The arrest and trial of Jesus in the Gospel of John is interpreted as the proclamation of the nondual identity of Jesus and his message.
The arrest and trial of Jesus in the Gospel of John is interpreted as the proclamation of the nondual identity of Jesus and his message.
Nonduality on Trial
The whole Gospel of John is a proclamation that Jesus is the I AM, the nondual reality we call God. This Gospel begins by saying that before Jesus was born he was with God and was God. He is the Divine Word that created the universe. The whole structure of the Fourth Gospel emphasizes his divine identity with seven I AM statements.
I AM – ego eimi in the Greek text – is a reference to the Divine Name revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush. In that story God calls this his eternal name. Every time Jesus uses those words he is proclaiming his true identity as Divine.
In the 18th and 19th chapters of the Gospel of John these words I AM take center stage. It is the account of the arrest and trial of Jesus in which. John presents the opening scene on the Mount of Olives as a reenactment of the scene of Moses at the burning bush on Mount Sinai, when God spoke the words I AM.
Jesus traveled with his disciples from the city of Jerusalem, where they had just finished the Last Supper, across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives and entered the Garden of Gethsemane. The scene takes place on the side of a mountain, just like the scene of Moses seeing the burning bush was on the side of Mount Sinai. A mob led by Judas Iscariot comes up the mountain to Gethsemane carrying lanterns and torches. The torches echo the fire of the burning bush.
In the Burning Bush story, God speaks and Moses falls to the ground before the great I AM. In the Garden of Gethsemane the crowd comes to the place where Jesus was and ask for him. Jesus responds saying, “I AM.” Often English translations will render this as, “I am he.” But the Greek text reads simply “Ego Eimi.” I am. “Now then, when He said to them, “I am,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” This parallels Moses response, with Jesus playing the role of God. Jesus is pictured as the I AM.
The mob asks again, and Jesus responds again, “I AM.” Three times in this passage Jesus is declared as the I AM to the people who came to arrest him. At first the apostle Peter tries to defend Jesus from the crowd with a sword, but Jesus tells him to put down his sword. Then Peter follows the arresting crowd into the city and waits in the courtyard of the high Priest while Jesus was being interrogated.
In the courtyard Peter is asked three times if he was a follower of Jesus, and three times Peter answers with the words “I am not.” An intentional contrast is created by the gospel writer between Jesus saying three times “I AM” and Peter saying three times “I am not.”
There is a powerful spiritual message here. Jesus represents the fully spiritually realized person who knows he is the I AM. Peter represents the person who does not yet realize this. He says, “I am not.” That is the predicament of every person. Either we know who we are with Jesus, or we do not, like Peter. Peter is physically and spiritually in the outer darkness in the shadows outside the high priest’s house, not knowing who he is and not able to admit to himself or anyone else who Jesus is.
Jesus, on the other hand, is inside the high priest’s house and is the model of one who knows exactly who he is and says so clearly. Once again, this happens three times. First Jesus is brought to Annas, and then the high priest Caiaphas and then the Roman governor Pilate. Not just is Jesus on trial, but his message of nonduality is on trial. Jesus is the embodiment of nonduality. The priests Annas and Caiaphas represent religious leaders who reject the teaching out of hand. Pilate plays the role of the seeker who is looking to determine what the truth is. Whether he will act upon the truth is another matter.
The religious leaders ask questions about Jesus’ teaching, but not in order to discover anything new. It is just to find evidence against him. The high priest has already judged and condemned Jesus in his heart. Therefore Jesus responds to the questions accordingly. When the high priest ask Jesus about his teaching, he responds, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple area, where all the Jews congregate; and I said nothing in secret. Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said.” For that answer Jesus got a smack across the face. Then Jesus responded, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?”
The religious leaders were not interested in truth. They were interested in protecting their religious turf. The same is true today. Spiritual truth is not popular today among religious people and leaders. Generally speaking most religions are only interested in propagating their own version of Truth. They are not serious in asking questions to increase their understanding. That might undermine their positions. On the other hand, a true search is about asking tough questions – the more and the harder, the better.
Recently I did an online interview with Luke Bricker on his podcast the Spiritual Nomad. He has a quote on his web site, which is a great illustration of this. It reads, “Jesus was asked 183 questions. Jesus answered three. Jesus asked 307 questions. Leaders would do well to follow his lead. Let people ask questions. Don’t try to answer all those questions. Ask lots of questions yourself.”
It is important to question everything and not take anything on religious authority. That is what I did. I questioned everything about my life and faith – which was dangerous and potentially costly for me since I was a pastor. But I got to the point that I needed to know the truth, no matter what. I could not live a lie. It was only when I questioned all the answers given by Christianity that I was open to truth.
I began to preach sermons that asked questions instead of giving answers. Questions like: Is there a God? Is Christ the only way? Is the Bible true? These are fundamental questions that challenge the sacred cows of the Christian faith. They have to be investigated deeply and sincerely. Truth is found through questions, not by accepting someone else’s answers. Don’t trust any authority or any religion that says they have the answers. Find the answers yourself.
Pilate is pictured as one searching for answers, kind of. He asks Jesus whether he was the King of the Jews, and Jesus gives the wonderful answer that he is, but adds, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus says that his mission is to testify to truth, “For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
Interpreters interpret Pilate’s response differently, but I think he was sincere. Pilate was a seeker, and he saw something true in Jesus. That is why he declares Jesus innocent of all charges. In his words: “I find no grounds at all for charges in His case.” He even finds a way to release him, but his accusers choose to release another man named Barabbas instead. Pilate tries to find some way to release Jesus, and interrogates him further. But in the end Pilate chooses to be a career politician and chooses expediency over justice and truth. So he hands Jesus over to be flogged and crucified.
Jesus’ trial is a sad case of religion in cahoots with political power to advance a social and political agenda. This is not only about Jesus on trial. It is his teachings that are on trial. Specifically it is his nondual teachings that are on trial. It is the same today. That is why you will not find the mystical approach taught in too many churches. Christian nonduality downplays doctrine too much to be accepted as orthodox by most Christians.
Nonduality is judged and condemned, like Jesus was judged and condemned for his nondual teachings. So be it. We should not be surprised. Jesus spent the previous chapter warning us that this would be the case. We represent a Reality – a Kingdom - that is not of this world, and for this reason the world does not understand or accept it.
This is a good thing. It frees us from the temptation to seek approval from religion. It prevents us from accepting a teaching for ulterior motives, because it is soothing to our ego or promises emotional or social or financial rewards. The nondual gospel is about dying to all of that. Dying to self. Dying to religious systems. Dying to partisan politics. Dying to the world. Dying to power and influence. It is about dying to dualism, so that there might be resurrection to what is beyond all dualism. This is where the cross and resurrection come in, which is what makes it Christian nonduality. We will talk about that next time.