Ch. 4, Jesus at Jerusalem (Text)

“Son of Man: Urantia—The Life and Teachings of Jesus from The Urantia Book”

Jesus’ first Passover was a turning point in his life. Initially, his human emotions surged with anticipation, but as reality dawned, his divine insight grew disheartened by the temple’s practices. Jesus had already stirred unease in Nazareth before departing for Jerusalem. Passover was deemed a male ritual by Jews—women could attend, but, unrequired, often remained home. At first, Mary had no intention of attending Passover. But Jesus said excluding women was wrong, and if his mother did not go, neither would he. Mary gave in, and because she did, many other women from Nazareth, who normally would not have gone, went with her.

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On the first day of Passover, Jesus and other Jewish boys participated in ceremonies where they dedicated themselves to God and committed to uphold Jewish law and tradition. Per those laws and traditions, Mary and other women were barred from witnessing their sons’ consecration. Jesus disapproved of this exclusion: he confided some concerns to Joseph, reserving most for Nazareth.

Jesus still questioned his parents about nearly everything. Yet their answers depicted a vengeful God, delighting in wrath and punishing offenders. Jesus resented these answers: he knew there was never a valid reason to fear God. Eventually, Joseph, frustrated with Jesus’ attitude, ordered him never to question Jewish customs again. But in this case, Jesus did not give up. He asserted to Joseph that belief in an angry God was unfounded. Jesus reasoned that Joseph, his earthly father, could not surpass the love of God, his divine Father; and if Joseph loved him so much that he did not become angry with him, then how could God, who loves him more, wish to harm him? Jesus won the argument, and neither Joseph nor Mary ever again tried to diminish his belief in the love and mercy of God.

Jesus Views the Temple

The temple complex comprised numerous buildings that could accommodate two hundred thousand people. It was noisy and crowded. Being from Nazareth, Jesus was accustomed to a much smaller temple where all the people knew one another. He found the rituals mechanical and impersonal, lacking reverence for God. Vendors within traded money and animals, resembling a marketplace rather than a temple dedicated to his Father.

The most horrific experience for young Jesus was the rabbis’ (killing) slaughtering of animals to please God. This butchery occurred at a large bronze fountain under a rock ledge in front of the temple altar. So many animals were being slaughtered that thick rivers of blood flowed down the pavement, and the rabbis, blood-soaked, stood drenched from head to toe. The shrill screams from the herds of terrified animals sickened Jesus, and he convinced Joseph to take him away. He had seen enough ritual cruelty that day.

Jesus and Passover

That night, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus visited Simon’s family in Bethany. They ate lamb for dinner in accordance with Passover. This was the first of seven days of ceremonies, and since it was Jesus’ first time attending, he was asked to tell the legend of Passover for the guests. Jesus recited the story well, but Mary and Joseph knew he was upset with what he had witnessed at the temple. Unbeknownst to them, Jesus contemplated reforming Jewish practices, rejecting animal sacrifices as pleasing to God. The night proved restless: Jesus was anguished by the temple’s rites, and Mary and Joseph fretted over his defiance of tradition.

The next day, Simon’s son, Lazarus, took Jesus for a tour of Jerusalem. It was a calmer day for him, and by evening he knew his way around the temple. Jesus was not yet thirteen years old, so he was not permitted to participate in the temple debates. As the week wore on, Mary and Joseph often found him sitting alone, thinking. Jesus’ somber demeanor alarmed them, and they longed for his safe return to Nazareth.

Jesus was consumed with curiosity about how people lived in distant lands. At Passover, among the thousands attending, he engaged over one hundred fifty people, absorbing insights into cultures from Egypt, Parthia, Turkestan, Mesopotamia, and the Roman Empire. Each conversation fueled his hunger to know more.

Mary and Joseph Leave

The group that had traveled from Nazareth for Passover agreed to leave and return home the day after Passover week. Their plan was for everyone to form two groups outside of the temple at ten o’clock that morning, the men in one and the women and children in the other, as usual. Jesus had gone to Passover with the women’s group, but since he was now a man, he was supposed to walk home with the men. This caused confusion, and Mary and Joseph each thought that Jesus was traveling with the other. But Jesus had ventured to the temple, enthralled by the rabbis’ discussion on angels, neglecting the journey home. Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem, a fact Mary and Joseph did not realize until they met in Jericho later that night.

First and Second Days in the Temple

Jesus remained in the temple all day listening to the rabbis: he was less stressed now that most people had left. Afterward, he walked to Bethany and spent the night at Simon’s house. Everyone was happy to see him, but for most of the evening, Jesus kept to himself, meditating in the garden. He had not spoken in the temple because he was still not technically old enough to participate, but now he was determined to speak.

On his way to the temple the next morning, Jesus stopped on the brow of Mount Olivet, the ridge where he had been excited on first seeing Jerusalem. Back then, he had been full of joy: now he wept for his people. Bound to Roman legions and enslaved by a religion of a wrathful God, their bondage was absolute. Mary and Joseph left Jericho early and returned to Jerusalem to look for Jesus. After they did not find him in town, they spent the night with Mary’s relatives.

Jesus arrived at the temple before noon. At first, he behaved as required for his age, but then he began asking questions. Most rabbis tolerated this until Jesus questioned the justice of condemning a Gentile to death for wandering into a sacred area of the temple while drunk. This protest was too much for one rabbi, who demanded to know Jesus’ age. Jesus replied that he was four months shy of thirteen years old, but had been consecrated at Passover and had finished his schooling in Nazareth. For most teachers, this explained the issue, as they asked one another whether any good ever came out of Nazareth. The leader of the discussion decided it was not Jesus’ fault that he was in the temple before being thirteen years old, but rather the fault of the liberal teachers in Nazareth. They agreed to let Jesus stay and participate.

The Third Day in the Temple

By the third day, word had spread across Jerusalem that a young man was perplexing the rabbis. That morning, when Jesus arrived at the temple, he had an audience hoping to see him outshine the wise men of the law. Simon had walked from Bethany to attend, while Mary and Joseph were still searching for Jesus. At one point, they were actually in the temple, but it never occurred to them that he would be participating in the discussions.

For more than four hours, Jesus debated with Jerusalem’s religious leaders. He did not argue but instead taught them with questions crafted to challenge their beliefs while revealing a better path. Jesus never took unfair advantage of anyone: he always treated others with respect. His goal was not to win an argument, but enhance the truth and people’s understanding of God the Father. By day’s end, attendees pondered issues like gender division, animal sacrifices despite God’s love, commerce in a temple dedicated to worship, and whether the awaited Messiah would be a material king or the leader of a spiritual kingdom of love.

The Fourth Day in the Temple

Jesus was so focused on the discussions in the temple that he forgot about his parents. Mary and Joseph grew more worried each day, and by this point, they thought Jesus might have gone to visit John in the City of Judah. But before leaving Jerusalem to see if Jesus was with John, they went to the temple to see if John’s father, Zacharias, was there. Instead, they found Jesus.

All morning, Jesus had impressed everyone present with his knowledge of the scriptures, especially for a boy his age. The rabbis had begun the afternoon round of discussions, and Jesus had been invited to sit next to the head teacher to explain his ideas about prayer. At this point, Mary and Joseph arrived. They were shocked to see Jesus talking with the men, but Mary was also furious. She burst in on the group and, in front of everyone, began scolding Jesus. They had been searching for him for three days, she said. What was he thinking? Did he not care that they were worried about him? Joseph was upset but held his peace and let Mary speak—or, in this case, yell. Everyone present was shocked and sat wondering what Jesus would do.

When Mary had finished expressing her feelings to Jesus, he stood in front of his mother. He said that while he was at fault, Mary was also overstepping by scolding him in the temple. She was not supposed to be in the men’s area, and he had already been recognized as a Son of the Commandment: he was officially a young man. It was improper for her to yell at him in front of everyone, especially in his Father’s temple. After a moment’s thought, Jesus then asked his mother why they had been searching for him. He said they should have known he would be in his Father’s house doing his Father’s work. This comment left Mary speechless, and astonished everyone else. Then, Jesus told his parents that everything was proceeding according to the Father’s will, and they left to return home.

On the way to Jericho, Jesus stood on the brow of Mount Olivet and looked down on Jerusalem again. This time he did not weep; instead, trembling with emotion, he vowed to return someday, cleanse the temple, and break his people’s bondage to their old beliefs. When they returned to Nazareth, Jesus spoke briefly with his parents. He told them he would never again cause them to worry while he lived in their house. Jesus had to balance obeying his parents’ rules on Earth and doing his Father’s will in spiritual matters. If there was conflict between the two, Jesus would not agree with his mother and father, but he would follow their wishes.

Joseph was confused; he was unsure what to think about his son. But Mary had heard Jesus’ vow on the brow of Olivet that he would return some day to save his people from bondage. Mary held to her beliefs, and continued trying to prepare Jesus to sit on the Throne of David as the King of the Jews, even recruiting her brother, Jesus’ favorite uncle, to help mold him into a Jewish patriot. But Jesus’ mission was spiritual, not political, and for everyone in the world, not just the Jews.

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