Paper 134 Overview: The Transition Years

During his Mediterranean journey, Jesus made the final decision to return to Palestine for his life's work. He chose to be born among the Jews and now decided to finish his life in Palestine, as this was the best place to set forth his gospel. Jesus stayed true to his decision to reveal God to his fellow humans.

Jesus spent much of his thirtieth year away from his family, leading a caravan to the Caspian Sea region. After this journey, he returned to Capernaum and spent time teaching at Urmia, where he gave lectures on the brotherhood of men. The time between his journeys and his baptism was a period of transition in which he prepared for his public mission.

Jesus had carefully studied the people he met during his Mediterranean travels. He made his final decision to return to Palestine to complete his life's work on earth. Jesus was satisfied that Palestine was the best place to set forth the closing chapters of his life and to enact the final scenes of his revelation of God to humans.

Jesus consciously decided to finish his human life in the same land where he was born as a helpless baby. His Urantia (earth) career began among the Jews in Palestine, and he chose to end it there as well. Jesus wanted to finish his mortal existence in the same place it began.

After leaving Gonod and Ganid at Charax in December of A.D. 23, Jesus traveled through Ur and Babylon. He eventually returned to Nazareth, stopping briefly in Capernaum to see Zebedee's family. In Nazareth, Jesus spent time with Mary and his younger sister Ruth, who was now fifteen years old.

During this year, Simon and Jude (Jesus' brothers) both got married in a double wedding in March. Jesus proposed that Mary and Ruth move to Capernaum to live in the home he had given to James. Jesus then left Nazareth with a caravan, beginning a journey that would keep him away for a year.

On April 1, A.D. 24, Jesus left Nazareth as a conductor of a caravan heading to the Caspian Sea region. This journey gave Jesus many opportunities to help the people he met along the way. Many people who met Jesus during this time were made better for the rest of their lives.

Jesus enjoyed working with people from many different cultures during this journey. He made personal contact with every surviving race on Urantia except the red race. The caravan trip was successful, and Jesus faithfully completed his responsibilities as the caravan leader. After returning from the Caspian region, Jesus settled in Capernaum, which became his new home.

During his journey to the Caspian Sea, Jesus stopped at the Persian city of Urmia. On his return trip, he stayed for two weeks at the invitation of Cymboyton, a wealthy merchant who had built a temple dedicated to the philosophy of religions. Here, Jesus delivered twenty-four lectures on "The Brotherhood of Men."

This temple at Urmia had a faculty of seventy teachers from different religions. They were chosen by their religious groups and lived together peacefully. Jesus appeared as an independent teacher during his time there, and his lectures on the brotherhood of men were based on the concept of the "Kingdom of God" and the "Kingdoms of Men."

Jesus taught that the brotherhood of men is founded on the fatherhood of God. God loves all his children, and the kingdom of heaven is based on the spiritual relationship between God and humans. Religious peace can only exist when all religions give up any claims of being superior to others.

Jesus explained that when different religions recognize God's spirit sovereignty, they can live in peace. However, when one religion claims to be better than others, it causes problems. The kingdom of heaven in human hearts will create religious unity because believers will be free from religious authority that tries to control others.

The Urmia lectures included teachings about political sovereignty and the problems of nations. These teachings were adapted by the midwayers (the authors) for twentieth-century readers. War on Urantia will continue as long as nations claim unlimited national sovereignty, rather than recognizing the sovereignty of all mankind together.

Jesus taught that there are only two levels of relative sovereignty: the spiritual free will of individuals and the collective sovereignty of humanity as a whole. Everything in between is temporary. Political power starts with families and grows to larger groups, but lasting peace will only come when all nations surrender their sovereign powers to a world government representing all mankind.

Jesus taught that if people want freedom, they must accept laws that protect everyone's freedom. Without rules, one person's freedom would mean another's slavery. Freedom is possible through the enforcement of fair laws that balance everyone's rights. Religion helps make brotherhood possible, but government is needed to regulate social problems.

World peace cannot happen while nations claim the right to make war. Jesus used the example of the American states, which gave up their sovereignty to create a federal government and ended wars among themselves. World government would protect people from war, while local and national governments would handle local affairs. Individual liberty would actually increase under world government.

When Jesus returned from the Caspian Sea journey, he knew his world travels were nearly finished. He made one more trip outside Palestine, going to Syria. After visiting Capernaum and Nazareth briefly, he traveled to Tyre, Sidon, and spent over two months in Antioch before traveling through Palestine.

This was a year of solitary wandering through Palestine and Syria. Jesus went by many different names in different places. After traveling from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north, Jesus went to Mount Hermon. There, he spent six weeks alone in spiritual preparation, completing the task of mastering his human mind and consecrating himself to his remaining work on earth.

Jesus established his headquarters near Mount Hermon with the help of a boy named Tiglath. He then went alone up the mountain to commune with his heavenly Father. Jesus spent six weeks on Mount Hermon, from the middle of August to late September in A.D. 25.

During this time on the mountain, Jesus finished the task of achieving complete understanding and control of his human mind. His Thought Adjuster (God's spirit) completed its work as well. Near the end of his stay, Jesus confronted his enemies in the Satania system, including representatives of Lucifer and Caligastia. He won complete sovereignty over his universe and returned changed from this experience.

After Mount Hermon, Jesus went to Jerusalem with John Zebedee for the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles. John was impressed by the ceremonies, but Jesus remained thoughtful and silent, seeing the rituals as misrepresentations of God's true character. Jesus spent time alone in the hills near Jerusalem during this visit.

After the feast, Jesus returned to Capernaum and worked several months at Zebedee's boatshop alongside his brother James. He was a careful and skilled craftsman. During this time, Jesus heard reports about John the Baptist preaching and baptizing people in the Jordan River. In January of A.D. 26, Jesus laid down his tools and went to be baptized by John, saying "My hour has come."