John 8:58

"Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM'" (John 8:58 RSV). 

 

Question:

While I know Unity put difference between Christ and Jesus the Christ, and while Unity says "that Jesus is the Great Example and not the Great Exception", I heard today a minister of Unity say that Jesus the Christ was the first to reveal divine consciousness. I consider that Charles Fillmore never said that. Is this not the result of a mixing of an old theological paradigm and a new paradigm?

Comment:

We understand that all of Jesus's "I AM" statements, especially prevalent in the Gospel of John, are intended to describe the Christ energy that was the entire focus of his ministry, not to claim a unique identity for himself. We understand that he was, indeed, revealing divine consciousness as himself, and challenging all others to realize the divine consciousness expressing as themselves so that they—and we—can consciously and lovingly make the Christ choices that will bring into experience the higher reality that he described as the kingdom of heaven. You clearly have a solid grasp on that aspect of Truth. 

But we can never say we know all about Truth, or all about the Christ. I think there must be a rich and wonderful 'back story' about how Jesus came to realize himself as divine consciousness. Was he born with that realization, perhaps carried over from a past life (or lives)? Did he achieve it through study, discipline, and experience during the unknown 30 years of his own life as Jesus? Inquiring minds may want to know, but no one can claim to have the answer—at least not at the level of consciousness we're expressing now.

We also can't really know the greater picture of which the ministry of Jesus Christ is a part. Were there others who achieved the same awareness before Jesus? I'm not aware that Charles Fillmore specifically addressed the question. (And if I'm wrong about that I'm sure there are Fillmoreans out there who will be happy to correct me.) My response would be: What difference does it make? Truth is Truth. It seems to me that if we're trying to place Jesus in a timeline, and compare his ministry to others, we're still working from ego consciousness. There's nothing wrong with that, of course. But there is also no ultimate Truth in it. This mystery is the great, eternal I AM, and any attempt to define or date it misses the point. Each of us has to know, truly know, individually that we not only can but must share in Jesus' awareness that for us as well as for him, 'before Abraham was, I AM."

Thanks very much for your question.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed