One of the most important personalities in the history of mankind is the being, that is referred to in the New Testament as "John" (John 1.6.). Studying Rudolf Steiner's writings and lectures, one can gain the most profound insights concerning this being of John and his mission, insights that have the power to touch deep truths, that lie as if buried in the unconscious regions of the soul.
Icon of John the Baptist, with scenes from his life (16th Century, now in Yaroslavl)
In the Gospel of St. John, immediately following the mighty description of the evolution of the cosmos (John 1.1-5.), there is written the following: "There was a man, send from God, whose name was John." (John 1.6.)
The last part of this sentence, the name "John", in the original old Greek language of the Gospel of St. John, would sound to our ears like: "EH - OH - Annes", a sequence of sounds that is still present for this name in some languages, for example in the Italian "Giovanni", the German "Johannes", and to a lesser degree in the French "Jean" or the English "John". In these three sounds, the "EH, OH, AH" one is able to detect three gestures, gestures which can be expressed in Eurythmy, the art of visible movement. The "EH" is represented by the upright human being, one arm pointing heavenwards, the other arm pointing earthwards; the gesture is one of "admonition". The "OH" is found in the round form, embracing as it were one's own soul with one's arms; the gesture is one of "inwardness". The "AH" finally can be seen as an opening of oneself to the heavenly revelation, both arms pointing to heaven, forming a V-shaped vessel; the gesture is one of "vision".
The last part of this sentence, the name "John", in the original old Greek language of the Gospel of St. John, would sound to our ears like: "EH - OH - Annes", a sequence of sounds that is still present for this name in some languages, for example in the Italian "Giovanni", the German "Johannes", and to a lesser degree in the French "Jean" or the English "John". In these three sounds, the "EH, OH, AH" one is able to detect three gestures, gestures which can be expressed in Eurythmy, the art of visible movement. The "EH" is represented by the upright human being, one arm pointing heavenwards, the other arm pointing earthwards; the gesture is one of "admonition". The "OH" is found in the round form, embracing as it were one's own soul with one's arms; the gesture is one of "inwardness". The "AH" finally can be seen as an opening of oneself to the heavenly revelation, both arms pointing to heaven, forming a V-shaped vessel; the gesture is one of "vision".
How did this being John come into the world? What were the circumstances? As with any being, that incarnates into earth existence, it can be very revealing to examine the year he or she was born, putting the birth of a particular being into a certain context.
The Gospel of St. Luke describes many of the circumstances surrounding the birth of John. It tells us how a messenger of God, an angel, appeared to the priest Zechariah, telling him, that his "wife Elizabeth will bear .. a son, and (he) .. shall call his name John." (Luke 1.13.) The angel also foretells in mysterious words the task of this being John: "... (He) will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many sons of Israel to the Lord their God, ... and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and make ready for the Lord a people prepared." (Luke 1.15-17.)
The birth of John takes place at the height of Summer on June 24th. His birth is framed as it were by the births of the two Jesus children at the beginning and the end of the same year. On January 6th, the birth of the Jesus child and the visitation of the "three wise men from the East", described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, takes place in Bethlehem in Judea (Matthew II.). Almost twelve months later the birth of the Jesus child on December 24th and the heavenly revelation to the shepherds, as described in the second chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, happen.
Two events that take place during this same year of the birth of John, involve the appearance of the Nirmanakaya or spiritual body of the Gautama Buddha in the etheric-astral realm. These appearances are referred to in the descriptions of the meeting between Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1.39-56.) and the revelation to the shepherds (Luke 11.8-15.).
According to Steiner, the Gospel of St. Luke contains Buddhism in a new form. It expresses the religion of compassion and love, brought by the Buddha, in a new way, comprehensible to the simplest souls. The connection of the Buddha to John, and his influence on Christianity can be seen throughout the life of John, and especially so at important moments and turning points during the existence of John. The presence of the Buddha is a mysterious feature permeating especially the Gospel of St. Luke.
Rudolf Steiner describes how John grew up in close association to the Essenes community and to the young man Jesus of Nazareth; both having considerable influence on John.
John eventually steps forward and into the plain sight for his contemporaries, when he begins his activity of preaching and baptizing at the river Jordan.
John's sermon at the river Jordan shows how the teachings of Buddha now come forward in a new form. As Buddha proclaimed certain truths and admonitions in his famous sermon at Benares some five hundred years before, so now John speaks in similar fashion. What Buddha expressed in the words, "do not think, because you are a Brahman, you are able to advance ...". John clothes into the language of his time, saying: "Do not think, because you are children of Abraham ..." Buddha gave the teaching of compassion and love, John the parable of the man who has two coats, and ought to share. And just as the monks came to Buddha with the question, "What shall we do?", so now the tax collectors and soldiers come to John, posing the same question.
Before John eventually baptizes Jesus, he brings about change in many people, whom he encounters as his followers, preparing them for their roles as disciples of Christ. By means of the baptism as practiced by John, the near death experience, with the appearance of the memory tableau, as described above, is brought about via the submerging of the person in question in the river Jordan. Into this experience of the past, John spoke his mighty admonition: "Change your ways!"
This period is followed by the time John spent in prison until his beheading. John's role and example changes from that of the "voice of one calling in the wilderness", the voice of admonition, to a more inward voice, a voice that is more likely heard in the stillness and solitude of a prison cell, or in the depths of soul, when outer noises have been silenced.
One of the souls that listens to John in this new way, is the one who has made him a prisoner, Herod. However, there is also Herod's wife Herodias, who waits for the moment, when she can use an opportunity to silence this uncomfortable voice, that speaks to her soul also. And this opportunity comes, when Herod gives Herodias his word to fulfill her wish: John is beheaded, the disturbing voice is silenced. John's head is carried through the hall on a platter, his disciples bury his body.
John's spirit, however, appears again in the "rich young man", in Lazarus, continuing the task of this personality. It is he, Lazarus, who undergoes the first initiation in public, performed by Christ Jesus. What hitherto had only been possible in the secrecy of the inner sanctuary of the temple, is done openly, in plain view of the people.
John, then becomes the one disciple, who closest to Christ Jesus at the Last Supper, is able to sustain consciousness through the events of the Passion week. He is there in full consciousness at the world moment, the "turning point of time", on mount Golgatha. He is the one to behold the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday.
John is not only destined to leave behind for humanity the Gospel of St. John, this most spiritual document full of mysterious depths and quality of thought, that no other document known to man has equaled, he also is let on to a long life, that eventually leads him to the island Patros in the Aegaen Sea, where he is able to receive the prophetic vision written down in the Book of Revelation.
We might be able to imagine John on this sun illumined island surrounded by the friendly waters of the Greek world, receiving from heavenly sources these mighty, breathtaking, apocalyptic imaginations, that are described in the Book of Revelation. The future destiny of mankind is portrayed in a unique fashion by the one, who has been prepared and has prepared himself and other men to be able to receive and eventually also understand this vision of the future.
(excerpt from a lecture by Conrad Rehbach, M.A., Director, Sophia Institute)
