PART IV The Life and Teachings of Jesus
This group of papers was sponsored by a commission of twelve Urantia midwayers acting under the supervision of a Melchizedek revelatory director.
The basis of this narrative was supplied by a secondary midwayer who was onetime assigned to the superhuman watchcare of the Apostle Andrew.
Paper 120 - The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia
Paper 121 - The Times of Michael’s Bestowal
Paper 122 - Birth and Infancy of Jesus
Paper 123 - The Early Childhood of Jesus
Paper 124 - The Later Childhood of Jesus
Paper 125 - Jesus at Jerusalem
Paper 126 - The Two Crucial Years
Paper 127 - The Adolescent Years
Paper 128 - Jesus’ Early Manhood
Paper 129 - The Later Adult Life of Jesus
Paper 130 - On the Way to Rome
Paper 131 - The World’s Religions
Paper 132 - The Sojourn at Rome
Paper 133 - The Return from Rome
Paper 134 - The Transition Years
Paper 135 - John the Baptist
Paper 136 - Baptism and the Forty Days
Paper 137 - Tarrying Time in Galilee
Paper 138 - Training the Kingdom’s Messengers
Paper 139 - The Twelve Apostles
Paper 140 - The Ordination of the Twelve
Paper 141 - Beginning the Public Work
Paper 142 - The Passover at Jerusalem
Paper 143 - Going Through Samaria
Paper 144 - At Gilboa and in the Decapolis
Paper 145 - Four Eventful Days at Capernaum
Paper 146 - First Preaching Tour of Galilee
Paper 147 - The Interlude Visit to Jerusalem
Paper 148 - Training Evangelists at Bethsaida
Paper 149 - The Second Preaching Tour
Paper 150 - The Third Preaching Tour
Paper 151 - Tarrying and Teaching by the Seaside
Paper 152 - Events Leading up to the Capernaum Crisis
Paper 153 - The Crisis at Capernaum
Paper 154 - Last Days at Capernaum
Paper 155 - Fleeing Through Northern Galilee
Paper 156 - The Sojourn at Tyre and Sidon
Paper 157 - At Caesarea-Philippi
Paper 158 - The Mount of Transfiguration
Paper 159 - The Decapolis Tour
Paper 160 - Rodan of Alexandria
Paper 161 - Further Discussions with Rodan
Paper 162 - At the Feast of Tabernacles
Paper 163 - Ordination of the Seventy at Magadan
Paper 164 - At the Feast of Dedication
Paper 165 - The Perean Mission Begins
Paper 166 - Last Visit to Northern Perea
Paper 167 - The Visit to Philadelphia
Paper 168 - The Resurrection of Lazarus
Paper 169 - Last Teaching at Pella
Paper 170 - The Kingdom of Heaven
Paper 171 - On the Way to Jerusalem
Paper 172 - Going into Jerusalem
Paper 173 - Monday in Jerusalem
Paper 174 - Tuesday Morning in the Temple
Paper 175 - The Last Temple Discourse
Paper 176 - Tuesday Evening on Mount Olivet
Paper 177 - Wednesday, the Rest Day
Paper 178 - Last Day at the Camp
Paper 179 - The Last Supper
Paper 180 - The Farewell Discourse
Paper 181 - Final Admonitions and Warnings
Paper 182 - In Gethsemane
Paper 183 - The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
Paper 184 - Before the Sanhedrin Court
Paper 185 - The Trial Before Pilate
Paper 186 - Just Before the Crucifixion
Paper 187 - The Crucifixion
Paper 188 - The Time of the Tomb
Paper 189 - The Resurrection
Paper 190 - Morontia Appearances of Jesus
Paper 191 - Appearances to the Apostles and Other Leaders
Paper 192 - Appearances in Galilee
Paper 193 - Final Appearances and Ascension
Paper 194 - Bestowal of the Spirit of Truth
Paper 195 - After Pentecost
Paper 196 - The Faith of Jesus
The Urantia Book
<< PART IV | Parts | Content | Paper 121 >>
Paper 120 The Bestowal of Michael on Urantia
120:0.1 (1323.1) ASSIGNED by Gabriel to supervise the restatement of the life of Michael when on Urantia and in the likeness of mortal flesh, I, the Melchizedek director of the revelatory commission intrusted with this task, am authorized to present this narrative of certain events which immediately preceded the Creator Son’s arrival on Urantia to embark upon the terminal phase of his universe bestowal experience. To live such identical lives as he imposes upon the intelligent beings of his own creation, thus to bestow himself in the likeness of his various orders of created beings, is a part of the price which every Creator Son must pay for the full and supreme sovereignty of his self-made universe of things and beings.
120:0.2 (1323.2) Before the events I am about to delineate, Michael of Nebadon had bestowed himself six times after the similitude of six differing orders of his diverse creation of intelligent beings. Then he prepared to descend upon Urantia in the likeness of mortal flesh, the lowest order of his intelligent will creatures, and, as such a human of the material realm, to execute the final act in the drama of the acquirement of universe sovereignty in accordance with the mandates of the divine Paradise Rulers of the universe of universes.
120:0.3 (1323.3) In the course of each of these preceding bestowals Michael not only acquired the finite experience of one group of his created beings, but he also acquired an essential experience in Paradise co-operation which would, in and of itself, further contribute to constituting him the sovereign of his self-made universe. At any moment throughout all past local universe time, Michael could have asserted personal sovereignty as a Creator Son and as a Creator Son could have ruled his universe after the manner of his own choosing. In such an event, Immanuel and the associated Paradise Sons would have taken leave of the universe. But Michael did not wish to rule Nebadon merely in his own isolated right, as a Creator Son. He desired to ascend through actual experience in co-operative subordination to the Paradise Trinity to that high place in universe status where he would become qualified to rule his universe and administer its affairs with that perfection of insight and wisdom of execution which will sometime be characteristic of the exalted rule of the Supreme Being. He aspired not to perfection of rule as a Creator Son but to supremacy of administration as the embodiment of the universe wisdom and the divine experience of the Supreme Being.
120:0.4 (1324.1) Michael, therefore, had a double purpose in the making of these seven bestowals upon the various orders of his universe creatures: First, he was completing the required experience in creature understanding which is demanded of all Creator Sons before they assume complete sovereignty. At any time a Creator Son may rule his universe in his own right, but he can rule as the supreme representative of the Paradise Trinity only after passing through the seven universe-creature bestowals. Second, he was aspiring to the privilege of representing the maximum authority of the Paradise Trinity which can be exercised in the direct and personal administration of a local universe. Accordingly, did Michael, during the experience of each of his universe bestowals, successfully and acceptably voluntarily subordinate himself to the variously constituted wills of the diverse associations of the persons of the Paradise Trinity. That is, on the first bestowal he was subject to the combined will of the Father, Son, and Spirit; on the second bestowal to the will of the Father and the Son; on the third bestowal to the will of the Father and the Spirit; on the fourth bestowal to the will of the Son and the Spirit; on the fifth bestowal to the will of the Infinite Spirit; on the sixth bestowal to the will of the Eternal Son; and during the seventh and final bestowal, on Urantia, to the will of the Universal Father.