The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8

Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching

The Lord and His adversaries

- Chapter 85 -

The Lord and the now converted priests.

Now when all the necessary things were discussed about this subject that the scribe brought forward, and it already became dark, the Pharisees who came to Bethany already a few hours ago, send a servant to Lazarus to ask him if he would like to come to them for a good discussion, because they now wanted to hear from him if they came to Bethany in vain.

Then Lazarus asked Me what he should do.

I said: "Those who are there have now brought forward many things for and against Me, but they now have agreed that they do not want to be hostile anymore towards Me, and therefore I and you and our Roman friends will go to them. All the others will stay here until we come back. My Raphael will surely tell you what we will talk about with the Pharisees. Thus, let us go to those who wait for us."

I walked in front and Lazarus and the Romans followed Me.

In the front garden we met Judas Iscariot and he asked where I was going.

And I said: "There where you will not go. The rest you can hear inside in the house."

He did not reply anything anymore and went inside the house, and we went to the Pharisees. Here Lazarus went in front and Raphael, who was already known by the temple servants, escorted him. I and the Romans were still waiting for a while in the front garden.

When our Lazarus came into the very large room of the Pharisees, they greeted him with the rules of politeness that was common to them, which our Lazarus was also able to return and with which the temple servants were very satisfied. After these mutual salutations, the conversation came directly to the main point, and this consisted of course of everything that was related to Me.

A scribe, who was really showing off because of his wisdom that we already know since the Mount of Olives, said to Lazarus: "Friend, you certainly know about what we were discussing yesterday evening and on which we almost entirely agreed. That is why we have come here as early as possible today. But friend, we really were not received in a manner that is pleasing to us. For, a little bit more and we would have been handled roughly by your dogs if your servants did not come to help us. This was really not the reception of which we temple servants are used to.

But we would not have bothered too much or finally not at all about it if you yourself did not promise us that we would meet the Messiah personally today. Now we are already here for a few hours and we not only have seen nothing of the eventual presence of the Messiah, but you did not even receive us with your well-known hospitality as on other occasions. And we even were not allowed to enter your main habitation, but were referred to this inn for foreigners. And see, that was certainly not proper of you, and this all the less because you, as far as we know, were at home and did also not have any urgent matters to take care of. But let us now not talk about this, because you still came with that wonderful young man and we can talk now about the main thing with both of you.

So tell us now if the Nazarene, who should be the promised Messiah - which we among ourselves have concluded that this is a certainty - is staying somewhere here in Bethany or if He as far as you know is somewhere else? For it is very important to us to make acquaintance with Him. This morning we had to endure a hard trial in the high counsel because of Him. But we finally were able to manage quite well, although we ourselves - despite everything what we have experienced and heard with you yesterday - became somehow unstable in our new view, but now we have well considered the circumstances that are known to us and have conquered our instability. Therefore, we would gladly like to talk to Him personally. Give us the opportunity for it, then we will stay your good friends again."

Lazarus said: "If at your arrival here you would have agreed as you more or less have agreed now, you also could have had quickly the opportunity to speak with the One who is really the Messiah, but all of you did not agree and some of you were mostly of the opinion that it would be the best test to examine if He is the Messiah or not - that one should capture Him with force and deliver Him to justice in order to sentence Him to death. If He would be the Messiah, nobody would be able to kill Him. But if He would only be a common person, as there had been already so many in the world, then He would die and after that, it would never come to one's mind to ever consider Him to be the Messiah. Look, this was mostly your opinion and was then also the reason why you firstly could not be allowed to enter in my main habitation, and secondly you could also not be allowed there to be introduced to the Messiah.

But since you now unanimously have decided to desist from this evil idea and have taken another decision, you can now also have the chance to see and also to speak with the Messiah. However, do not meet Him with an investigating heart and an investigating look, but with faith and love. Then He also will meet you with His love, but if not, with His all-penetrating wisdom, and then by far you will not be able to give a reply. For as He very well knew with what kind of ideas you came here - as I have openly told you now - so He knows also every thought that still may perhaps come up in you, no matter how quiet and secret it may be. So let this be a kind advice to you of which I hope that you will follow it for your temporary and eternal well being."

The scribe said: "You have well spoken now and have told us again amazing things. We will heed your advice, but bring us now to the wisest of all men."

Now Raphael opened the door and said: "O Lord, come in to those who thirst for You."

And I came into the big room, together with the 10 Romans, and said to the Pharisees and scribes: "Peace be with all who are of good will and thus now also with you, since in your mind you also have turned to a better will. Why do you search Me and what do you want from Me?"

The scribe said: "Lord and Master, why we are searching You, You certainly know as well as when You knew beforehand with what kind of ideas we have come here to Bethany. There is now no more doubt in us that You are the promised Messiah, but we gladly would like to hear now from Your mouth what we in our difficult position should do in order to be worthy of Your mercy and compassion."

I said: "Men like Nicodemus and also Joseph of Arimathea do also often sit in your counsel. What they do, you surely can do also if you want. I have already told you openly in the temple and have clearly shown you through words and signs who I am. If you believe this in your heart and will also act accordingly, you will live and be blessed, but if you will not believe and will also not act accordingly, you will waste your life and your salvation.

But the temple, as it is and subsists now, is no more a house of God already since long. It has become a robbers' den and a murderous pit. You Pharisees, high priests and scribes have made it so. Therefore, also from the temple, not a single salvation for any human being for the eternal life can come forth from it. I am now the living Ark of the Covenant, and I am also the Temple and the Salvation and the Truth and the eternal Life. Whoever believes in Me and lives according to My teaching, will also have eternal life in him and will be happy in My Kingdom.

However, My Kingdom will not be a kingdom of this world, but a Kingdom from another world, which you have never known, for if you ever had known that world, you also would have recognized Me when I came to you in the temple, and if you had known Me, you also would have known the One who sent Me, of who you say that He is your God. But the Father who sent Me, did not sent Me as one sends a man into the world, but in such a way that here the Sender and the One who is sent are one.

He who believes that the Father is in Me and I in the Father, can say that he has seen and spoken to the Father and the Son. However, to know Him can only be possible when I soon will be in My Kingdom and have poured out My Spirit over those who believe in Me, keep My words and act and live according to them."

Now the scribe said: "Lord and Master, Your words are spoken with determination and resolution. If they were spoken out by a man, they would be considered as the highest blasphemy on which Moses has placed the death penalty. For this reason it also has never been heard among the Jews that someone had assumed the highest dignity and honor of God, except the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar who therefore was also chastised by God.

But You are not afraid for the law and still less for the people. And Your deeds, of which we already have heard a lot and have partly experienced ourselves, are witnessing that all might and powers of this world and also of the Heavens are submitted to Your will. Thus, we surely have to believe in ourselves that You are the One who You said You are, as You have already explained in the temple and now again here, according to everything that the prophets have predicted about the coming Messiah.

We believe now in You, and therefore we also believe that You soon will deliver us - just like at the time of the Babylonian imprisonment - from the still harder imprisonment of the Romans and will forever make us again a free, independent and mighty people. If You will do that, all Jews will believe in You, but if not, only a few."

I said: "Blessed will be those who will not be offended in Me, and believe that I am the promised Messiah. But I did not come to establish again for the Jews an earthly and perishable kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom in the love for God and fellowman, and therefore a Kingdom of light and all truth from God, without lie and without deceit.

However, he who thinks that I now will establish an earthly kingdom makes a big mistake. The Romans are now your earthly lords and will also remain so in the future as long as it will please God. But when you will revolt against them, they will break and crush you.

However, he who will be in My Kingdom, which is now also given to the Romans, will not have to be afraid of any worldly power, just as I also am not afraid of any worldly power. Here at My side are already 10 Romans with the highest earthly positions of Rome. They also can testify of Me if I have ever strived for a worldly sovereignty, and they also will tell you what they as gentiles think about Me."

When the Pharisees heard these words of Me, they became uncertain because of the present highly ranked Romans and they did not know what they should do.

Footnotes

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞