erscheinung - sie dachten eben nicht viel darüber nach - zumeist für den Christus Jesus, das heißt für den Christus-Geist, insofern sie ihn als solchen erkannten in dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth. Aber was sich nach und nach vollzog im dreijährigen Erdenleben, das war, daß gewissermaßen in den drei Jahren der Geist sich an den Leib des Jesus von Nazareth immer enger und enger band, daß die Christus-Wesenheit immer ähnlicher und ähnlicher wurde als ätherische Wesenheit dem physischen Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth.
Bemerken Sie, wie hier wieder anderes eintrat in bezug auf die Christus-Wesenheit als beim Leibe des gewöhnlichen Menschen. Wenn wir dieses verstehen wollen, sagen wir richtig: Der gewöhnliche Mensch ist ein Mikrokosmos gegenüber dem Makrokosmos, ein kleines Abbild des ganzen Makrokosmos, denn dasjenige, was sich im physischen Leibe des Menschen ausdrückt, was der Mensch auf Erden wird, das spiegelt den großen Kosmos ab. Das Umgekehrte ist bei der Christus-Wesenheit der Fall. Die makrokosmische Sonnenwesenheit formt sich nach der Gestalt des menschlichen Mikrokosmos, drängt sich und engt sich, preßt sich immer mehr und mehr zusammen, so daß sie immer ähnlicher wird dem menschlichen Mikrokosmos. Gerade das Umgekehrte als beim gewöhnlichen Menschen ist da der Fall.
Im Anfang des Erdenlebens des Christus, gleich nach der Taufe im Jordan, war die Verbindung mit dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth noch die am meisten lose. Noch ganz außer dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth war die Christus-Wesenheit. Da war dasjenige, was beim Herumwandeln auf Erden die Christus-Wesenheit wirkte, noch etwas ganz Überirdisches. Sie vollzog Heilungen, die mit keiner Menschenkraft zu vollziehen sind. Sie sprach mit einer Eindringlichkeit zu den Menschen, die eine göttliche Eindringlichkeit war. Die ChristusWesenheit, wie nur sich selber fesselnd an den Leib des Jesus von Nazareth, wirkte als überirdische Christus-Wesenheit. Aber immer mehr und mehr machte sie sich ähnlich dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, preßte sich, zog sich immer mehr und mehr zusammen in irdische Verhältnisse hinein und machte das mit, daß immer mehr die göttliche Kraft hinschwand. Das alles machte die Christus-Wesenheit durch, indem sie sich dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth anähnlichte, eine Entwickelung, die in gewisser Beziehung eine absteigende Entwickelung war. Die Christus-Wesenheit mußte fühlen, wie Macht und Kraft des Gottes immer mehr und mehr entwich im Ähnlichwerden dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth. Aus dem Gotte wurde nach und nach ein Mensch.
Wie jemand, der unter unendlichen Qualen immer mehr und mehr seinen Leib dahinschwinden sieht, so sah schwinden ihren göttlichen Inhalt die Christus-Wesenheit, indem sie immer ähnlicher wurde als ätherische Wesenheit dem irdischen Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, bis sie diesem so ähnlich geworden war, daß sie Angst fühlen konnte wie ein Mensch. Das ist dasjenige, was auch die anderen Evangelien schildern beim Herausgehen des Christus Jesus mit seinen Jüngern auf den Ölberg, wo die Christus-Wesenheit in dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth den Angstschweiß auf der Stirn hatte. Das war die Vermenschlichung, das immer Menschlicher-und-menschlicher-Werden des Christus, die Anähnlichung an den Leib des Jesus von Nazareth. In demselben Maße, in dem diese ätherische ChristusWesenheit immer ähnlicher wurde dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, in demselben Maße wurde der Christus Mensch. Es schwanden ihm die geistigen Wunderkräfte des Gottes dahin. Und da sehen wir den ganzen Passionsweg des Christus-Wesens, der begann von jenem Zeitpunkte an, wie er bald nach der Johannestaufe im Jordan kam, wo er die Kranken heilte und die Dämonen austrieb durch seine göttlichen Kräfte, wo die staunenden Menschen, die das gesehen hatten, was der Christus vermochte, sagten: Das habe noch nie ein Wesen auf Erden vollbracht. — Das war die Zeit, in der die ChristusWesenheit noch wenig ähnlich war dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth. Von diesem staunenden Aufsehen der ringsherum befindlichen Bewunderer vollzieht sich in drei Jahren der Weg bis dahin, wo die Christus-Wesenheit so ähnlich geworden ist dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, daß sie in diesem siechen Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, dem sie sich angeähnelt hatte, nicht mehr antworten konnte auf die Fragen des Pilatus, des Herodes und des Kaiphas. So ähnlich war sie geworden dem Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth, dem immer schwächer und schwächer werdenden, immer siecher und siecher werdenden Leibe, daß auf die Frage: Hast du gesagt, daß du den Tempel abbrechen und in drei Tagen wieder aufbauen werdest? — aus dem morschen Leibe des Jesus von Nazareth die Christus-Wesenheit nicht mehr sprach und stumm blieb vor dem Hohenpriester der Juden, daß sie stumm blieb vor Pilatus, der fragte: Hast du gesagt, du wärest der König der Juden? — Das war der Passionsweg von der Taufe im Jordan bis zur Machtlosigkeit. Und bald darauf stand die staunende Menge, die vorher die überirdischen Wunderkräfte der Christus-Wesenheit angestaunt hatte, nicht mehr bewundernd um ihn, sondern stand vor dem Kreuze, spottend über die Ohnmacht des Gottes, der Mensch geworden war, mit den Worten: Bist du ein Gott, so steige herab. Du hast anderen geholfen, jetzt hilf dir selber! - Von der göttlichen Machtfülle bis zur Machtlosigkeit, das war der Passionsweg des Gottes. Ein Weg unendlichen Leidens für den Mensch gewordenen Gott, zu dem hinzukam jenes Leid über die Menschheit, die sich so weit gebracht hatte, wie sie eben war zur Zeit des Mysteriums von Golgatha. Und das war zu der Zeit der hohen intellektuellen Entwickelung der Menschheit, wie es gestern angedeutet wurde.
Dieses Schmerz-Erleiden aber gebar jenen Geist, der beim Pfingstfeste ausgegossen worden ist auf die Apostel. Aus diesen Schmerzen herausgeboren ist die allwaltende kosmische Liebe, die herabgestiegen ist bei der Taufe im Jordan aus den außerirdischen, himmlischen Sphären in die irdische Sphäre hinein, die ähnlich geworden ist dem Menschen, ähnlich einem menschlichen Leibe, und die durchmachte das unendliche Leiden, das sich kein Menschendenken ausdenken kann, die durchmachte den Augenblick der höchsten, göttlichen Ohnmacht, um jenen Impuls zu gebären, den wir dann als den ChristusImpuls in der weiteren Evolution der Menschheit kennen.
Das sind die Dinge, die wir ins Auge fassen müssen, wenn wir den tiefen Sinn verstehen wollen, die ganze Bedeutung des ChristusImpulses, wie sie wird verstanden sein müssen in die Zukunft der Menschheit hinein, was die Menschenzukunft brauchen wird, um auf ihrem Kultur-, auf ihrem Entwickelungspfade weiterzukommen.
Third Lecture
When I spoke yesterday about how those personalities commonly referred to as the apostles of Christ Jesus experienced a certain resurrection at the moment that began with the so-called Feast of Pentecost, I did not mean to imply that what I am referring to is the content of the so-called Fifth Gospel, just as I am not referring to the content of the Gospels themselves. I am about to speak of as the content of the so-called Fifth Gospel was immediately then, as I am now telling it, in the consciousness, in the full consciousness of these apostles. However, when clairvoyant consciousness penetrates deeply into the souls of these apostles, it recognizes those images in these souls. But in the apostles themselves, it lived at that time less as an image than as, if I may say so, life, as immediate experience, as feeling and power of the soul. And what the apostles were then able to say, which even enthralled the Greeks of that time, which gave the impetus to what we call Christian development, what they carried within themselves as the power of the soul, as the power of the mind, blossomed from what lived in their souls as the living power of the Fifth Gospel. They were able to speak as they did, they were able to work as they did, because they carried within their souls, alive, the things that we now decipher as the Fifth Gospel, even though they did not express these things in words as we must now express this Fifth Gospel. For they had received, as through a resurrection, the fertilization of the all-pervading cosmic love, and under the influence of this fertilization they now continued to work. What worked in them was that which Christ became after the Mystery of Golgotha. And here we stand at a point where we must speak about the earthly life of Christ in the sense of the Fifth Gospel.
It is not easy for today's concepts, for the concepts of the present, to put into words what this is all about. But we can approach this greatest mystery of the earth with some of the concepts and ideas we have already gained through our spiritual scientific observations. If we want to understand the Christ Being, we must apply some of the concepts we already have from our spiritual scientific investigations to the Christ Being in a slightly modified form.
To gain some clarity, let us start with what is commonly called the baptism of John in the Jordan. In the Fifth Gospel, it is presented in relation to the earthly life of Christ as something similar to the conception of an earthly human being. We can understand the life of Christ from that point until the mystery of Golgotha by comparing it with the life that the human germ undergoes in the mother's womb. It is, so to speak, a germ life of the Christ being that this being undergoes from the baptism of John until the mystery of Golgotha. We must understand the mystery of Golgotha itself as the earthly birth, that is, the death of Jesus as the earthly birth of Christ. And we must seek his actual earthly life “after the mystery of Golgotha, where Christ had his dealings, as I indicated yesterday, with the apostles when these apostles were in a kind of different state of consciousness. That was what followed the actual birth of the Christ being. And what is described as the Ascension and the subsequent outpouring of the Spirit, we must understand in the Christ being as what we are accustomed to regard as entering the spiritual worlds at human death. And the continued life of Christ in the earthly sphere since the Ascension or since the event of Pentecost must be compared with what the human soul experiences when it is in the so-called Devachan, in the spirit world.
So we see, my dear friends, that in the Christ Being we have before us a being in relation to whom we must completely change all the concepts we have otherwise acquired about the succession of states in human life. After the brief interim period commonly referred to as the purification period or Kamaloka, human beings pass into the spiritual world to prepare themselves for their next earthly life. After death, therefore, human beings go through a spiritual life. From the event of Pentecost onwards, the Christ Being experienced what meant for it the same as the transition to the spirit realm means for human beings: entering the earthly sphere. And instead of entering a devachan, a spiritual realm, as humans do after death, the Christ being made the sacrifice of establishing its heaven, as it were, on earth, of seeking it on earth. Humans leave the earth in order, to use the usual expressions, to exchange their dwelling place for heaven. Christ left heaven to exchange his dwelling place for the earth. I ask you to look at this in the right light and then connect it with the feeling, the sense of what happened through the mystery of Golgotha, what happened through the Christ Being, what the actual sacrifice of the Christ Being consisted of, namely, in leaving the spiritual spheres in order to live with the earth and with the people on earth, and to continue the evolution of the earth through the impulse given to it. This already indicates that before the baptism of John in the Jordan, this being did not belong to the earthly sphere. It therefore migrated from the super-earthly spheres into the earthly sphere. And what was experienced between the baptism of John and the event of Pentecost had to be experienced in order to transform the heavenly essence of Christ into the earthly essence of Christ.
It is infinitely significant when this secret is revealed here with the words: Since the event of Pentecost, the Christ being has been with human souls on earth; before that, it was not with human souls on earth. What the Christ-being underwent between the baptism of John and the event of Pentecost happened so that the dwelling place of a God in the spiritual world could be exchanged for a dwelling place in the earthly sphere. This happened so that this divine-spiritual Christ-being could take on the form that was necessary for it to have communion with human souls from then on. Why, then, did the events in Palestine take place? So that the divine-spiritual being of Christ could take on the form it needed to have communion with human souls on Earth.
This also indicates that the events in Palestine are unique, as I have often pointed out: they represent the descent of a higher, non-earthly being into the earth sphere and the remaining of this non-earthly being with the earth sphere until the earth sphere has undergone the corresponding transformation under its influence. Since that time, therefore, the Christ Being has been active on Earth.
If we now want to understand the event of Pentecost completely in the sense of the Fifth Gospel, we must take the concepts that we have developed in spiritual science to our aid. Attention has been drawn to the fact that in ancient times there were mystery initiations, through which the human soul was raised up to participate in spiritual life. This pre-Christian mystery system becomes most vivid when we consider the so-called Persian or Mithraic mysteries. There were seven stages of initiation. The person who was to be led up to the higher degrees of spiritual experience was first led to what was symbolically called a “raven.” Then he became an “occultist,” a “hidden one.” In the third degree, he became a “warrior,” in the fourth a “lion,” and in the fifth he was given the name of the people to whom he belonged. In the sixth degree, he became a “sun hero,” and in the seventh degree a “father.” For the first four degrees, it is sufficient today to say that the human being was gradually led deeper and deeper into spiritual experience. In the fifth degree, the human being attained the ability to have an expanded consciousness, so that this expanded consciousness gave him the ability to become a spiritual guardian of the entire people to whom he belonged. That is why he was also given the name of the people he belonged to. If someone was initiated into the fifth degree in these ancient mysteries, they had a certain kind of participation in spiritual life.
We know from a series of lectures I have given here that the peoples of the earth are guided by what we call the Archangels in the hierarchies of spiritual beings. Those initiated into the fifth degree were lifted up into this sphere so that they could participate in the life of the Archangels. Such initiates were needed in the fifth degree; they were needed in the cosmos. That is why there was an initiation into this fifth degree on earth. When such a personality was initiated into the mysteries and went through all the inner soul experiences, receiving the soul content corresponding to the fifth degree, then the archangel of the people to whom this personality belonged looked down upon this soul and read in it as we read in a book that tells us certain things we need to know in order to accomplish this or that deed. What was necessary for a people, what a people needed, the Archangeloi read in the souls of those who had been initiated into the fifth degree. In order for the Archangeloi to be able to guide in the right way, it is necessary to create initiates of the fifth degree on earth. These initiates are the mediators between the actual leaders of the people, the Archangeloi, and the people themselves. They carry up into the sphere of the Archangels, as it were, what is needed there so that the people can be guided in the right way.
How could this fifth degree be attained in ancient pre-Christian times? It could not be attained while the soul of the human being remained in the body. The soul of the human being had to be lifted out of the body. The initiation consisted precisely in the soul being taken out of the body. And outside the body, the soul then underwent what gave it the content I have just described. The soul had to leave the earth, had to ascend into the spiritual world in order to attain what it was meant to attain.
When the sixth degree of the old initiation was reached, the degree of the sun hero, then what became active in the soul of such a sun hero was not only what is necessary for the guidance, direction, and control of a people, but what is higher than the mere guidance and control of a people. If you look at the development of the whole of humanity on Earth, you see how peoples arise and disappear again, how peoples are transformed, as it were. Like individual human beings, peoples are born and die. But what a people has accomplished for the Earth must be preserved for the whole development of humanity on Earth. It is not only necessary to guide and direct a people, but what this people accomplishes as earthly work must be carried on beyond the people. In order for a people's achievement to be carried on beyond the people by spirits higher than the archangels, by the spirits of the age, the initiates of the sixth degree, the sun heroes, were necessary. For in what lived in the soul of a sun hero, the beings of the higher worlds could read what carried the work of a people over into the work of the entire human race. In this way, it was possible to gain the forces that carried the work of a people over into the work of the whole of humanity in the right way. What lived in the sun heroes was carried over the whole earth. And just as the one who was to be initiated into the fifth degree of the ancient mysteries had to leave his body in order to go through what was necessary, so the one who was to become a sun hero had to leave his body and actually have the sun as his dwelling place during the time of his departure.
These are, of course, things that sound almost fabulous to the modern consciousness, and may even be considered foolish. But then, as St. Paul says, what is wisdom to the gods is often foolishness to men. The sun hero thus lived together with the entire solar system during this time of his initiation. The sun is his dwelling place, just as ordinary human beings live on Earth as their planet. Just as mountains and rivers surround us, so the planets of the solar system surround the sun hero during his initiation. The sun hero had to be transported to the sun during his initiation. In the ancient mysteries, this could only be achieved outside the body. And when one returned to one's body, one remembered what one had experienced outside one's body and could use it as forces for the evolution of the whole of humanity, for the salvation of the whole of humanity. The sun heroes therefore left their bodies during their initiation; once they had filled themselves with these forces, they returned to their bodies. When they returned, they had the powers in their souls that could carry out the work of a people in the entire evolution of humanity.
And what did these sun heroes experience during the three and a half days of their initiation? While they — we can already call it that — were not walking on the earth but on the sun, what did they experience? The communion with Christ, who was not yet on earth before the mystery of Golgotha! All the ancient sun heroes had ascended into the solar sphere, for only there could one experience communion with Christ in ancient times. From this world, into which the ancient initiates had to ascend during their initiation, Christ descended to earth. We can therefore say that what could be achieved for a few individuals through the entire initiation process in ancient times was achieved as if by a natural event during the days of Pentecost by those who were the apostles of Christ. Whereas in earlier times human souls had to ascend to Christ, now Christ descended to the apostles. And the apostles had in a certain sense become souls who carried within themselves the content that the ancient sun heroes had had in their souls. The spiritual power of the sun had poured out over the souls of these people and continued to work in human evolution. In order for this to happen, in order for a completely new power to come to earth, the event in Palestine, the mystery of Golgotha, had to take place.
But from what did Christ's earthly existence arise? It arose from the deepest suffering, from a suffering that goes beyond all human imagination of suffering. In order to gain a correct understanding of this matter, we must again overcome some resistance on the part of the present consciousness. I must now make a few interjections in the explanation of the Fifth Gospel.
A book has recently been published that I would highly recommend reading, because it was written by a very intelligent man and proves what nonsense intelligent people can say about spiritual matters. I am referring to Maurice Maeterlinck's book “On Death.” Among the many nonsensical things it contains is the assertion that once a person has died, he can no longer suffer, since he is then a spirit and no longer has a physical body. But a spirit cannot suffer. It is the body alone that suffers. Maeterlinck, the intellectual man, thus indulges in the illusion that only the physical can suffer and that a dead person therefore cannot suffer. He does not even notice the phenomenal, almost unbelievable nonsense inherent in the assertion that the physical body, which consists of physical forces and chemical substances, suffers alone. As if suffering were bound to physical substances and forces! Substances and forces do not suffer at all. If they could suffer, then a stone would also be capable of suffering. The physical body cannot suffer; what suffers is the spirit, the soul. Today, we have reached the point where people think the opposite of what makes sense about the simplest things. There would be no kamaloka suffering if spiritual life could not suffer. Because it lacks, truly lacks the physical body, this is precisely what constitutes kamaloka suffering. Anyone who believes that a spirit cannot suffer will also be unable to form a correct idea of the infinite suffering that the Christ Spirit underwent during His years in Palestine.
But before I speak of this suffering, I must draw your attention to something else. We must realize that with the baptism of John in the Jordan, a spirit descended to earth, lived for three years in an earthly body, and then underwent death on Golgotha—a spirit that had lived in conditions entirely different from earthly ones before the baptism of John in the Jordan. And what does it mean that this spirit lived in circumstances completely different from earthly ones? In anthroposophical terms, it means that this spirit had no earthly karma. I ask you to consider what this means. A spirit lived for three years in the body of Jesus of Nazareth, who went through this career on earth without having any earthly karma in his soul. This gives all the earthly experiences and adventures that Christ went through a completely different meaning than the experiences that a human soul goes through. When we suffer, when we have this or that experience, we know that suffering is rooted in karma. But this was not the case for the Christ Spirit. He had to go through a three-year earthly experience without any karma weighing on him. So what was it for him? Suffering without karmic meaning, truly undeserved suffering, innocent suffering! The Fifth Gospel is the anthroposophical gospel and shows us that the three-year life of Christ is the only life in a human body that was lived without karma, to which the concept of karma in the human sense cannot be applied.
But further consideration of this Gospel teaches us something else about this three-year life. This entire three-year life on earth, which we have considered as an embryonic life, did not generate any karma, nor did it incur any guilt. So a three-year life was lived on earth that was not conditioned by karma and did not generate any karma. One must take all these concepts and ideas that one receives in this context in their deepest sense, and one will gain much for a correct understanding of this extraordinary event in Palestine, which otherwise remains inexplicable in many respects. Much must be gathered together in order to understand it. For what contradictory explanations has it given rise to, and in what ways has it been misunderstood! And yet, how has it caused impulse after impulse in the development of humanity! People simply do not always take these things in their true, deep meaning. One day we will talk about these things in a completely different way, when we understand in its immense depth what we have hinted at here, when we spoke of having before us a three-year earthly life that was lived without karma.
How thoughtlessly people often pass by things that are actually deeply significant. Perhaps some of you have heard something about the book “The Life of Jesus” by Ernest Renan, published in 1863. People read this book without really taking into account its significance. Perhaps people will later wonder why countless people have read this book without realizing what is so strange and remarkable about it. The remarkable thing about this book is that it is a mixture of a sublime representation and a back-alley novel. The fact that these two things can be mixed together, a beautiful portrayal and a real back-alley story, will one day be regarded as the height of eccentricity. Read Ernest Renan's “Life of Jesus” with this in mind, read what he makes of Christ, who for him is, of course, primarily Jesus Christ. He makes a hero out of him who initially has very good intentions, who is a great benefactor of humanity, but who is then, as it were, carried away by the enthusiasm of the people and gives in more and more to what the people want and desire, what they like to hear and like to be told.
Ernest Renan applies to Christ on a grand scale what we often find applied to ourselves on a smaller scale. For it does happen that when people see something spreading, such as theosophy, they criticize the teacher as follows: In the beginning he had good intentions, but then came the evil followers who flattered him and corrupted him. Then he fell into the error of saying what his listeners wanted to hear. This is how Renan treats the life of Christ. He does not hesitate to portray the raising of Lazarus as a kind of deception that Christ Jesus allowed to happen in order to have a good means of agitation. He does not hesitate to lead Christ Jesus into a kind of rage, a passion, and to let him fall more and more into the instincts of the people! This introduces a sensationalist element into the sublime descriptions that are also contained in this book. And the peculiar thing is that a somewhat healthy sensibility—yes, I will say only a little—should actually recoil when it is presented with a character who initially has the best of intentions but ultimately succumbs to popular instincts and allows all kinds of deceit to happen. Renan, however, is not at all repelled by this, but has beautiful words, enchanting words for this personality. Curious, isn't it! But it is an example of how great the inclination of human souls is toward Christ, quite independently of whether they understand Christ or not, even if they understand nothing about Christ. It can go so far that such a person turns the life of Christ into a trashy novel and yet cannot find enough admiring words to draw people to this personality. Such things are only possible with a being who enters into the earth's development in the way that the Christ being did. Oh, much karma would have been created in the three years of Christ's life on earth if Christ had lived as Renan describes. But in future days it will be recognized that such a description must simply break down, because it will be recognized that the life of Christ did not bring karma with it and did not create any. That is the proclamation of the Fifth Gospel.
So it was the event at the Jordan, which we call the baptism of John, that can be compared to a conception in earthly human beings. The Fifth Gospel tells us that the words as they appear in the Gospel of Luke are a correct rendering of what could have been heard at that time if a developed, clairvoyant consciousness had listened to the cosmic expression of the mystery that was taking place there. The words that rang out from heaven were really: “This is my beloved Son, today I have begotten him.” These are the words of Luke's Gospel, and this is also the correct rendering of what happened at that time: the begetting, the conception of Christ into earthly existence. This took place in the Jordan.
Let us leave aside for the moment the question of which earthly personality this Spirit of Christ descended upon at the baptism of John. We will speak about that in the next few days. Let us stick to the fact that a Jesus of Nazareth came and gave his body to the Christ Being. Now the Fifth Gospel tells us — and this is what we can read through our clairvoyant gaze turned back — that the Christ being was not completely connected with the body of Jesus of Nazareth, that from the first moment of its earthly life, the Christ being had only a loose connection with the body of Jesus of Nazareth. The connection was not like the connection between the physical body and the soul in ordinary human beings, where the soul dwells completely in the body, but rather so that at any time, for example when necessary, the Christ Being could leave the body of Jesus of Nazareth again. And while the body of Jesus of Nazareth was somewhere as if asleep, the Christ Being made its way spiritually to wherever it was needed at that moment.
The Fifth Gospel shows us that not always when the Christ Being appeared to the apostles was the body of Jesus of Nazareth also present, but that often the matter took place in such a way that the body of Jesus of Nazareth remained somewhere and only the spirit, namely the Christ Spirit, appeared to the apostles. But he appeared in such a way that they could confuse the spiritual appearance with the body of Jesus of Nazareth. They did notice a difference, but the difference was too small for them to always notice it clearly. This is not so evident in the four Gospels; the Fifth Gospel tells us clearly. The apostles could not always distinguish clearly: Now we have Christ in the body of Jesus of Nazareth before us, or now we have Christ as a spiritual being alone. The difference was not always clear; they did not always know whether one or the other was the case. They regarded this appearance—they did not think much about it—mostly as Christ Jesus, that is, as the Christ Spirit, insofar as they recognized him as such in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. But what gradually took place during the three years of his earthly life was that, in a sense, during those three years the spirit became more and more closely bound to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, so that the Christ being became more and more similar to the etheric being of the physical body of Jesus of Nazareth.
Notice how something different happened here in relation to the Christ being than in the body of an ordinary human being. If we want to understand this, we say correctly: The ordinary human being is a microcosm in relation to the macrocosm, a small image of the entire macrocosm, for what is expressed in the physical body of the human being, what the human being becomes on earth, reflects the great cosmos. The opposite is true of the Christ being. The macrocosmic sun being forms itself according to the shape of the human microcosm, pushing and constricting itself, pressing itself together more and more, so that it becomes more and more similar to the human microcosm. The exact opposite of what happens in ordinary human beings is the case here.
At the beginning of Christ's earthly life, immediately after His baptism in the Jordan, the connection with the body of Jesus of Nazareth was still very loose. The Christ Being was still completely outside the body of Jesus of Nazareth. At that time, what the Christ Being did while walking on earth was still something completely supernatural. It performed healings that could not be accomplished by any human power. It spoke to people with an urgency that was divine. The Christ Being, bound only to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, worked as a super-earthly Christ Being. But more and more it became similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, pressed itself, drew itself more and more into earthly conditions, and caused the divine power to fade away more and more. The Christ Being went through all this by becoming similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, a development that was, in a certain sense, a downward development. The Christ Being had to feel how the power and strength of God were increasingly disappearing as it became more and more similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Little by little, God became a human being.
Like someone who, under infinite torment, sees his body wasting away more and more, so the Christ Being saw its divine content wasting away as it became more and more like an etheric being to the earthly body of Jesus of Nazareth, until it had become so similar to it that it could feel fear like a human being. This is what the other Gospels also describe when Christ Jesus went out with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where the Christ being in the body of Jesus of Nazareth had sweat of fear on his forehead. This was the humanization, the becoming more and more human of Christ, the likeness to the body of Jesus of Nazareth. To the same extent that this etheric Christ-being became more and more like the body of Jesus of Nazareth, to the same extent did Christ become human. The spiritual miraculous powers of God faded away. And there we see the entire Passion of the Christ Being, which began at the moment when he came to the Jordan shortly after his baptism by John, where he healed the sick and cast out demons through his divine powers, where the astonished people who had seen what Christ was capable of said: No being on earth has ever accomplished this. That was the time when the Christ Being was still little like the body of Jesus of Nazareth. From this astonished commotion of the admirers around him, the path leads in three years to the point where the Christ Being became so similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth that it could no longer answer the questions of Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas in this sickly body of Jesus of Nazareth, to which it had become so similar. It had become so similar to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, the body that was growing weaker and weaker, sicker and sicker, that when asked, “Did you say that you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days? the Christ Being no longer spoke from the decaying body of Jesus of Nazareth and remained silent before the high priest of the Jews, that she remained silent before Pilate, who asked, “Did you say that you were the King of the Jews?” That was the Passion from the baptism in the Jordan to powerlessness. And soon afterwards, the astonished crowd, which had previously marveled at the supernatural miraculous powers of the Christ Being, no longer stood around him in admiration, but stood before the cross, mocking the powerlessness of the God who had become man, saying: If you are a God, come down. You have helped others, now help yourself! From divine power to powerlessness, that was the path of the Passion of God. It was a path of infinite suffering for the God who had become man, to which was added the suffering for humanity, which had brought itself to the state it was in at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha. And that was at the time of the high intellectual development of humanity, as was indicated yesterday.
But this suffering gave birth to the spirit that was poured out upon the apostles at Pentecost. Born out of this suffering is the all-pervading cosmic love that descended at the baptism in the Jordan from the extraterrestrial, heavenly spheres into the earthly sphere, which became similar to the human being, similar to a human body, and which underwent the infinite suffering that no human mind can conceive, which underwent the moment of the highest, divine powerlessness in order to give birth to that impulse which we then know as the Christ impulse in the further evolution of humanity.
These are the things we must consider if we want to understand the deep meaning, the whole significance of the Christ impulse, as it will have to be understood in the future of humanity, what the future of humanity will need in order to continue on its cultural and evolutionary path.