Urantia Book 100. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua bin Joseph, Yeshua, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of Nebadon. Jesus continued his farewell discourse by saying: “And I am telling you about all this before I leave you in order that you may be so prepared for what is coming upon you that you will not stumble into serious error. They rejected me, they rejected my Father and they will reject you. I am telling you in advance about these things so that when your hour comes, as mine now has, you may be strengthened in the knowledge that all was known to me, and that my spirit shall be with you in all your sufferings for my sake and the gospel’s. Although this gospel of the kingdom never fails to bring great peace to the soul of the individual believer, it will not bring peace on earth until man is willing to believe my teaching wholeheartedly and to establish the practice of doing the Father’s will as the chief purpose in living the mortal life. I will speak plainly, as one friend to another. It is really profitable to you that I go away. If I do not go away, the new teacher cannot come into your hearts. And when my spirit comes to indwell you, he will illuminate the difference between sin and righteousness and will enable you to judge wisely in your hearts concerning them.” The apostles were very confused and they all asked questions at once. Jesus resumed and tried to talk on their level:”I have plainly told you that the Son of Man must die, but after that I will be with you for a little while. And then I go to my Father. You will first be made sorrowful, but later on you will rejoice with many who will understand these things after they come to pass. And so you are about to sorrow over my departure, but I will soon see you again, and then your sorrow will be turned into rejoicing, and there shall come to you a new revelation of the salvation of God which no man can ever take away from you. And all the worlds will be blessed in this same revelation of life in effecting the overthrow of death. Mortal man cannot see the spirit Father; therefore I have come into the world to show the Father to your creature eyes. But when you are perfected in spirit growth, you shall then see the Father himself.” And Jesus saw that they did not yet comprehend him. They could not give up their idea of the Jewish Messiah, the glorious material triumph of the kingdom on earth (180.6.1-9). ************************************** The apostles were deluding themselves in the belief that Jesus was going to the Father for a short time after the Resurrection and then would return to establish a kingdom on earth. And then Jesus delivered some last words of comfort: “As long as I am with you in the flesh, I can be but one individual in your midst or in the entire world. But if I return as a spirit dwelling within each of you and all other believers in the gospel of the kingdom. In this way the Son of Man can be a spiritual incarnation in the souls of all true believers. This Spirit of Truth will become in them a well of living water, springing up into eternal life. Jesus then privately spoke with each apostle. Jesus asked John to take care of his family and not to argue with his converts. Jesus told Simon Zelotes that he would have great disappointment and discouragement, but then he would recover and become a great teacher of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told Matthew that he would be alone in his preaching career, which would be hard on him. Matthew was well liked by the other apostles and he would find new people in the future. Jesus couldn’t address Judas Iscariot because he wasn’t in the Upper Room with the others. To the Alpheus twins he said that of the 3 pairs of brothers in the group, they worked the best together. He also told them to go back home and make their labor God-filled. Jesus next stepped over to James Zebedee and said: “Whether your ministry be long or short, possess your soul in patience. Dedicate your life to the demonstration of the combined human affection and divine dignity of the God-knowing and Son-believing disciple. There will be times when my disciples are willing to lay down their lives for the gospel, but it is better to placate wrath so you can preach another day.” Jesus released Andrew from all his administrative duties as the leader of the 12 apostles and thanked him for his service.