Ch. 69, Jesus’ Morontia Appearances
“Son of Man: Urantia,” 2nd edition
Jesus’ Morontia Appearances
Jesus, now resurrected, is going to spend a short period on Urantia experiencing the ascending morontia career of a mortal of the realms. Although this time is being spent on his world of mortal incarnation, it reflects the experience of all mortals passing through the progressive morontia life of the seven mansion worlds of Jerusem. All of this power inherent in Jesus—the endowment of life that enabled him to arise from the dead—is the gift of eternal life that he gives all kingdom believers and that makes certain their resurrection from natural death. The mortals of the realms will wake up the morning of the resurrection with the same type of transitional body that Jesus had when he came out of the tomb on this Sunday morning. These bodies do not have circulating blood and such beings do not eat ordinary material food: still, these morontia forms are real. When the various believers saw Jesus after his resurrection they really saw him: they were not the self-deceived victims of hallucinations.
Enduring faith in Jesus’ resurrection was the cardinal feature of all of the branches of the early gospel teaching. In Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Philadelphia all the gospel teachers were united in this unspoken faith in Jesus’ resurrection. In viewing the major part that Mary Magdalene had in announcing the Master’s resurrection, it should be noted that while she was not in charge of the women workers she was their head teacher and public speaker like Peter was for the apostles. Over time Mary had become a woman of stately caution, so her boldness going up to and talking with a man that she thought was the caretaker of Joseph’s garden only shows how horrified she was to find the tomb empty. It was the depth and agony of her love—the fullness of her devotion—that caused her to forget for a moment the conventional restraints of a Jewish woman’s approach to a strange man.
Heralds of the Resurrection
The apostles did not want Jesus to leave them, so even though they had heard all of his statements about dying along with his promises to arise again, their minds resisted lodging those facts. They were not expecting the resurrection like it came, and they refused to believe in it until they were confronted with unimpeachable evidence—absolute proof—from their own experiences.
When the apostles refused to believe that the women had seen and talked with Jesus, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb while the others went back to Joseph’s house where they told their experiences to his daughter and the other women, all of whom believed their report. Shortly after six o’clock, Joseph of Arimathea’s daughter and the four women who had seen Jesus went over to Nicodemus’ house where they told him, Joseph, David Zebedee, and the other men gathered there everything that had happened, but most of them doubted their story and instead presumed that the Jews had taken the body. David and Joseph were inclined to believe the women, so much so that they rushed out to inspect the tomb and on arriving they found everything just like they had said. David and Joseph were the last ones to see the tomb in its original condition because later at seven-thirty that morning the high priest sent the captain of the temple guards to remove the grave cloths, and that man wrapped them up in the linen sheet and threw them over a nearby cliff.
From the tomb, David and Joseph immediately went to the Mark’s house where they met with the ten apostles in the upper chamber. Only John Zebedee was led to believe, even faintly, that Jesus had arisen from the dead. Peter had believed at first, but when he failed to find Jesus he fell into heavy doubts. They were all inclined to believe that the Jews had taken the body. David before he left, just said “You are the apostles and you should understand these things. I will not argue with you. I am going back to Nicodemus’ house where I will meet with the messengers this morning and send them out on their last mission announcing the Master’s resurrection. I heard the Master say that after he died he would arise again on the third day, and I believe him.” After scolding the dejected ambassadors of the kingdom this self-appointed chief of intelligence and communications dropped Judas’ bag with their money in Matthew Levi’s lap and left.
It was about nine-thirty when the last of David’s twenty-six messengers arrived at Nicodemus’ house. David promptly gathered them together in the spacious courtyard and said “Men and friends, all this time you have served me according to your oath to me and to one another, and I call you to witness that I have never sent out false information in your hands. I am about to send you on your last mission as volunteer messengers of the kingdom, and in so doing I release you from your oaths and thereby disband the messenger corps. Men, I declare to you that we have finished our work. No more does the Master have need of mortal messengers: he has arisen from the dead. He told us before they arrested him that he would die and arise again on the third day. I have seen the tomb: it is empty. I have talked with Mary Magdalene and four other women who have talked with Jesus. I now disband you, bid you farewell, and send you on your respective assignments. The message that you will bear to the believers is ‘Jesus has arisen from the dead; the tomb is empty.’”
The majority of the people present tried to dissuade David from doing this, but to no avail. Then they tried to convince the messengers to disobey him, but neither would they heed their words of doubt. Shortly before ten o’clock this Sunday morning these twenty-six runners went forth as the first heralds of the mighty fact of the resurrected Jesus. They left on this mission as they had on so many others, in fulfillment of their oath to David Zebedee and to one another. These men had huge confidence in David; they departed on this assignment without even waiting to talk with those who had seen Jesus—they took David at his word and even those who still somewhat doubted carried the message just as swiftly and certainly as the others.
The apostles—the spiritual corps of the kingdom—are this day gathered in the Mark’s upper chamber fearful and doubting while these laymen who represent the first attempt at the socialization of the Master’s gospel of the brotherhood of humanity, under the orders of their fearless and efficient leader, are going forth to announce the arisen Savior of a universe. And they engaged in this eventful service even before his chosen representatives were willing to believe his word or to accept the evidence of eyewitnesses. These twenty-six men were sent to Lazarus’ home in Bethany and to all of the other centers of believers, from Beersheba in the South to Sidon and Damascus in the North, and from Alexandria in the West to Philadelphia in the East.
After David said good-bye to his friends he went over to Joseph’s house where his mother was at, and then they left for Bethany to join Jesus’ family waiting there. David stayed in Bethany with Mary and Martha until after they had sold their possessions, and then he went with them to join their brother Lazarus in Philadelphia. About a week later, John Zebedee took Jesus’ mother Mary to his home in Bethsaida. James, Jesus’ eldest brother, remained with his family in Jerusalem and Ruth stayed at Bethany with Mary and Martha. The rest of Jesus’ family returned to Galilee. David Zebedee left Bethany with Mary and Martha for Philadelphia early in June, the day after he married Ruth.
Jesus’ Appearance at Bethany
From the time of the morontia resurrection until the hour of his spirit ascension on high, Jesus made nineteen separate appearances in visible form to his believers on Earth. He did not appear to his enemies or to those who could not make spiritual use of seeing him. His first appearance was to the five women at the tomb and his second to Mary Magdalene, also at the tomb.
The third appearance occurred shortly after noon on this Sunday at Bethany when Jesus’ oldest brother James was standing in Lazarus’ garden before the empty tomb thinking about the news that they had received from David’s messenger an hour earlier. James had always tended to believe in his older brother’s mission on Earth, but he had long since lost contact with Jesus’ work and had drifted into grave doubts about the apostles’ later claims that Jesus was the Messiah. The whole family was startled and confused by the news. As James stood before Lazarus’ empty tomb, Mary Magdalene arrived at the house and excitedly told the family about her experiences that morning. Before she was finished with her story, David Zebedee and his mother arrived. Ruth of course believed the report and so did Jude after he had talked with David and Salome.
As they were all out looking for James, he was still in the garden standing nearby the tomb. Eventually James became aware of a nearby presence—as if someone had touched him on the shoulder—and when he turned to look he saw the gradual appearance of a strange form by his side. He was too afraid to run and too amazed to speak. Then the strange form spoke, saying “James, I come to call you to the service of the kingdom. Join earnest hands with your friends and follow after me.” When James heard his name he knew that it was his eldest brother, Jesus, who had spoken to him. While all of them had some difficulty in recognizing the morontia form of the Master, few of them had any trouble recognizing his voice or charming personality once he began to speak to them.
When James realized that it was Jesus, he started to go to his knees as he cried “My father and my brother,” but Jesus told him remain standing. The two then walked through the garden and talked for almost three minutes. They discussed experiences of former days and forecast the events of the near future. As they neared the house, Jesus said “Farewell James, until I greet you all together.”
James rushed into the house even as some of the family were still looking for him at Bethpage, and said “I have just seen Jesus and I talked with him; visited with him. He is not dead: he has arisen! He vanished before me saying ‘Farewell, until I greet you all together.’”
James had scarcely finished speaking when Jude returned, and James retold the experience of meeting Jesus in the garden for his benefit. They all began to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. James now announced that he would not return to Galilee, and David said “He is not only seen by excited women; even stronghearted men have begun to see him. I expect to see him myself.”
David did not have long to wait. Jesus’ fourth appearance took place right before two o’clock in Mary and Martha’s house when he appeared before his family and their friends, twenty people in all. Jesus appeared in the open back door and said “Peace be on you. Greetings to those once near me in the flesh and fellowship for my sisters and brothers in the kingdom of heaven. How could you doubt? Why have you lingered so long before choosing to follow the light of truth with a whole heart? Come now all of you into the fellowship of the Spirit of Truth in the Father’s kingdom.” As they recovered from their shock and started to move toward Jesus as if to embrace him, he vanished from their sight.
Everyone in the house wanted to rush off to the city to tell the doubting apostles what had occurred, but James held them back. Only Mary Magdalene was allowed to return to Joseph’s house. James forbid them all from letting people know about this morontia visit because of certain things that Jesus had said to him in the garden. That day at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, James never said anything else about his visit with the arisen Master.
At Joseph’s House
Jesus’ fifth morontia visit was at about four-fifteen on this same Sunday afternoon to some twenty-five women believers gathered at Joseph of Arimathea’s house. Mary Magdalene returned to Joseph’s house just a few minutes before this appearance. James, Jesus’ brother, had asked that she say nothing to the apostles about the Master’s appearance at Bethany, but he had not asked Mary to not tell her believing sisters. So after Mary had pledged all the women to secrecy, she proceeded to tell them what had happened while she was with Jesus’ family in Bethany. She was in the middle of this thrilling recital when a sudden and solemn hush fell over the house, and they saw in their midst the visible form of the arisen Jesus. He greeted them saying “Peace be on you. In the fellowship of the kingdom there will be neither Jew nor gentile, rich nor poor, free nor bond, man nor woman. You are called to publish the good news of the liberty of humanity through the gospel of sonship with God in the kingdom of heaven. Go to all the world announcing this gospel and confirming believers in the faith it contains. While you do this do not forget to minister to the sick and to strengthen those who are fear-ridden and fainthearted. And I will be with you always, even to the ends of the Earth.” After Jesus had spoken he vanished from their sight and the women fell on their faces and worshiped in silence. Of Jesus’ five morontia appearances up to this time, Mary Magdalene had witnessed four of them.
By early evening as a result of sending out the messengers mid-morning and some unintentional leaks from the women about Jesus’ appearance at Joseph’s house, word got to the Jewish rulers that Jesus had arisen and that many people were claiming to have seen him. The Sanhedrin was well alarmed by these rumors. After a quick talk with Annas, Caiaphas called a meeting for eight o’clock that evening where they decided to expel from the synagogues anyone who mentioned Jesus’ resurrection. It was even suggested that anyone claiming to have seen him should be put to death. This proposal, however, did not come to a vote because the meeting broke up in confusion bordering on panic. They had dared to think they were through with Jesus: now they were about to discover that their real trouble with the man of Nazareth had just begun.
Appearance to the Greeks
About four-thirty at the home of a man named Flavius, Jesus made his sixth morontia appearance to some forty Greek believers. While they were discussing the reports of the Master’s resurrection he showed himself in their midst even though the doors were securely locked. Speaking to them he said “Peace be on you. While the Son of Man appeared on Earth among the Jews he came to minister to all people. In the kingdom of my Father there will be neither Jew nor gentile; you will all be brethren: the sons of God. You go then to all the world announcing this gospel of salvation like you have received it from the ambassadors of the kingdom, and I will fellowship you in the brotherhood of the Father’s sons of faith and truth.” When Jesus had charged them, he took leave. Everyone remained in the house all evening: they were too overcome with awe and fear to go out. Neither did any of these Greeks sleep that night: they stayed awake discussing these things and hoping that the Master would visit them again. In this group were many of the Greeks who were at Gethsemane when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and the soldiers arrested him.
Rumors of Jesus’ resurrection and reports about his many appearances were spreading rapidly, and all of Jerusalem was churning with excitement. The Master had already appeared to his family, to the women, and to the Greeks: soon he would show himself to the apostles. The Sanhedrin was alarmed, and Jesus was thinking about his apostles: he wanted to leave them alone for a few more hours of solemn reflection before visiting them.
The Walk with Two Brothers
At Emmaus about seven miles west of Jerusalem there lived two brothers, both shepherds, who had spent the Passover week in Jerusalem attending the feasts, sacrifices, and ceremonies. Cleopas the elder brother semi-believed in Jesus: at least enough that the Sanhedrin had cast him out of the synagogue. His brother Jacob was not a believer, though he was interested in what he had heard about Jesus.
This Sunday afternoon about three miles outside of Jerusalem and a few minutes before five o’clock these two brothers were trudging along the road to Emmaus. They were serious and talking in depth about Jesus, his work, and his teachings but more especially about the rumors that his tomb was empty and that certain women had talked with him. Cleopas was of half a mind to believe these reports but Jacob was insistent that the whole affair was probably a fraud. While they argued walking home the morontia Jesus, his seventh appearance, came up alongside them. Cleopas had often heard Jesus teach and had eaten with him at the homes of believers in Jerusalem on several occasions, but he did not recognize the Master even when he talked with them.
After walking a short distance, Jesus said “What were you talking about so seriously when I met you?”
The brothers stopped, stood still, and sad and surprised looked at Jesus. Cleopas said “Can it be that you travel in Jerusalem and you do not know the things that have happened recently?”
The morontia Jesus asked “What things?”
Cleopas replied “If you do not know about these things, then you are the only one in Jerusalem who has not heard the rumors about Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in word and in deed before God and all the people. The chief priests gave him to the Romans and demanded that they crucify him. Now many of us had hoped that it was he who would deliver Israel from the yoke of the gentiles. But that is not all. It is now the third day since he was killed, and certain women have today amazed us by saying that early this morning they went to his tomb and found it empty. These same women insist that they talked with this man; they maintain that he has arisen from the dead. When the women reported this to the men, two of his apostles ran to the tomb and likewise found it empty,” and here Jacob interrupted his brother, and said “but they did not see Jesus.”
After they had resumed walking, Jesus said “How slow you are to understand the truth! When you get around to telling me that it was about the work and teachings of this man that you were talking about, then I can enlighten you because I am more than familiar with his teachings. Do you not remember that this Jesus always taught that his kingdom was not of this world, and that all people being the sons of God should find liberty and freedom in the spiritual joy of loving service in this new kingdom of the heavenly Father’s love? Do you not recall how this Son of Man announced the salvation of God for all people, ministering to the sick and setting free those who were bound by fear and enslaved by evil? Do you not know that this man of Nazareth told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, be delivered up to his enemies who would put him to death, and that he would arise on the third day? Have you not been told all this? Have you never read in the scriptures about this day of salvation for Jew and gentile where it says that in him will all the families of the Earth be blessed; that he will hear the cry of the needy and save the souls of the poor who seek him; that all nations will call him blessed? That such a Deliverer will be as the shadow of an immense rock in a weary land? That he will feed the flock like a true shepherd gathering the lambs in his arms and tenderly carrying them in his bosom? That he will open the eyes of the spiritually blind and bring the prisoners of despair out into full light and liberty; that all who sit in darkness will see the splendid light of eternal salvation? That he will bind up the brokenhearted, announce liberty to the captives of sin, and open up the prison to those who are enslaved by fear and bound by evil? That he will comfort those who mourn and bestow on them the joy of salvation in the place of sorrow and heaviness? That he will be the desire of all nations and the everlasting joy of those who seek righteousness? That this Son of truth and righteousness will arise in the world with healing light and saving power; even that he will save his people from their sins; that he will look for and save those who are lost? That he will not destroy the weak but minister salvation to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness? That those who believe in him will have eternal life? That he will pour out his spirit on all flesh, and that this Spirit of Truth will be in each believer a well of water springing up into everlasting life? Did you not understand how momentous the gospel of the kingdom was that this man delivered to you? Do you not see how wonderful a salvation has come on you?”
By this time they had almost reached the village where the brothers lived: neither of them had said a word. When they arrived in front of their humble home Jesus was about to keep going on down the road, but they insisted that he stay saying it was near dark. Finally Jesus agreed, and soon after they went into the house to eat. The brothers gave Jesus the bread to bless, and as he began to break it to hand them their portion their eyes were opened and Cleopas recognized that their guest was the Master himself. And when he said “It is the Master…,” the morontia Jesus vanished from their sight.
The brothers then said, the one to the other, “No wonder our hearts burned in us while we walked along the road and he opened up our understanding of the scriptures!” They did not take the time to eat: they had seen the morontia Master. Rushing out of the house they ran back to Jerusalem to spread the good news of the arisen Savior. About nine o’clock that evening and just before the Master appeared to the ten apostles, these two excited men burst into the upper chamber and announced that they had seen and talked with Jesus; they told the apostles everything that Jesus said, and how they had not realized who he was until he broke the bread.