© 2020 JJ Johnson
© 2020 The Urantia Book Fellowship
| Uversa — the Future Headquarters of God the Supreme | Volume 20, Number 1, 2020 (Summer) — Index | An Encounter This Unique |
A fascinating and somewhat perplexing part of The Urantia Book has to do with the options presented to our Creator Son in preparation for his final bestowal. One in particular involved life choices that all mortals face: whether to take a mate and whether or not to have offspring. However, in Jesus’ case the counsel was that no offspring can be left behind.
Jesus, before baptism, could have had offspring (with the caveat that he could not leave them behind UB 120:3.8) and it is not in conflict with Paper 20 which states divine Sons could not beget offspring on the worlds of their sojourn. UB 20:6.2 is referring to the human- divine Sons in the last sentence vs. Son of Man ( human ) phase described in the first four sentences of this paragraph.
When study groups are comparing papers 20 and 120, there are two prevailing viewpoints. One view is that paragraphs UB 20:6.2 and UB 120:3.8 appear to be inconsistent regarding “leaving offspring behind” vs. “do not beget offspring.” This view holds that “leaving offspring behind” infers that offspring can be had but cannot be left behind. To them, ‘do not beget offspring,’ does not allow for “leaving offspring behind.” One has to beget offspring in order to be advised that they are not to be left behind. This inconsistency continues to perplex new and long-time students of The Urantia Book who view these two statements as having different meanings. This paper will establish that in UB 120:3.8 Jesus’ elder brother and Paradise counselor, Immanuel, is counseling the Creator Son just before his mortal bestowal that as Jesus of Nazareth (Son of Man) he could have offspring but as Son of Man and Son of God (after his baptism) he cannot leave them behind nor beget offspring as Son of God. This paper provides an acceptable answer that allows papers 20 and 120 to be consistent and at the same time clears up the perplexing view taken that “do not beget” and “leaving no offspring behind” are two different meanings. The other viewpoint is taken by those who think UB 20:6.2 infers Bestowal Sons cannot have (beget) offspring at all ( before or after baptism ). In this view these two passages are accepted as meaning the same thing and therefore consistent. To them, the wording in UB 120:3.8 is just re-stating UB 20:6.2 and therefore the two passages mean the same thing. This paper will provide a graceful reception for both views above and will demonstrate a third view in which the first two views can be seen as compatible.
We begin by examining paragraph UB 20:6.2 in which a Perfector of Wisdom from Uversa is presenting to us the mortal-bestowal career of a Paradise Son (in our case Michael of Nebadon.) The first four sentences cover his mortal bestowal from infancy through youth to manhood. This is the human side of the human - divine bestowal. The last sentence in UB 20:6.2 draws attention to the Son of God, after baptism. This sentence addresses the divine side of the human- divine bestowal.
On a mortal-bestowal mission a Paradise Son is always born of woman and grows up as a male child of the realm, as Jesus did on Urantia. These Sons of supreme service all pass from infancy through youth to manhood just as does a human being. In every respect they become like the mortals of the race into which they are born. They make petitions to the Father as do the children of the realms in which they serve. From a material viewpoint, these human- divine Sons live ordinary lives with just one exception: They do not beget offspring on the worlds of their sojourn; that is a universal restriction imposed on all orders of the Paradise bestowal Sons. (All Bold my emphasis) [UB 20:6.2]
In paragraph [UB 120:3.8] Immanuel counsels Michael in a farewell conference before his mortal bestowal as the Son of Man.
While you will live the normal and average social life of the planet, being a normal individual of the male sex, you will probably not enter the marriage relation, which relation would be wholly honorable and consistent with your bestowal; but I must remind you that one of the incarnation mandates of Sonarington forbids the leaving of human offspring behind on any planet by a bestowal Son of Paradise origin. [UB 120:3.8].
Additional references are provided below to help make sense of the “forbids the leaving of human offspring behind ” vs. “do not beget offspring ” dilemma that perplexes those who have no answer to this apparent inconsistency. The other prevailing viewpoint, that the two paragraphs are consistent and the wording means the same in both, does not hold up to scrutiny. The third point of view, outlined in this paper, satisfies the conundrum readers have often found themselves in. It is helpful, in weighing these two papers, to reflect on the specific wordings in bold above in papers 120 and 20 respectively. The nature of The Son of Man before baptism and the Son of Man and Son of God after baptism is different in each case. The free will of Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of Man before baptism is not treated in the same manner after baptism. Before baptism, Jesus was not conscious of the guidance from his elder brother. After baptism and becoming conscious of the guidance from Immanuel, Jesus, now as the Son of Man and Son of God, took action on the “leave no writings behind.” It was not necessary to address the “leaving no offspring behind.” The wording is the same except Jesus did not have to deal with the offspring issue. Before baptism Jesus chose not to enter into marriage; therefore, he did not have to address the “leave no offspring behind” in Immanuel’s counsel.
Paragraph [UB 129:3.9], given below, should put to rest the question of when Jesus became conscious of Immanuel’s farewell conference. (Immanuel’s counsel included leaving no writings or offspring behind [UB 120:3.7], [UB 120:3.8].)
…The last episode of his prehuman experience to be brought forth by the Adjuster was his farewell conference with Immanuel of Salvington just before his surrender of conscious personality to embark upon the Urantia incarnation. And this final memory picture of prehuman existence was made clear in Jesus’ consciousness on the very day of his baptism by John in the Jordan. [UB 129:3.9]
Paragraph [UB 0:5.3] below discloses how the Son of Man and Son of God can coexist in a unified personality, in his present status. This title was given at baptism, not before. After baptism, Christ Michael’s present status is Son of Man and Son of God. This could only happen after his baptism. That’s when Christ Michael picked up this combined title that he experientially earned.
On attained experiential levels all personality orders or values are associable and even cocreational. Even God and man can coexist in a unified personality, as is so exquisitely demonstrated in the present status of Christ Michael — Son of Man and Son of God. [UB 0:5.3]
More of the character and merciful nature of the Eternal Son of mercy you should comprehend as you meditate on the revelation of these divine attributes which was made in loving service by your own Creator Son, onetime Son of Man on earth, now the exalted sovereign of your local universe — the Son of Man and the Son of God. [UB 7:7.6]
In the following paragraph, Immanuel is again speaking to Michael in his farewell conference. In his bestowal Jesus, before baptism and as the Son of Man, was under the safekeeping of Gabriel. I surmise that if Jesus as the Son of Man, had contemplated marriage, Gabriel had options. Perhaps he would have informed Jesus of the offspring restriction before baptism. It never came up.
In your stead I now reign. I assume jurisdiction of all Nebadon as acting sovereign during the interim of your seventh and mortal bestowal on Urantia. And to you, Gabriel, I commit the safekeeping of the Son of Man about- to-be until he shall presently and in power and glory be returned to me as the Son of Man and the Son of God. And, Gabriel, I am your sovereign until Michael thus returns. [UB 120:3.11]
Jesus was now thoroughly self- conscious regarding his human existence, his divine pre-existence, and the status of his combined, or fused, human and divine natures. With perfect poise he could at one moment enact the human role or immediately assume the personality prerogatives of the divine nature. [UB 137:4.2]
Jesus’ devotion to the Father’s will and the service of man was even more than mortal decision and human determination; it was a wholehearted consecration of himself to such an unreserved bestowal of love. No matter how great the fact of the sovereignty of Michael, you must not take the human Jesus away from men. The Master has ascended on high as a man, as well as God; he belongs to men; men belong to him. How unfortunate that religion itself should be so misinterpreted as to take the human Jesus away from struggling mortals! Let not the discussions of the humanity or the divinity of the Christ obscure the saving truth that Jesus of Nazareth was a religious man who, by faith , achieved the knowing and the doing of the will of God; he was the most truly religious man who has ever lived on Urantia. [UB 196:1.1]
On the day before the Passover Sabbath, flood tides of spiritual illumination swept through the mortal mind of Jesus and filled his human heart to overflowing with affectionate pity for the spiritually blind and morally ignorant multitudes assembled for the celebration of the ancient Passover commemoration. This was one of the most extraordinary days that the Son of God spent in the flesh; and during the night, for the first time in his earth career, there appeared to him an assigned messenger from Salvington, commissioned by Immanuel, who said: “The hour has come. It is time that you began to be about your Father’s business. ¡” (Such a message, arriving at puberty, may explain why Jesus never contemplated marriage.) [UB 124:6.15]
Between these two celestial visitations, one in his thirteenth year and the other at his baptism, there occurred nothing supernatural or superhuman in the life of this incarnated Creator Son. Notwithstanding this, the babe of Bethlehem, the lad, youth, and man of Nazareth, was in reality the incarnated Creator of a universe; but he never once used aught of this power, nor did he utilize the guidance of celestial personalities, aside from that of his guardian seraphim, in the living of his human life up to the day of his baptism by John. And we who thus testify know whereof we speak. [UB 128:1.9]
The following additional partial quotes are used to support the above narrative:
Consciousness of divinity was a gradual growth in the mind of Jesus up to the occasion of his baptism. After he became fully self-conscious of his divine nature, prehuman existence, and universe prerogatives, he seems to have possessed the power of variously limiting his human consciousness of his divinity. [UB 161:3.1]
In passing through these events, Jesus chose to be guided by the limited knowledge of his human mind. He desired to undergo the experience with his associates as a mere man. [UB 154:6.10]
Again, as a mere man, before baptism, Jesus was not conscious of the guidance that he is not to leave any offspring behind. Should Jesus have seriously contemplated marriage as a mere man before baptism, one can speculate that Gabriel might have appeared and provided Jesus the guidance from his elder brother that Jesus was not yet conscious of. This never came up like the “leave no writings behind” did and he had to clear that up by destroying his writings after he became conscious of this guidance at his baptism. The point here is to recognize that Jesus of Nazareth as a “mere man,” before baptism, accomplished all that he did with his free will by living faith with the help of only his Thought Adjuster, guardian seraphim and the one message from Immanuel that it was time “to be about your Father’s business.”
NB: As a thought provoker consider the following: For the purpose of this paper, there are three phases/titles to the Creator Son’s incarnation:
- before bestowal – Creator Son/Son of God
- birth until baptism – Jesus of Nazareth/ Son of Man
- after baptism – Exalted sovereign/Son of Man and Son of God
There is a demarcation at baptism. Baptism ends Jesus’ experience strictly as the Son of Man and he now enters the dual phase as Son of Man and Son of God as he so chooses for the remainder of his bestowal.
As the Son of Man, before baptism, Jesus lived/experienced his life “[As] in the Presence ” of our Paradise Father by the assurance of Faith (UB 100:1.8). Jesus of Nazareth achieved the knowing and the doing of the will of God by ‘ living faith in God’ like we all can [UB 196:0.3].
As the Son of God, after baptism, Jesus lived/experienced his life ‘[In] the Presence’ of his Paradise Father. It was up to him, as the Son of God, to live the remainder of his bestowal mission sometimes [As] in the Presence (experience more of the mortal bestowal by living faith) or [In] the Presence of God (as Son of God) while completing his bestowal mission.
It is not within the scope or intent of this paper to speculate on how Jesus, now our Creator Sovereign Son, Master Michael of Nebadon, could do these things on this mortal bestowal. The Urantia Book references in this paper are provided to establish that Jesus, before baptism, could have had offspring (with the caveat that he could not leave them behind) and it is not in conflict with Paper 20 which states divine Sons could not beget offspring on the worlds of their sojourn, referring to the human- divine Sons in the last sentence of [UB 20:6.2] vs. Son of Man (human) phase described in the first four sentences of [UB 20:6.2].
To the extent the distinctions put forth in this paper (regarding the Son of Man before baptism vs. the Son of God and Son of Man after baptism) foster the appreciation of the free will that Jesus of Nazareth was permitted and required to experience by living faith as in the presence of God, I will have achieved my purpose.
Each generation of Urantia students owe it to future generations to archive thought provoking topics that will enhance our progress toward light and life.
Freely received, freely give…
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To Linda Lockwood , whose exceptional editing skills greatly uplifted and improved the final product. To Bob Debold and Ken Keyser for asking the penetrating questions and making this effort much more than it would have been without them. To the fellowship of believers of all faiths that strive for a deeper personal experience and understanding of the Life Example and Personal Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Man and Son of God, as restated in Part IV of The Urantia Book.
¶ References
- Article obtained from The Fellowship site
| Uversa — the Future Headquarters of God the Supreme | Volume 20, Number 1, 2020 (Summer) — Index | An Encounter This Unique |