Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of John Chapter 20
Metaphysically Interpreting John 20:1-10
20:1Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. 20:2She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him. 20:3Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 20:4And they ran both together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb; 20:5and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths lying; yet entered he not in. 20:6Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying, 20:7and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.20:8Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, who came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed.20:9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 20:10So the disciples went away again unto their own home.
December 21, 1919: John 20:1-10
When is a spiritual gift truly ours? Spiritual gifts originate in unselfishness. They are brought into expression through loving service for others. Jesus was not entirely in the kingdom until, for humanity's sake, he yielded up his life on the cross, neither a spiritual gift truly ours until we have given it to others.
What results follow a free giving-forth of the spiritual light we receive? The resurrecting power of Spirit begins its work. The Father, the one “rewarder,” repays a hundred fold. New spiritual faculties are born. Good flows in from every direction.
What faculty of mind is first to know that the tomb no longer holds the crucified Jesus? The Divine Feminine, here typified by Mary Magdalene. “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him.”
May 8, 1927: John 20:1-10
When does the resurrection of Jesus take place in individual consciousness? The resurrection of Jesus Christ takes place in us every time we rise to the realization of perpetual indwelling life, which connects us with the Father.
In today's lesson what does Mary Magdalene represent? Mary Magdalene represents the soul searching for the light of life (Christ) in the darkness of materiality (tomb) and discovering that it is not there.
What is the meaning of her message to the disciples: “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him”? The new life In Christ cannot be confined by material limitations, but it ascends to a higher plane of consciousness, which may be termed the celestial or spiritual plane. The faculties (disciples) have not been trained to feel the presence of the spiritual body, and consequently they do not know where it is.
What is the meaning of the scripture passage, “The other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb”? The passage was written by John, who is presumably “the other disciple.” John represents love, which through its affections is more closely attached to the physical than faith (Peter) is; consequently love (John) precedes faith (Peter) in the desire to find the physical (body of Jesus).
What do the linen cloths represent? The linen cloths represent the material thoughts that surround the physical organism. When the superbody takes form through the dynamic power of Spirit in the resurrection, the material elements are left behind.
What is the significance of the fact that the napkin that had been upon the head of Jesus was not found with the other cloths, but was rolled up separately? The head is the seat of the intellect, which evolves a thought atmosphere higher than, and in a sense separate from, the fleshly thoughts. When the intellect is fully illumined, it causes a saintly aura to be formed about the head.
Did the disciples and the immediate followers of Jesus believe in the resurrection of his body from the dead? No. Mary searched for her Lord and Master in the tomb, even while he was at her side. John and Peter, failing to find him where they had expected him to be, “went away again unto their own home.” These incidents signify that when our belief in death overshadows us it darkens our understanding; we must pass from under this cloud before we can be conscious of the presence of newly awakened life.
Metaphysically Interpreting John 20:11-18
20:11But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 20:12and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 20:13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 20:14When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 20:15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 20:16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher. 20:17Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God. 20:18Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and that he had said these things unto her.
April 7, 1912: John 20:1-18
On the resurrection morning the friends and followers of Jesus seem to have forgotten the promise that he would rise from the dead, and they were looking for his body in the tomb. This means that, when the belief in death has overshadowed us, it darkens the understanding, and we must get from under it before we can be conscious of the presence of awakened life. Mary was searching for her Lord and Master in the tomb, while all the time he was at her side. John and Peter, failing to find him where they expected him to be, “went away again unto their own homes.”
These all represent phases of consciousness in the mind that has gone through the crucifixion and burial of some mortal idea. When a great ambition fails, there is relaxation throughout the system, and without the Christ to lift us up, we are dead indeed. Everything seems dark and all our hopes crushed. It is then that we should “turn back” to the living thought of the Jesus (I Am) standing nearby, which says to the soul, “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” Grief and the search for the lost one in some external place is then quickly done away with. The ascending thought of the I Am is the saving idea: “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and my God and your God.”
The resurrection of Jesus takes place in us every time we thus rise to the realization of the perpetual indwelling life, connecting us with the Father. The grave-clothes of mortal sense, which are thoughts of man's limitation and the necessitous obedience to material laws, are left in the tomb of matter. Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.” This means not only man-made laws, but the broken law of nature, whose penalty is corruption of body.
The I Am is a law-maker, but in order to rise into the realm of pure ideas it must not be attached to (touched by) the clinging affections of the soul (Mary). The two angels, “one at the head and the other at the foot, where the body of Jesus had lain,” represent the pure, undefiled ideas of man’s spiritual body always present in Divine Mind. The human sense of body has been taken away, but the spiritual consciousness always abides. These two bright and shining thoughts said to the weeping Mary, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but risen.” – Luke 24:6.
The most effective consolation we can get and give to others under grief, is to deny the human belief in death and separation. This dissipates the flood of sorrow-thoughts that submerge the souls of those who mourn. Jesus did not want the sorrowing Mary (thought) to touch him, because it would pull him down into the darkness and ignorance of mortality. The spiritual mind does not grieve over anything, nor look to matter and the limitations of the flesh for life eternal.
Always keep to your highest thought and deny every suggestion of sorrow or loss[, e.g.] to dress in mourning and use black-bordered stationary. The children of darkness wear sack-cloth and sit in ashes, but the Children of Light rejoice, look up! – ascend in every thought to the Father of Life and Light and are thereby set free from the burden of grief and belief in separation.
August 5, 1923: John 20:11-18
What do the two angels at Jesus’ tomb symbolize? The two angels at Jesus’ tomb symbolize our spiritual perceptions, which are always consciously in the presence of God, the perceptions which from that high spiritual state are able to make known to us that which is vital. The angel at the head “where the body of Jesus had lain” represents high spiritual perception, and the angel at the foot represents understanding in relation to the world without.
Explain Mary Magdalene's words: “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” This verse conveys the thought of separation by death.
What is the meaning of: “She turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing”? The real meaning of “she turned herself back” is that she turned around and beheld Jesus. Instead of looking without, we look within and find that there is no reality in the thought of absence; that in the inner recesses of the soul all things are omnipresent, but we know not “that it was Jesus.”
Explain: “Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord.” Love, cleansed of all impurity, is able to perceive spiritually, and therefore beholds the risen Lord. It then spreads the glad tidings among the disciples (the twelve powers of man) that the Lord Jesus is not dead, but has entered into a higher spiritual state.
Sunday, April 20, 1930: John 20:1-16
What is represented by the text, “cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb”? Mary Magdalene represents the soul-feminine, through which the body is quickened into life. Her understanding of the law was in darkness, but she saw that the stone (the material concept of the body) had been taken away.
Why did not Simon Peter and John comprehend the resurrection of Jesus’ body? Faith and love (Peter and John) function almost wholly in spiritual consciousness, and they do not readily comprehend that the body is essentially spiritual and is being raised into the fine essence of spiritual life.
What is represented by Mary Magdalene's “standing without at the tomb weeping,” then stooping down and looking into the tomb? Mary Magdalene, the soul-feminine, is the connecting link between the I AM and the body. Through her sympathy, love, and humility she intuitively discerns the spiritual messengers represented by the “two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”
What specific attitudes of mind do the two angels represent? The angel at the head represents the affirmative, positive, directive power of the mind, named the will. The angel at the feet represents the understanding and the receptive, obedient law that relates the body to the earth. These two attitudes of mind are potent factors in the resurrection of the organism from the negative pole to the positive pole of life.
Why did not Mary Magdalene at once recognize Jesus? Grief darkens intuition; Mary Magdalene mistook Jesus for the gardener.
What state of mind will overcome grief and give the soul a clear concept, and recognition of the resurrected spiritual body? Mary “turned herself back,” that is she turned away from grieving and heard the voice of the Master speaking her name. Grief drops a veil over the soul. This veil is thrown aside when the words of the Teacher are heeded with the joy that comes with an understanding heart.
Sunday, March 27, 1932: John 20:11-20
When does the resurrection of Jesus Christ take place in individual consciousness? The resurrection of Jesus Christ takes place in us every time we rise to the realization of the perpetual indwelling life that connects us with the Father.
In today’s lesson what does Mary Magdalene represent? Mary Magdalene represents the soul searching for the light of life (Christ) in the darkness of materiality (the tomb).
What is represented by Mary's standing without the tomb, weeping and stooping and looking into it? This attitude of Mary's represents the tendency of the soul to look into the tomb, that is, at the materialistic appearance, for that which is alive and free from all bondage.
What is represented by the “two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain”? The two angels represent the complete understanding in heaven (the head) and earth (the feet) that man has attained spiritual consciousness and therefore is free from earthly conditions.
What is the meaning of: “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him?” The new life in Christ cannot be confined by material limitations, but ascends to a higher plane of consciousness, which may be termed the celestial or spiritual plane.
Why did not Mary know Jesus, when He stood by her side? Mary was looking for Jesus in the tomb, and had no realization of the fulfillment of His promise that He would rise from the dead.
Jesus said, “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou”? Why did He ask this question? Jesus representing Spirit was striving to get the attention of Mary, the soul, away from her grief, that she might awaken to the fact that He was not in the tomb, but that He was still alive and was consciously in the midst of those whom He loved.
How did Jesus finally get her attention and awaken her to this reality? Jesus said, “Mary,” in the affectionate, familiar manner born of their close association.
What is represented by Mary's turning herself about? This means that she turned her attention from the material to the spiritual side of life and there she saw her risen Teacher, and exclaimed, “Rabboni!”
What is illustrated by Jesus’ warning Mary not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended unto the Father, but to go to the brethren and tell them of His ascension? Mary represents human affection, the tendency of which is to hold man to personal love. Spiritual love tells personal love that it must bear to all the faculties the message of its universality. My Father and your Father, my God and your God!
What is represented by Jesus' standing in their midst and showing Himself to His disciples? The incident in which Jesus showed Himself physically makes it clear that the resurrection includes the body, and that Jesus still has possession of His body, which, though transformed, is yet the same body that He had when He walked in Palestine.
April 1, 1934: John 20:1-16
How did the sight of the empty tomb impress Mary Magdalene? Mary Magdalene, when she found one vital reality, the tomb empty, thought that the dead body of Jesus had been taken away.
What was the effect of the same sight upon the disciple whom Jesus loved? John saw at once that Jesus had risen from the dead, and he gained a clearer understanding of his Master's teaching.
What do the two shining angels within the tomb represent? These may be said to represent the pure, undefiled ideas of man's spiritual body as it exists in Divine Mind.
What part of man is unaffected by death? Man's true identity is of the Spirit rather than of the body. He is Spirit; he has a body. Thus that which in Truth man is, is unaffected by his letting go the body garment, even though his ultimate destiny is to retain and uplift the body to the standard of Spirit.
What effect have evidences of death on the one who experiences the so-called loss or death of those dear to him? Evidences of death serve to blind one to the truth that life is eternal and therefore endless.
How can we gain a consciousness of immortal life? By believing that life is infinite and eternal and holding steadfastly to that faith, it is possible to enter into immortal-life consciousness here and now.
What one thing remains or endures forever? The Spirit of God, which cannot be shaken or altered, remains forever. “The firm foundation of God standeth.”
How is the physical body brought into conformity with the ideal of the spiritual? Through the Christ consciousness (the I AM in its perfect expression) the transformation of the physical into the spiritual is brought about.
Have life and death anything in common? No, they are direct opposites. Death is inertia, negation, while life is the active expression of energy and power.
How can we overcome the fear that life ceases? By faithfully holding ourselves in the consciousness of the Christ as the one vital reality.
Metaphysically Interpreting John 20:19-23
20:19When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20:20And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. 20:21Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 20:22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: 20:23whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
March 21, 1926: John 20:19-20
After the crucifixion did Jesus restore life to the same organism that was crucified? The Scriptures plainly state that Jesus appeared again and again in his original physical body, still bearing the marks of the crucifixion, yet having the power to pass through matter. He stood in the midst of his disciples when the doors were closed, and he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side.
In what dimension or state was Jesus' body after the resurrection and before the ascension? After the dissolution of the carnal consciousness, represented by the crucifixion, the body takes up its activities in the psychical or astral realm, where it functions until it is sufficiently purified to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, or the fourth dimension. Metaphysicians who are in the regeneration and are putting out of mind the errors of carnality find that their bodies gradually become more refined, more ethereal in texture and in feeling, and under certain conditions they realize the unreality, of material environment. This is not the true spiritual estate, but is one degree toward it. When we fully enter the spiritual estate our bodies will be raised so high in radiation as to become invisible to physical sight. Such is the body of Jesus.
April 6, 1947: John 20:19-23
What is the first effect on the mind and heart of the awakening of the Christ consciousness in anyone? Peace. “Peace be unto you” was the first message of Jesus to the disciples after the Resurrection.
Can peace be shut out of the mind of the one who has the Spirit of the Christ? It cannot. No material limitations can be imposed upon our peace of mind as long as we remain conscious of the Christ. It was “when the doors were shut” that “Jesus came and stood in the midst.”
Of what did the Resurrection convince the disciples? Of the truth that life is continuous, eternal, and that as sons of God they could realize its eternal nature and grasp its meaning.
Why do we cling to God? Because life is of God, and we cannot imagine ourselves outside of life and consciousness. We expect a greater consciousness of life, broader vision, quicker perception, and deepened experience and appreciation as we awake to more abundant life.
Metaphysically Interpreting John 20:24-29
20:24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 20:25The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
20:26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 20:27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 20:28Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 20:29Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Sunday, April 4, 1926: John 20:24-29
What does Thomas symbolize in man's consciousness? Thomas represents one of the twelve faculties through which man, the I AM, functions. He symbolizes the intellect. Intellect or reason connects the inner world of thought with the outer world of action. The intellect is the last of man's faculties to comprehend the supremacy of spiritual law over natural law. It must be convinced on its own plane of thought that the body has been raised after it was put to death.
Can spiritual man, the I-am-age and likeness of God, prove its true identity? When the intellect is quickened to the degree that it can comprehend the spiritual, it may be convinced of the authenticity of a spiritual demonstration. When Thomas beheld the prints of the nails in Jesus’ hands, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God,” proving that he was convinced of Jesus’ real identity.
What did Jesus' resurrection prove? Jesus’ resurrection proved that man is master over the physical body, that under divine law he can take the body up or can lay it down. Jesus was put to the test of overcoming death, and his triumph is an example to all men.
What great truth, as demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, does spiritual understanding reveal to us? The great truth which spiritual understanding reveals to us is that the resurrection of the body from death is not to be confined to Jesus Christ alone, but that all men may unfold this same ability by following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Does the resurrection of Jesus ever take place in man's consciousness? Yes. Every time that man raises his realization of the perpetual indwelling life flow to the spiritual standard, he is connected with the indwelling Christ. Through the power of the living Word he enters into the realization of a new and higher life activity than that of the physical.
What immediate effect does this new spiritual life have upon man? This concept of new life raises the atomic vibration of man's organism above the disintegrating thought currents of the earth.
Explain Jesus' words, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Outer reason may behold the work of the I AM and may accept it. But there is a quicker way. Through inspiration we accept a spiritual truth and through faith we bring it into manifestation. This way of working does away with the slow process of reasoning from cause to effect.
November 9, 1930: John 20:24-29
Define Jesus’ words: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” When man becomes conscious of the fact that he does not have to depend jupon intellectual reasoning to know and to understand the things of Spirit, he is doubly blessed. He has the power to draw on spiritual inspiration from within, which enables him to bring quickly into the manifest realm his desired demonstrations.
Sunday, March 28, 1937: John 20:19-29
What were the immediate results of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection? By way of the Crucifixion Jesus entered into the glorified life of the Son of God untouched by personality or the claims of the lower self. The Resurrection revealed to His disciples the truth of eternal life and the nothingness of death.
How do we follow Jesus in the Resurrection? We follow by willingly laying down our limited personal consciousness of life and entering into the new and living way of the Christ.
Interpret in terms of individual experience the first verse in the text of today's lesson. When we lay aside material duties and interests and give ourselves to the things of Spirit (when it is evening), and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, we shut the doors that give access to the senses, concentrate our thoughts on the idea of perfection without regard to traditional faiths or limiting beliefs (the Jews), and proclaim peace in mind, body, and soul.
What is the individual meaning of the Resurrection? The Resurrection is the lifting up of the whole man into the Christ consciousness. Jesus could have presented His body to the disciples without wounds, glorified and perfect, except that it was necessary to convince them that the same body they had seen crucified had been resurrected.
The risen Christ said to the disciples, “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” Interpret this message. As Divine Mind sends forth its perfect idea, so does the perfect idea send forth its thoughts (disciples). Perfect thoughts in time create a perfect world. Perfection in thought becomes possible only through the Holy Spirit, therefore the Christ or perfect idea “breathes on” or inspires the thoughts of man with its own conception.
Why is the remission of sins emphasized in connection with the Resurrection? He who follows Jesus in the Resurrection always forgives, because the Holy Spirit consciousness, being without sin retains in mind none of the sins of others. Forgiveness removes from the one forgiven the sense of sin, whereas the remembrance of sin in him prevents him from freeing his mind and conscience of its weight.
What does Thomas represent? Thomas (“conjoined,” “twin”) is the disciple who represents the faculty of understanding. In the realm of sense, understanding requires factual proof. He, who believes the senses and relies on their testimony and the reasoning of the intellect, finds faith difficult.
How does one see the Christ? Only through the Christ Spirit in one's mind and heart is it possible to see the Christ, for sight originates in the seer. Evidences of the Christ are on every hand for those who have this inner vision.
March 28, 1943: John 20:19-31
What was the first message brought to the disciples by Jesus after the Resurrection? A message of peace, the assurance that they had no ground for worry, sorrow, or distress.
What is the meaning of the reference to the doors being shut “for fear of the Jews”? The faculties (disciples) are susceptible to the influence of traditional beliefs and religious customs (represented by the Jews). The doors of consciousness should be closed against these hampering influences in order to leave the mind open to divine inspiration.
“Seeing is believing.” Is justifiable faith limited to sight only? No. Faith is the vision of the inner eye of spiritual perception. It needs no physical seeing to confirm it. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Where our faith is weak should we resort to physical or material proof in order to strengthen it? Material proof may be used for corroboration where available. In many respects the findings of science are in accord with Truth, and the scientific method of accepting only what can be proved by physical laws has made a deep impression on the modern mind. “Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand and put it into my side: and be not faithless.”
Why are not all the signs that Jesus did written in the Book of John? Doubtless because many would but duplicate in kind those which have been written and would lengthen the record without strengthening the teaching. Typical or outstanding examples of His work have been chosen for the permanent record.
What is the significance of John’s teaching about forgiveness? That in the Christ consciousness we have authority to forgive sins and through forgiveness to realize eternal life and divine love. “Whose soever sins ye forgive they are forgiven unto them.”
What preparation do we need to make before exercising our power to forgive completely? We need to become wholehearted or to invite the Holy Spirit to take possession of us, mind, soul, and body. “He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”
Thomas demanded physical proof of the identity of the risen Jesus. Did this show lack of faith on his part? Not altogether. It showed a desire to have the same proof that Jesus had given the other disciples, instead of accepting it at second hand from their account. The intellect does not trust the evidence of faith, love, judgment, or other faculties. It wants first-hand proof.
What is the significance of Thomas’s absence from the first meeting at which Jesus revealed Himself to his disciples? Reason and intellectual perception are not the first to see the risen Christ. This vision is reserved for love and the other faculties that have their origin in the soul nature of man.
May 19, 1946: John 20:24-29
Is intellectual perception quicker or slower than the other faculties to perceive the truth of the resurrection life? It is much slower than faith or love. “Thomas ... was not with them when Jesus came.”
What does the surname Didymus signify? The same as Thomas: “twain,” “double,” “twin.” On the constructive side the intellect functions as understanding; on the negative side as doubt and futile questioning.
What proofs are required to convince the habitual doubter of the truth that life is omnipresent and eternal? Factual proofs. Thomas was told to put his hand into the side of Jesus and his finger into the prints of the nails in His hands.
Is factual or physical proof the highest and most incontestable? No. Faith furnishes a higher and more convincing ground of belief than facts, for faith is spiritual in its origin and reveals spiritual Truth more readily than do factual proofs. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
How did Jesus bring life and immortality to light? By His work of teaching and healing, by restoring to harmony those who were obsessed by the demons of discord and hatred and by rising triumphantly from the dead after He was crucified. All that He did, before as well as after the Resurrection, brought more abundant life to light.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” What is meant by this affirmation? That the Christ way of life is the open door to the kingdom of heaven.
April 6, 1947: John 20:26-29
Is it profitable to live entirely in the present with no thought whatever of the future? It is not, for no part can give the full return of the whole. Anticipation of happiness to come makes the joy of its realization greater.
How did Jesus stress the reality of life and immortality? Through every act of His ministry as well as after the Resurrection. After the Resurrection He gave no new commandment, but told His disciples to carry on the work that He had begun.
What does the convincing of Thomas signify? Thomas represents intellectual understanding, understanding without divine illumination. Proofs of spiritual truth are difficult for the intellect to grasp. That it can grasp them is proof that it and the other faculties are all bound together under the dominion of the I AM.
Metaphysically Interpreting John 20:30-31
20:30Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: 20:31but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name.
January 4, 1948: John 20:30-31
Why are not all the “signs” that Jesus did written in the Gospel of John? Only typical and outstanding examples of Jesus' work were chosen for the permanent record. To have recorded them all would merely have lengthened the record without strengthening the teaching.
For what purpose was the Gospel of John written? To arouse faith in Christ in the hearts of all persons who hear or read the story of Jesus Christ and to bring them through faith to a consciousness of eternal life. “These are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name.”
October 3, 1948: John 20:30-31
How did Jesus simplify the divine law for us? By showing that we can keep it fully by practicing love toward God and love toward our neighbor.
How does the keeping of the law affect our inner self? It brings us wisdom and understanding, because, as we keep the law and live the Truth, it is expressed toward us as well as by us. “I know him; because I am from him, and he sent me.”
How do we have eternal life in the name of Christ? We have eternal life in the name of Christ through faith in the Christ life within us. We continue in eternal life as we keep this faith and express the qualities of the Christ.
January 9, 1949: John 20:30-31
In what respects are the records of the life of Jesus full and explicit? The records are full and explicit as regards the mental and spiritual life of Jesus, including an account of His thoughts, words, teachings, and many of His works. This record takes precedence over the record of His physical life, which is meager.
Is eternal life possible in this world? Yes. The life of Spirit is eternal, and we can enter into it by believing in it, affirming our unity with it, and following the example of Jesus in expressing it.
What phase of our life continually influences others who seek to think the thoughts of God? In so far as they partake of spiritual truth, our thoughts, dreams, aspirations, and intuitive perceptions continually influence others.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-15-2014
