The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 169 -
The Lord's reference to His death on the cross.
At home, when Lazarus returned to the house, the morning meal was prepared, which we soon consumed. Lazarus wanted to tell us about everything what has happened outside in the early morning.
2
But I said: "Leave it at that; since I already know about everything and also told the disciples what had happened when you were outside and also in advance what the Levite just now has told the senior about the news from Bethany, - however not what you instructed him to say, but quite differently which will be conducive for Me to move around the temple more freely! It was thus a good thing that it happened early this morning. We will also get ready now to travel up to Jerusalem; since today as the third and last day of the feast, when the same is most glamorous and attended by a lot of people, I want to appear again in the temple and teach the people."
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Said Nathanael: "Lord, this will result in one spectacle over another; I only wish that we will get away with an undamaged skin!"
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Said I: "Worry about something else; you will also then get away with an undamaged skin, if I will be hanging between two culprits on the cross!"
5
Said Lazarus: "What are you saying, o Lord? You will be bound to the cross? No, before this is going to happen, I rather will burn down the temple with my servants and all the evil clerics will burn to ashes!"
6
Said I: "Leave it that, My brother! For if man should attain the fullest God resemblance, his will must be set free to infinity, so that he even with mistaken senses can lay his hands on his God and Creator. Since - as I already have told you - if man does not have the ability to become a most perfect arch devil, he also does not have the ability to attain the fullest God resemblance.
7
Man thus has the freest will which he recognizes through the given laws in himself. To what use would these laws and what the free will be, if the stimulus would not be in him to transgress these laws whenever and wherever he wants?! Without such stimulus man would be nothing else than an animal, which cannot act differently as driven by a must-law placed in it.
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For man however, no must-law is given for his spiritual part, but only a spiritual law under the expression 'You should'. Thereby man is totally free in his will and desire and can even lay his hands on My body, which is only a carrier of the spirit and will continue to exist spiritually.
9
I only have told you this, so that you should not be astonished if such will happen to My body, - however, for those who will do such, it will be completely in vain; since on the third day thereafter I will be among you just like now. Only then will the judgement for the evil temple brood begin. Since you all know this now, be cheerful and follow Me to the temple!"
10
Hereupon all got up and we travelled up to the temple.