Urantia Book 23. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of the Universe of Nebadon. On the third day of Jesus’ meditations and conferences with his TA, he had a vision of the celestial hosts of his universe sent and assembled by their commanders to wait upon their beloved Sovereign. Jesus’ first decision was whether or not to make use of this mighty force. He decided not to make use even of one angel unless it was his Father’s will. The host stayed with Jesus anyway, so Jesus put them under the command of his TA. “Thus, by one great decision, Jesus voluntarily deprived himself of all superhuman co-operation in all matters having to do with the remainder of his mortal career unless the Father might independently choose to participate in some certain act or episode of the Son’s earth labors” (136.5.3). But plans hit a snag. Jesus’ TA told him that, due to space/time complications, he (the TA) had no power over the hosts of the universe. The Urantia Book explains: “No miracle or act of mercy could possibly be of the nature of an act transcending the natural laws established on Urantia except in this expressly stated matter of time.” When Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage feast at Cana, time was involved and no natural laws were broken. The same thing happened with Jesus’ physical body in the tomb. Angels accelerated time which decayed the body so fast that nothing was left of it. The Urantia Book explains further (and I’m not saying I understand all this): The elimination of time in connection with the express desire of this potential sovereign of a universe could only be avoided by the direct and explicit act of the will of this God-man to the effect that time, as related to the act or event in question, should not be shortened or eliminated. In order to prevent the appearance of apparent time miracles, it was necessary for Jesus to remain constantly time conscious. Any lapse of time consciousness on his part, in connection with the entertainment of definite desire, was equivalent to the enactment of the thing conceived in the mind of this Creator Son, and without the intervention of time. Jesus could limit his earth activities as regards space, but it was not possible for him to limit his new earth status as potential Sovereign of Nebadon as regards time (136.5.5). He would make 5 more decisions in an attempt to limit the vast power at his disposal.******************************** Jesus made the second decision. He, having been doing intense mental work for 3 days, was hungry. He could manifest food if he chose. But he decided to follow the natural laws he had set up for his universe, and seek food. He decided against miracles and wonders and surrendered himself to the Father’s will.* The natural first duty and impulse of man, animal or plant is self-preservation. It is a legitimate duty, and Jesus knew it was legitimate for him, also. But Jesus did not choose self-preservation. His old policy of not defending himself would be continued. Scriptures reminded him to follow only the Father’s will: “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Jesus had superhuman power; he might use it for others, but for himself, never. He also made his final declaration concerning all other urges of the flesh and the natural impulses of human nature (136.6.4). Jesus knew the kind of Messiah the Jews wanted, and he rejected that program of power and glory, although he had all the power and prerogatives to measure up to their expectations. Jesus made a third decision. He was sitting on the edge of a high precipice. What would happen if he threw himself off? What should be his attitude when confronted with personal danger? Jesus decided to take reasonable precaution to prevent an untimely death, but to refrain from superhuman intervention when his hour of crisis had come. If he jumped off the cliff, he would probably be rescued. The UB comments:”You know of a certainty that he never walked on the water” (136.7.3). Jesus made a fourth decision. He questioned whether his superhuman abilities should be used to attract people to his cause. Should he appeal to the Jews’ desire for the spectacular and marvelous? And he decided that was a NO. When he did permit the manifestation of numerous time-shortening ministrations of mercy, he told the recipients to keep it secret. Jesus resolved to make his ministry about one purpose and one only: the Father in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, he had to be believable to the Jews. At some point the Jews had to see him as the Messiah (This is according to the UB, but it seems not to follow the general tenor of Jesus’ thoughts up to this point.). Jesus was fused with his TA and he was divine, so he, Jesus, decided not to make his own divinity an issue (where did this come from?). Somebody is starting to misunderstand Jesus in a big way!!! Anyway, Jesus was totally stripping himself for the labors ahead. He also stripped himself of his great intellect. He was a first-class intellectual, but he decided not to bring in this knowledge. The Master triumphantly put loyalty to his Father’s will above every earthly and temporal consideration.***************** Jesus made a fifth decision. What methods would he use in the proclamation and establishment of the kingdom of God? John had started this work;how would Jesus continue it? How would he organize his followers most effectively? Jesus didn’t yet regard himself as the Jewish Messiah, at least as popularly conceived in his day. The Jews wanted a deliverer who would throw off Rome and establish Israel as a great power, free from want and oppression. Jesus knew this hope would never be realized. For Jesus, the kingdom of heaven involved the overthrow of evil in the human heart, and this was a purely spiritual concern. He could start his campaign with some dazzling display of power, well within Michael’s jurisdiction, but he decided against such an inane plan. Jesus decided the prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures didn’t apply to him; he was not the Messiah the Jews were expecting. And as Jesus was descending the mountain, he made his sixth decision. It was in the form of a vow to his TA: “And in all other matters, as in these now of decision-record, I pledge you I will be subject to the will of my Father” (136.10.1).