The statements attributed to Jesus across the Gospels, both canonical and non-canonical, resonate with a profoundly mystical understanding of divinity, one that transcends traditional dogma and points toward an inherent unity between humanity and God. Each of these passages reveals layers of insight about the nature of our true self, the divine spark within us, and the potential for spiritual realization.
1. John 10:34 – “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?”
In this moment, Jesus echoes Psalm 82:6, where God declares, "You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High." This assertion cuts to the core of spiritual identity. Jesus, in responding to accusations of blasphemy, doesn't merely defend himself; he highlights a deeper truth about humanity itself. The phrase "you are gods" is not a metaphor or a distant theological abstraction. It is a revelation that each human being is imbued with divine essence.
We are not separate from God, standing before an external deity in fear or submission. Rather, within each of us lies the capacity to realize our own divinity. This is not about ego or elevating oneself in pride but about remembering the sacred within—the spark of the Infinite that animates us all. By acknowledging this, we tap into the power to transform our consciousness, no longer seeing ourselves as limited beings but as divine co-creators in the universe.
2. Luke 17:21 – “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
Here, Jesus directs our attention inward. The Kingdom of God, often thought of as a distant realm or an eschatological promise, is not something to be found "out there" but exists within the very core of our being. This profound statement invites us to shift our focus from seeking salvation externally to recognizing that divine reality is an intrinsic part of who we are.
The "Kingdom" is not merely a place but a state of consciousness, an inner awakening to our oneness with the Divine. When we turn inward, shedding the layers of ego, illusion, and separation, we uncover this kingdom of peace, wisdom, and love. This internal kingdom is timeless, unshaken by the external chaos of the world, and it is only through self-realization and inner stillness that we can enter it. Jesus’s message here is deeply aligned with Hermetic and mystical traditions that teach that the ultimate truth and divine presence reside within, awaiting our discovery.
3. John 14:12 – “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
This is a declaration of the immense potential within every human soul. Jesus, revered for his miracles and teachings, emphasizes that his works are not exceptional but a demonstration of what is possible for all who embody the same divine consciousness. The "greater things" speak to an evolutionary process—the awakening of divine power in more profound ways within humanity.
Jesus’s message here is that we are not to be mere followers, idolizing his life and works, but rather we are to embody the same Christ consciousness that he demonstrated. To “believe in him” is not to engage in blind faith but to align with the divine truth he represents. His life is an invitation for us to awaken to our own divine nature and to realize that we, too, can manifest the miraculous when we transcend the limitations of the ego and attune to the infinite creative potential within.
4. The Gospel of Thomas – "When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father."
The Gospel of Thomas, one of the more esoteric texts of early Christianity, offers a glimpse into a mystical understanding of Jesus’s teachings. Here, the path to realizing one’s divine nature is through self-knowledge. The phrase "when you know yourselves" suggests that our ignorance of our true divine identity is the primary obstacle to spiritual awakening. The journey is inward—when we truly know the essence of who we are, we come to understand that we are, in fact, “children of the living Father,” sharing in the same divine source as Jesus himself.
This idea challenges the notion of separation between the divine and the human. The key to the Kingdom of God is found in this inner knowing. To recognize our divine origin is to awaken to our limitless potential, our innate divinity, and the reality that the "living Father" is not a distant being but the very life force that flows through us. This text places emphasis on gnosis, or spiritual knowledge, as the means of awakening to the truth of our nature and destiny.
"He who understands my message will become like I am, and I will become like he, and the hidden things will be revealed to him."
This passage from the Gospel of Thomas encapsulates the core of Jesus’s mystical teachings. The idea that the one who understands will “become like I am” points to the transformative power of true spiritual understanding. Jesus does not position himself as the unattainable ideal, but as a mirror reflecting our own potential. The process of understanding his message is not intellectual but experiential—it is a realization that leads to becoming, to embodying the same divine consciousness.
When he says, "I will become like he," it speaks to the unity of Christ consciousness and individual consciousness. There is no separation between the teacher and the disciple in the highest understanding; both are expressions of the same divine reality. As we come into this realization, the “hidden things”—the mysteries of life, the universe, and our purpose—are revealed to us. It is not that these mysteries are concealed by God, but rather, they are hidden by our own ignorance. When we awaken, we see clearly the interconnectedness of all things and our place within the divine order.
A Unified Understanding: We Are Gods, Awaken to the Divine Self
The teachings of Jesus, especially when viewed through the lens of both canonical and non-canonical texts, are radical in their implications. Jesus did not come to establish a hierarchy where he is to be worshipped as the singular Son of God while the rest of humanity remains distant and inferior. Instead, he came to reveal that we, too, are children of God, with the same divine potential within us.
To "know yourself" is to realize that the divine is not something separate from you, but the very essence of your being. The Kingdom of God is not a future reward, but a present reality accessible through the realization of this truth. As we awaken to our divine nature, we no longer see Jesus as an unattainable ideal but as an embodiment of the same Christ consciousness that exists within all of us. His life, his works, and his message are not to be revered from a distance but to be lived and embodied.
In understanding this, we break free from the illusion of separation—from God, from one another, and from our true selves. The hidden things are revealed not through external revelation but through inner transformation. We become co-creators, aligned with the divine flow, capable of "greater works" as we awaken to the truth that we, too, are gods.
This is the essence of Jesus’s message, hidden in plain sight for those with the eyes to see and the heart to understand.
