Where do the Gospels come from?
This may seem to be a strange question, but if we answer it “from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,” and some apocryphal gospels by Thomas and others—then we still have not answered or realised how they could have written these accounts of events that they had not personally witnessed. Especially Mark, who was only a child while Christ preached and performed his deeds.
One way to consider this question is to imagine the gospel writers could open their hearts and minds to the “eternal gospel,” which began to shine in a new way when Christ rose from the kingdom of death and 40 days later ascended—expanded—as far as the realm of the stars. In a real way, the Gospels come from the stars!
One of the early Christian Community priests, Professor Hermann Beckh, wrote an incredible spiritual research on the progression of the life and deed of Christ as written in the Gospel of Mark, from the point of view of the progression three times through the zodiac. (This book is available in English as “Mark’s Gospel: The Cosmic Rhythm.”) In his introduction Beckh described the progression of higher consciousness: “Such a beholding in pictures through which a spiritual reality is revealed, will be named here as Imagination.” And Beckh goes on to unfold yet higher stages of revelation as “Inspiration” and “Intuition,” based on anthroposophy.
Through the relationship to the houses of the starry zodiac, this dramatic event of Peter being the one to recognize and confess the Christ, and then denying what that meant—this earthly event reveals its meaning through the stars: Scorpio, the double constellation of the scorpion and the eagle.
The coming of the Christ had long been foreseen and awaited in the mysteries. Even the shepherds in the fields knew of this. Peter tapped into this ancient wisdom. He soared with the borrowed wings of the eagle!
But he was unprepared for what followed from this, as Christ himself foretold of the arrest and humiliating death on the cross. Peter vehemently rejected the cosmic necessity in Christ bringing into death the light and life, which He alone could bring. The scorpion side of the constellation darkened Peter’s consciousness, and Satan stood behind him.
The Son God fulfilled the second round of the great sun progression through the zodiac, with the confession and denial of Peter.
We too may echo this “double-take” of Peter. We too may suddenly grasp the immense significance of the deeds of Christ, and then also—suddenly—be overwhelmed by what that means. Our life cannot remain the same when we are touched by the cosmic significance of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Christ rejected—put in its place—the adversary who stood behind Peter’s denial and resistance to re-thinking. And Christ set Peter in place as the “rock” on which the community of Christians could evolve into the present! Christ depends—builds on—our turning from the adversary, turning towards Him!