Paper 136 Overview: Baptism and the Forty Days

Jesus inaugurated his public ministry at the zenith of John the Baptist's influence, during a period of heightened Messianic expectation among the Jewish population. The contrast between these two spiritual leaders was profound and purposeful: John embodied the earnest, urgent proclamation of the old order, calling for repentance and preparation, while Jesus manifested a calm, joyful presentation of the new spiritual paradigm. John's message emphasized fleeing from divine wrath, whereas Jesus transcended this foundation with the "gospel"—the good tidings of spiritual joy and liberation within the kingdom reality. This theological progression from John's preparatory ministry to Jesus' transformative revelation established the framework for the new concept of God's relationship with humanity.

The forty days following Jesus' baptism constituted a pivotal period of decision-making that determined the methodological and philosophical framework for his entire public ministry. Withdrawing into solitude in the Perean hills, Jesus engaged in profound deliberation concerning his approach to revealing the Father while functioning within the constraints of his human incarnation. Through a series of momentous decisions, he systematically rejected using supernatural powers for personal benefit, refused to employ spectacular demonstrations to attract followers, and committed to revealing the kingdom through natural, ordinary processes in harmony with existing social structures. These determinations reflected his dedication to manifesting the Father's love through authentic human experience rather than through displays of divine power, ultimately establishing a pattern of ministry focused on spiritual transformation rather than temporal authority or miraculous intervention. His decisions during this period demonstrated the perfect integration of his divine wisdom with his human experience, resulting in a mission strategy that would prioritize revealing the Father's character rather than merely demonstrating his own divine prerogatives.

Jesus commenced his public ministry at the apex of popular interest in John's preaching and during a period when the Jewish population eagerly anticipated the Messiah's appearance. The contrast between John and Jesus was striking and significant: John functioned as an earnest and intense worker, while Jesus embodied tranquility and joyfulness in his labors. John provided minimal comfort or exemplary guidance for his followers, whereas Jesus represented both consolation to the world and a model for emulation. Although Jesus characterized John as the greatest prophet of the previous dispensation, he simultaneously asserted that even the least participant in the kingdom of heaven surpassed John in spiritual status, highlighting the fundamental transition occurring between the old and new religious epochs.

When John proclaimed the coming kingdom, his essential message focused on repentance and escaping impending divine judgment. Jesus, while maintaining the exhortation to repentance, consistently expanded this foundation with the gospel of the good tidings of joy and liberation within the new kingdom. This crucial distinction in their messaging reflected their complementary but sequential roles in the divine plan: John represented the culmination of the prophetic tradition that prepared the way, while Jesus inaugurated a new spiritual dispensation that would transform humanity's understanding of its relationship with God. The progression from John's message to Jesus' teaching illustrated the evolution from the religion of duty and divine appeasement to the religion of love and spiritual freedom, a transition fundamental to comprehending Jesus' mission on earth.

The Jewish populace maintained diverse perspectives regarding the anticipated deliverer, with each school of Messianic interpretation identifying supportive passages within Hebrew scriptures despite apparent contradictions. Historically, Jews conceptualized their national narrative as originating with Abraham and culminating with the Messiah's establishment of God's kingdom. The theological understanding of this deliverer evolved progressively, from "the servant of the Lord" to "the Son of Man," with some eventually referring to the Messiah as the "Son of God." By Jesus' era, learned Jews had developed a sophisticated concept of the coming Messiah as the perfected representative Israelite who would embody the threefold office of prophet, priest, and king—a composite role that synthesized multiple prophetic traditions.

The predominant expectation among Jews was that the Messiah would liberate them from Roman domination through miraculous interventions surpassing even Moses' wonders during the Egyptian liberation. Rabbinical scholars had compiled nearly five hundred scriptural passages considered prophetic of the Messiah, though these contained numerous apparent contradictions that were overlooked in their enthusiasm. Their focus centered on Israel's temporal exaltation, the restoration of national glory, rather than universal salvation, creating a materialistic Messianic paradigm incompatible with Jesus' spiritual mission. This fundamental misalignment between popular expectation and Jesus' purpose virtually ensured his rejection by those seeking a political-military deliverer. Had the religious authorities interpreted these prophetic utterances with a more spiritualized perspective, they might have recognized Jesus as the culmination of one age and the inaugurator of a superior dispensation of mercy and salvation extending beyond national boundaries to embrace all humanity.

Jesus received baptism at the zenith of John's ministry, when Palestine experienced a profound spiritual awakening in response to the prophet's declaration that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The collective consciousness of racial solidarity among the Jews was particularly intense, leading many devout individuals to undergo John's baptism not from personal conviction of sin, but from concern that some inadvertent transgression might delay the Messiah's advent. Accordingly, numerous pious Israelites presented themselves for baptism to manifest "fruits of race penitence," and Jesus participated in this ritual not for repentance or remission of personal sins, but in alignment with this cultural-religious expression of devotion to Israel's spiritual destiny.

When Jesus entered the Jordan, he represented the pinnacle of human evolutionary advancement, having achieved perfect synchrony between his mortal mind and his indwelling divine spirit. As John administered the baptism, the indwelling Thought Adjuster departed from Jesus' perfected human soul and returned as a Personalized Adjuster—an unprecedented transformation signifying Jesus' completed mortal attainment. This divine entity spoke, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," words audible to John and Jesus' brothers but not to John's other disciples. Following this extraordinary spiritual event, Jesus prayed to his "Father who reigns in heaven" and received a vision of himself as a Son of God before his earthly incarnation and as he would be after completing his mortal life. This transcendent experience marked the conclusion of Jesus' purely human existence and initiated the conscious awareness of his dual nature, establishing constant communion between the Son of Man and this exalted Personalized Adjuster who would accompany him throughout his remaining earthly ministry.

Following his baptism, Jesus withdrew into forty days of isolation in the Perean hills, a period devoted to adjusting to the transformed relationship between himself and the universe occasioned by the personalization of his Adjuster. This retreat followed his previous triumph over Caligastia on Mount Hermon, where he had already defeated "the prince of this world" and effectively become the Planetary Prince of Urantia. Unlike Moses, Elijah, or John the Baptist, Jesus did not seek seclusion for ascetic purposes, fasting, or self-affliction; rather, he required uninterrupted solitude to contemplate the policies and methodologies appropriate for inaugurating the new phase of his ministry, which was the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven.

This period of isolation included significant encounters with universe personalities. Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star of Nebadon, reestablished direct communication with his Creator Son for the first time since Michael departed Salvington for his bestowal mission. Gabriel conveyed critical information indicating that Jesus' bestowal experience was essentially complete regarding the achievement of perfect sovereignty over his universe and the termination of the Lucifer rebellion. Subsequently, the Constellation Father of Edentia personally appeared, confirming the completion of all records and officially releasing Jesus to ascend to his Father and claim his sovereignty whenever he chose. Despite this confirmation that his technical bestowal requirements were fulfilled, Jesus determined to continue his incarnation in accordance with the Father's will, informing Gabriel that in his forthcoming work, he would remain mindful of the counsel received in connection with his pre-bestowal instructions from Immanuel. Throughout these forty days, James and John Zebedee persistently searched for Jesus but never located him.

During these contemplative days in the hills, Jesus methodically formulated the strategic framework for his remaining earthly ministry, beginning with the critical decision to avoid teaching contemporaneously with John the Baptist. He determined to maintain a period of comparative anonymity until John's preparatory work achieved its purpose or was interrupted—a prescient decision given Jesus' awareness that John's forthright preaching would inevitably provoke confrontation with civil authorities. Jesus recognized that his mission extended beyond the local populace to encompass all worlds of Nebadon, requiring careful planning and divine wisdom to implement effectively.

Upon systematically reviewing Immanuel's pre-bestowal instructions, Jesus noted with particular attention the directive to leave no permanent writing on the planet, subsequently destroying all his previous written works upon returning to Nazareth. Contrary to traditional interpretations of this period as one of fasting and temptation, Jesus did not deliberately abstain from food during these forty days, except for the initial two days when his intellectual absorption rendered him temporarily oblivious to physical hunger. This extended isolation represented the final and definitive conference between Jesus' human and divine minds, representing a transformative integration wherein the divine mind conclusively dominated the human intellect in spiritual matters. The seemingly fantastical "temptations" later attributed to this period were, in reality, the thoughtful deliberations of a perfectly integrated divine-human consciousness determining the philosophical and methodological foundations for revealing the kingdom. Jesus reflected on human evolutionary history from Andon and Fonta through Adam and the Melchizedek of Salem, providing comprehensive context for his impending ministry.

On the third day of his isolated conference with himself and his Personalized Adjuster, Jesus beheld a vision of the assembled celestial hosts of Nebadon, twelve legions of seraphim and proportionate numbers of every order of universe intelligence, arrayed before him awaiting his command. His first momentous decision concerned whether to employ these mighty personalities in connection with his forthcoming public ministry. After profound consideration, Jesus resolved not to utilize any of these celestial beings unless it became evident that such action aligned with his Father's explicit will. Despite this determination, the entire celestial host remained in attendance throughout his earthly life, perpetually prepared to execute his slightest command.

Jesus delegated immediate authority over this vast assembly of universe personalities to his recently Personalized Adjuster, who for more than four years directed these selected intelligences from every division of the universe administration. The Adjuster, being a onetime part and essence of the Paradise Father, assured Jesus that these superhuman agencies would never intervene in his earth career except when the Father independently chose to permit such action. This comprehensive decision effectively precluded all superhuman cooperation regarding Jesus' remaining mortal ministry unless the Father independently initiated such intervention. The Adjuster further clarified that while he could perfectly limit the celestial host regarding space activities, time-related operations remained outside his complete control. Jesus thereby understood that while supernatural events related to his ministry might occasionally occur through the elimination of time, they would never violate established spatial relationships or natural laws except as explicitly willed by the Father.

Having definitively established his policy regarding the participation of created intelligences in his ministry, Jesus directed his attention toward his personal use of creator prerogatives in the recurring situations of mortal existence. This philosophical question materialized practically when hunger arose on the third day of his solitary meditation, presenting the dilemma of whether to exercise normal human effort to procure food or to employ his inherent creative powers to produce nourishment. This internal deliberation, later mischaracterized as an external temptation to "command that these stones become loaves of bread," represented a fundamental decision point regarding his approach to incarnated existence.

Jesus formulated a consistent policy for his remaining earthly ministry: he would pursue the path of normal human experience regarding his personal necessities and interpersonal relationships. He determined neither to transcend nor violate his established natural laws, although he recognized these laws might occasionally be accelerated under specific circumstances. Essentially, Jesus organized his lifework in accordance with natural principles and existing social structures—a decision equivalent to rejecting miraculous demonstrations and supernatural interventions in his personal existence. This policy extended beyond mere physical sustenance to encompass all aspects of self-preservation and material existence. Jesus consciously chose the counterintuitive approach of not prioritizing self-protection, formulating his position through the scriptural affirmation: "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." This determination established that while his superhuman capacities might benefit others, he would never employ them for personal advantage or self-protection. He maintained this principle even through his crucifixion, when observers mockingly noted that "he saved others; himself he cannot save."

Having resolved matters concerning physical sustenance and material provision, Jesus contemplated his response to situations of personal danger. He determined to exercise normal vigilance regarding his human safety and take reasonable precautions against premature termination of his mortal existence, while refraining from superhuman intervention when confronting genuine life-threatening circumstances. As he formulated this decision, Jesus sat beneath a tree on an overhanging ledge with a precipice before him, fully cognizant that he could cast himself into space without harm if he rescinded his previous determination against celestial intervention, a scenario later misinterpreted as an external temptation.

Jesus recognized that his compatriots anticipated a Messiah who would transcend natural law, as expressed in Scripture: "There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." However, he perceived that such presumptuous defiance of gravitational laws would constitute not a revelation of his Father but a questionable manipulation of established universal principles. Given his previous decisions and the personalization of his Adjuster, observers could state with certainty that Jesus never walked on water nor performed any action violating the material order of his world administration, although time-related phenomena remained somewhat beyond his control. Jesus maintained unwavering fidelity to this determination throughout his ministry, resisting both the Pharisees' demands for signs and the taunts of spectators at Calvary challenging him to demonstrate his divine power by descending from the cross.

The subsequent significant dilemma Jesus confronted and resolved concerned whether to employ his superhuman capabilities to attract attention and secure adherents to his cause. He categorically rejected this approach, establishing a policy that eliminated spectacular demonstrations as a method of promoting public awareness of his mission. Throughout his ministry, Jesus consistently upheld this principle, typically instructing recipients of his healing ministry to maintain silence regarding their experiences, and invariably declining his critics' challenges to "show a sign" as demonstration of his divine authority.

Jesus discerned with profound insight that miraculous demonstrations would elicit merely superficial allegiance by impressing material minds, without genuinely revealing God or effectively saving humanity. He refused the role of wonder-worker, instead concentrating exclusively on establishing the kingdom of heaven. Despite experiencing the human tendencies toward questioning and doubt during this momentous internal dialogue, Jesus recognized that even a single compromise with established natural principles would create an untenable precedent. He understood that his refusal to employ extraordinary powers would disappoint his contemporaries who anticipated a Messiah who would surpass Moses' miracles, yet he steadfastly determined that his mission must proceed through natural, challenging processes rather than through shortcuts involving arbitrary authority or exceptional power. Jesus thereby exemplified for all worlds of his vast universe the philosophical folly of creating artificial situations to demonstrate authority or exercise exceptional power for enhancing moral values or accelerating spiritual progress. In rejecting all compromise with evil and association with sin, the Master triumphantly prioritized loyalty to his Father's will above every temporal consideration.

Having methodically addressed questions of policy regarding natural law, spiritual power, and his approach to establishing the kingdom, Jesus directed his attention toward practical methods for advancing his message. With John already proclaiming the kingdom, Jesus contemplated how to continue this work while maintaining his distinct identity separate from popular Messianic expectations. He recognized that the prevailing vision of a Messiah who would establish Israel as world rulers through miraculous power was fundamentally incompatible with the spiritual kingdom he came to reveal—a kingdom concerned not with material dominion but with transforming hearts through spiritual awakening.

On the final day of this momentous isolation, before descending the mountain to rejoin John and his disciples, Jesus communicated his culminating decision to the Personalized Adjuster: "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." This comprehensive commitment established absolute submission to the divine will as the governing principle for his entire ministry, completing the series of determinations that would guide his approach to revealing the Father's kingdom. As Jesus journeyed down the mountain, his countenance reflected the spiritual victory and moral achievement attained through these forty days of contemplation and decision. Having systematically rejected shortcuts to influence and power, Jesus emerged with a clear vision of establishing the kingdom through natural, ordinary methods, which was precisely the approach his followers would subsequently employ in extending the heavenly kingdom.