Adapted from the Urantia Book original paper here
It was early Saturday morning, February 23, A.D. 26, when Jesus came down from the hills and rejoined John and his followers still camped at Pella. He hung out and chatted with the crowd most of the day, and then when a kid fell and hurt himself Jesus patched him up before taking the boy home to his parents, who lived in another village close by.
One of John’s top disciples, a man named Andrew, went with Jesus when he took the lad home and along the way he asked Jesus many questions. Right before they got back to the river-camp at Pella, they stopped and Andrew told Jesus, “I have observed you ever since you came to Capernaum, and I believe you are the new Teacher, and though I do not understand all your teaching, I have fully made up my mind to follow you; I would sit at your feet and learn the whole truth about the new kingdom.” And right then and there, Jesus welcomed Andrew as the first of what were to be his twelve apostles.
Andrew had a brother, Simon, who was another even more enthusiastic believer in John the Baptist and his work. When Andrew told Simon that he’d pledged his loyalty to Jesus, and suggested that he do the same, Simon said, “Ever since this man came to work in Zebedee’s shop, I have believed he was sent by God, but what about John? Are we to forsake him? Is this the right thing to do?”
They decided to go and ask John what they should do. John was sad to lose them both as his disciples, but he was also firm, telling Andrew and Simon that, “This is but the beginning; presently will my work end, and we shall all become his disciples.”
Andrew and Simon then went to Jesus, and they told him that Simon, like his brother Andrew, wanted to be one of Jesus’ apostles. Jesus said yes, but he also said, “Simon, your enthusiasm is commendable, but it is dangerous to the work of the kingdom. I admonish you to become more thoughtful in your speech. I would change your name to Peter.” Jesus now had his first two apostles, the brothers Andrew and Peter, who before was Simon.
Jesus told Andrew and Peter that early tomorrow morning they were going to go to Galilee. Jesus then took off and went back to the house where he and Andrew had taken the hurt boy earlier in the day. The kid’s mom and dad had asked Jesus to come and spend the night with them, and he had agreed.
A short time later, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, got back to the camp. They had been out in the hills the whole time still searching for Jesus. When Andrew and Peter told them that they had been accepted as Jesus’ first apostles, and that they were leaving with him tomorrow morning for Galilee, James and John got upset. They had known Jesus for a long time, they loved him, and they had just spent days in the hills looking for him only to get back to the camp and find out he’d chosen Andrew and Peter to be his apostles before them.
James and John took off and went to boy’s house where Jesus was spending the night. The brothers woke Jesus up, and asked him, “How is it that, while we who have so long lived with you are searching in the hills for you, you prefer others before us and choose Andrew and Simon as your first associates in the new kingdom?” Jesus answered them, “Be calm in your hearts and ask yourselves, ‘who directed that you should search for the Son of Man when he was about his Father’s business?’”
After the brothers had recited the details of their long search in the hills, Jesus further instructed them: “You should learn to search for the secret of the new kingdom in your hearts and not in the hills. That which you sought was already present in your souls. You are indeed my brethren—you needed not to be received by me—already were you of the kingdom, and you should be of good cheer, making ready also to go with us tomorrow into Galilee.”
John then boldly asked, “But, Master, will James and I be associates with you in the new kingdom, even as Andrew and Simon?” And Jesus, laying a hand on the shoulder of each of them, said:
“My brethren, you were already with me in the spirit of the kingdom, even before these others made request to be received. You, my brethren, have no need to make request for entrance into the kingdom; you have been with me in the kingdom from the beginning. Before men, others may take precedence over you, but in my heart did I also number you in the councils of the kingdom, even before you thought to make this request of me. And even so might you have been first before men had you not been absent engaged in a well-intentioned but self-appointed task of seeking for one who was not lost. In the coming kingdom, be not mindful of those things which foster your anxiety but rather at all times concern yourselves only with doing the will of the Father who is in heaven.”
James and John took their scolding with good grace, and they were never again jealous of Andrew and Simon, now Peter. The brothers went and told John of their decision, and then they packed their gear to leave for Galilee in the morning.
The next morning, Sunday, February 24th, A.D.26, Jesus and the four headed out for Galilee. When he said good-bye to John, it was the last time the two of them saw each other in their lives on Earth. It was also the start of disagreement among those who believed in John.
The day before, John had told Andrew and Ezra that Jesus was the deliver. Andrew, as we know, believed that also and then went to follow Jesus. Ezra, though, didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah, and told the other people that, “The Prophet Daniel declares that the Son of Man will come with the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory. This Galilean carpenter, this Capernaum boatbuilder, cannot be the Deliverer. Can such a gift of God come out of Nazareth? This Jesus is a relative of John, and through much kindness of heart has our teacher been deceived. Let us remain aloof from this false Messiah.”
John, in turn, scolded Ezra for what he said, but it didn’t matter. Ezra and the others who still believed in John, and not Jesus, took off and headed south. This group continued to baptize people in John’s name, and they eventually founded a cult who continued to believe in John and refused to accept Jesus. Some of the descendants of these people are still in Mesopotamia today.
While walking down the road and before Jesus, Andrew, Peter, James, and John got to the river crossing on the Jordan, they ran into a friend named Philip of Bethsaida and his buddy Nathaniel of Cana. They all knew and liked Philip, but they didn’t know Nathaniel, so he rested himself under a shade tree while Philip went and greeted Jesus and his crew.
Peter told Philip about how the four of them had just become Jesus’s apostles, and he urged Philip to ask Jesus if he could also join them. This threw Philip into a quandary. He and Nathaniel had been on their way to see John, and then out of the blue right there in the middle of the road he’s being asked to join Jesus instead. Eventually, after the five of them had hashed it out for a while, Andrew suggested that Philip go and ask Jesus what he should do. Philip, right then, came to the realization that Jesus just might be the Messiah and he decided he would do whatever Jesus said. Philip then went to Jesus and asked him, “Teacher, shall I go down to John or shall I join my friends who follow you?” And Jesus answered, “Follow me.”
At that point, Philip went over to talk to Nathaniel who was still resting under the shade tree. Naturally, since they had been on their way to see John, Nathaniel had been sitting there thinking about John, the Messiah, and the coming kingdom. When Philip got there, he broke in on these thoughts, and said, “I have found the Deliverer, him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote and whom John has proclaimed.”
When Nathaniel asked who this man was, Philip said, “He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, the carpenter, more recently residing at Capernaum.” Nathaniel was a little shocked by this, and asked Philip, “Can any such good thing come out of Nazareth?” At that point, Philip just grabbed him by the arm and said, “Come and see.”
Nathaniel had sincere doubts, but when he got to Jesus, who into his eyes and said, “Behold a genuine Israelite, in whom there is no deceit. Follow me,” Nathaniel was immediately convinced. Turning to Philip, Nathanial said, “You are right. He is indeed a master of men. I will also follow, if I am worthy.” And Jesus nodded to Nathaniel, again saying, “Follow me.” Jesus now had half of his apostles, five of whom he had known before and one a new acquaintance.
The crew continued on their way, crossed the Jordan, and went through Nain before arriving in Nazareth later that evening. That night they stayed with Joseph in the house where Jesus grew up. The new apostles watched as Jesus went through the whole place and destroyed anything he had ever written down, like the ten commandments and his own mottos and sayings hanging on the walls. This made a strong impression on them, even though they didn’t understand why Jesus was doing it, or why in the future they only saw him write in sand.
The next day Jesus sent the six apostles on ahead to Cana. They had all been invited to the wedding of a young woman from a wealthy family that lived there. Before leaving, the six talked with Jesus’ family and told them everything that had happened, including that they thought Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. After the family talked it over for a while, Jesus’ brother Joseph said, “Maybe, after all, Mother was right—maybe our strange brother is the coming king.”
While the apostles went ahead to Cana, Jesus went to Capernaum to say hi to his mother, and then to Magdala to see Jude before heading to Cana himself. When he got to Capernaum, Jesus went straight to Zebedee’s house. Everyone noticed that Jesus was more like his old self of years before – less serious, more joyful, and lighthearted with a new, majestic bearing. Mary, of course, was thrilled with the news that Jesus was finally starting his mission, though she still thought he’d do it with miracles and become the supernatural king of the Jews. To all of the questions that everyone asked about when he was going to proclaim himself, he’d just say he had to wait for his Father’s hour.
The following day, Tuesday, Jesus and everyone else went over to Cana for the wedding of Naomi and Johab, the son of Nathan, which was going to be held the next day, on Wednesday.
Jesus had many times told his apostles and family not to tell anyone else about him until his Father’s hour came, but of course they didn’t listen to him. Each of them believed that Jesus was going to announce that he was the Messiah at the wedding, and they expected him to do it with miracles and supernatural wonders. None of them could help but to quietly spread the word that the Jew’s deliverer had finally arrived, and hence the entire countryside was planning to go to the wedding. Mary hadn’t been this excited in a long time, and she made the trip to Cana like she was the queen mother going to see her son coronated as king of the Jews. Everyone was expecting great things, and they were all excited to be present to witness the coming of Israel’s God.
The Wedding at Cana
It was the Jews custom to hold weddings on Wednesday, and invitations had been sent out a month before. By noon, almost a thousand people had shown up in Cana, more than four times the number that had actually been invited to the feast. Most of these uninvited guests had come to see Jesus, and they all wanted to meet him. Jesus was asked to lead the beginning of the wedding procession, and he agreed to do so.
At this time, Jesus was fully conscious of both the human and divine sides of his being, and he could switch his personality between the two at will. As the afternoon wore on, Jesus could tell that the people were waiting for him to perform some kind of miracle. This included his family and apostles, who he realized were waiting for him to announce his coming kingdom by working some supernatural wonder for the people. Mary got impatient waiting for something to happen, and with her son James she went to Jesus and asked him if he could give her some idea of when he was going to announce himself as the Messiah. This brought forth Jesus’ characteristic indignation, and while it showed on his face he only told his mother that if you love me, be patient with me while I wait upon the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mary’s inability to comprehend his mission, and her desire to see him perform miracles disappointed Jesus. He was also a little bothered by his reaction to her suggestion that he break the vows he had just made up in the Perean hills. Jesus got away from the people for an hour to be by himself, and when he returned he was again joyous and lighthearted. But Mary spent the next couple hours pretty depressed, and lamented to James and Jude, “I cannot understand him; what can it all mean? Is there no end to his strange conduct?”
The wedding ceremony went on with everyone expecting that at any moment Jesus was going to do or say something. When the wedding itself was over and he hadn’t done anything, everyone then assumed that Jesus, who John had announced was the “Deliverer,” would make his announcement later on in the evening, maybe during the supper. Jesus, though, right before the supper was served called his six apostles together and dashed their hopes in seeing a miracle when he told them, “Think not that I have come to this place to work some wonder for the gratification of the curious or for the conviction of those who doubt. Rather are we here to wait upon the will of our Father who is in heaven.” Mary and other guests, though, had been watching Jesus from a distance as he talked to his apostles, and they thought that he was doing just the opposite: that he was planning his miracle with his six helpers.
As said earlier, about four times more people showed up for the wedding feast than had actually been invited. Before the dinner was over, the father of the bridegroom, who had planned the wedding feast, was told by the servants that the wine was running out. By the end of the supper, when all of the guests were now strolling around the garden, his wife complained to Mary that there was no more wine and she didn’t know what to do. Mary, even though she had just been told otherwise by Jesus earlier in the day, said with confidence, “Have no worry—I will speak to my son. He will help us.”
While it was natural for Mary to turn to her eldest son for help like she had done for many years, she was also ambitious and had other motives for her actions. As Jesus was standing alone in a corner of the garden, Mary came up to him and said, “My son, they have no wine.” And to this, Jesus replied, “My good woman, what have I to do with that?”
“But I believe your hour has come; cannot you help us,” Mary asked? Jesus told her again that he hadn’t come to perform miracles, asking her why she kept bothering him with these things. At that point Mary had had enough, and Jesus’ mother broke down in tears, saying, “But, my son, I promised them that you would help us; won’t you please do something for me?” To which, Jesus said, “Woman, what have you to do with making such promises? See that you do it not again. We must in all things wait upon the will of the Father in heaven.”
Mary was crushed; she was stunned! As she stood there before him motionless, with the tears streaming down her face, the human heart of Jesus was overcome with compassion for the woman who had borne him in the flesh; bending forward, he laid his hand tenderly on her head, saying: “Now, now, Mother Mary, grieve not over my apparently hard sayings, for have I not many times told you that I have come only to do the will of my heavenly Father? Most gladly would I do what you ask of me if it were a part of the Father’s will—” and then Jesus stopped short; he hesitated. Mary, watching him, seemed to sense that something was happening. Leaping up, she threw her arms around Jesus’ neck, kissed him, and rushed off to the servants’ quarters, saying, “Whatever my son says, that do.” But Jesus said nothing. He now realized that he had already said—or rather desired—too much.
Mary was dancing with glee. She didn’t know how the wine would come, but she was confident believing that she had finally persuaded her first-born son to proclaim himself the Messiah and show his supernatural powers. And, this time, she wasn’t going to be disappointed. Unknown to her and all of the other people, the host of universe personalities standing ready to do anything Jesus desired was already at work, and the wine that Mary desired and that the human Jesus in sympathy for his mother also wished for, was coming.
Close by where Jesus and his mom had just spoken, were six large stone pots of about twenty gallons each that had been filled with water for the final purification ceremonies of the wedding celebration. Mary had gone over to these water pots, and was now giving orders to a lot of excited servants that were crowded around them. When Jesus went over to see what was happening, he saw that the servants were taking wine out of stone vessels by the pitcher full.
As Jesus watched the servants pass out the wine, he was more surprised than anyone else at what had happened. He had expressly decided not to work miracles. Then he remembered that his Personalized Adjuster, when he was in the Perean hills, had warned him that none of the celestial host had the power to not do something he wanted within his creator prerogative independent of time.
In other words, two events happened: Jesus felt sympathy for his mother and he let down his mental guard while saying he would most gladly grant her wish if it was in his Father’s will, and at the very same time his Personalized Adjuster signaled to the universe personalities that fulfilling Jesus’ desire was not against his Father’s will. At that point the celestial beings ready to serve Jesus had no choice but to instantly enact his wish and manifest wine, because what God desires, is.
What happened at Cana was not a miracle. No natural law was broken, crossed, or modified. The universe personalities made wine by the normal process, except they did so independent of time and with the intervention of celestial personalities to bring together the necessary chemical ingredients. And, it was evident that what happened wasn’t against the Father’s will or it wouldn’t have ever occurred since Jesus had already submitted himself in all things to that will.
When the servants served the wine to the best man, who was known at the “ruler of the feast,” he tasted it and then toasting the bridegroom said, “It is the custom to set out first the good wine and, when the guests have well drunk, to bring forth the inferior fruit of the vine; but you have kept the best of the wine until the last of the feast.”
Mary and the six apostles were ecstatic at what happened, but Jesus was just perplexed. He took a few moments to himself, and then after some thought he decided that what had happened wasn’t in his control and if it wasn’t against his Father’s will, it was inevitable. The people at the wedding now all believed Jesus was the Messiah, but he knew this was only because they thought they’d seen a miracle. Sitting up on the flat roof-top all by himself, Jesus now realized that he had to constantly guard his mind so his pity and sympathy for his people didn’t cause this sort of thing to happen again. But, regardless of his efforts, many similar events happened before Jesus finished his time with us.
Okay, folks, that’s it for Son of Man: Urantia, Chapter 16, part 1, “Hanging Out in Galilee.”
In next week’s episode we continue with Chapter 16, part 2, “Hanging Out in Galilee.”
Have a fantastic week out there.
Bob