Each of the four Gospels presents a different aspect of the Christ event and its significance in earthly and cosmic evolution. According to Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual research, St. Matthew’s Gospel is, above all, the human gospel. Going back to ancient Atlantis, Steiner speaks of the missions of the different peoples―Turanians, Iranians and Hebrews―showing especially how the historical development of the Hebrew people contributed to Christ’s Incarnation into the person of Jesus at the Baptism in the River Jordan. Steiner then turns to the history of Zoroastrianism and follows the individuality of Zarathustra (Zoroaster), whose closest pupils re-incarnated as the founders of two great spiritual impulses―Hermes for the Egyptian culture and Moses for the Hebrews. Through them Zarathustra’s influence on human culture continued to evolve, while he too continued to incarnate amongst these cultures and eventually as Jesus of the Matthew Gospel.

In these profound lectures, Steiner speaks magisterially of the destiny of the Matthew Jesus. Among the many spiritual riches in this work are Steiner’s descriptions of the nature of true Christian initiation and the mission of Christ Jesus as the bringer of “I” consciousness. Steiner’s insights also lead us to understand the miracles Christ performed, significant events such as the Transfiguration, and how the Christ’s own life forced worked through the disciples.

Richard Smokey (author of Inner Christianity) has written an illuminating introduction, which explains Steiner’s approach and makes his findings more accessible by placing them in contexts familiar to reader’s today.