Urantia Book 89. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, Yeshua, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of Nebadon. The Sanhedrin and selected leaders from the Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes decided not to arrest Jesus among the crowds on Monday evening. They wanted to discredit him first in front of his believers. At last they were united, even the Herodians, on Tuesday to discredit Jesus in the eyes of these Passover multitudes. When Jesus started teaching, he was interrupted by a young student who wanted to know: “We are only students, and we would know the truth about a matter which troubles us; Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar? Shall we give or shall we not give?” Jesus asked for tribute money and received a denarius. Jesus looked at the coin and asked: “Whose image and superscription does this coin bear?” And when they answered “Caesar’s,” Jesus said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and render to God the things that are God’s.” The people enjoyed the discomfiture of the students, who also marveled at Jesus’ sagacity. Jesus’ answer was right-on because the Jewish leaders recommended paying taxes in whatever province they lived to Caesar and to the province if there was a tax (174.2.1-5).*************** Before Jesus could get started again with his teaching, a group of Sadducees came up to him and asked him: ” A man dies and his brother marries his wife so that she can have children, but he died without producing any children, and this went on for six brothers. The wife finally died leaving no children. The question is: Which brother will she marry in the afterlife?” The UB says “Jesus knew and so did the people, that these Sadducees were not sincere in asking this question because it was not likely that such a case would occur; and besides, this practice of the brothers of a dead man seeking to beget children for him was practically a dead letter at this time among the Jews.” Jesus answered that there is no marriage in heaven; people are like angels; they are the children of light resurrected into the progress of eternal life. The hostile Jewish leaders had sought to subject Jesus to the withering influence of ridicule, but it just wasn’t happening (174.3.1-5).******* The motley crowd of Jesus haters planned to fill up the day with time consuming questions, but they were finding this difficult–Jesus always turned the tables on them. Jesus stopped preaching and a lawyer walked up to him and asked: “Master, I am a lawyer, and I would like to ask you which, in your opinion, is the greatest commandment.” Jesus answered: “There is but one commandment, and that one is greatest of all, and that commandment is: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second commandment is like the first: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There are no other commandments greater than these; on these two commandments hang all the laws and prophets.” The lawyer went out to Jesus’ camp that night and was baptized (174.4.1-3).********************** The next afternoon Philip was buying supplies for the camp near Gethsemane, and he was accosted by a delegation of Greeks from Alexandria, Athens and Rome, who wanted to meet Jesus. Philip ran for Andrew, who came back with him, and they took them to Jesus. Jesus had been attending a luncheon, but he got up to address his apostles and his most important disciples. The Greeks listened as Jesus said: “My Father sent me to this world to reveal his loving-kindness to the children of men, but those to whom I first came have refused to accept me. The children of Abraham and their leaders are about to reject me, and in so doing, they will reject Him who sent me. My Father has done many wonderful works among these fear-ridden sons of men. Truly have the leaders of my people blinded their eyes that they see not, and hardened their hearts lest they believe and be saved. All these years I have sought to heal them of their unbelief that they may be recipients of the Father’s eternal salvation. I know that all have not failed me; some of you have indeed believed my message. In this room are a full score of men who were once members of the Sanhedrin, or were high in the councils of the nation.” Turning his attention to the Greeks, the Master said: “He who believes this gospel believes not merely in me but in Him who sent me. When you look upon me, you see not only the Son of Man, but also Him who sent me. I am the light of the world, and whosoever believes in my teaching will no longer abide in darkness. If my countrymen, the Jews, choose to reject me, I will not sit in judgment on them, for I have not come to judge the world but to offer salvation. Nevertheless, they will be brought to judgment in due season by my Father and those whom he has appointed to sit in judgment on such as reject the gift of mercy and the truths of salvation. And these words, which my Father directed me to speak to the world, are words of divine truth, everlasting mercy and eternal life.” Jesus then told the crowd sitting around him that the hour was approaching when he would be glorified and anyone who would lay down his life for the Master’s sake would have a more abundant existence on earth and in the afterlife. Jesus said his heart ached for his people for rejecting his offer of salvation. He told the people listening that they would go through a “fiery trial,” but “that victory would eventually crown our united efforts to enlighten the world and liberate mankind.” And then Jesus led them to the temple for a farewell to his enemies.