Forty Days in the Wilderness 

Immediately after Jesus came up out of the water of the Jordan at his baptism, he headed off towards the hills of Perea and was not seen again for forty days. At the time of his baptism, Jesus received a vision of himself as a divine being – who he was before he came to earth and who he would be at the end of his life here. He embarked on this sojourn of isolation in order to think thoroughly and carefully about how he would assimilate this knowledge in light of his plans for his public work of proclaiming the new kingdom of God in the hearts of men.

As Jesus was in the hills of Perea, orienting himself with his surroundings, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and informed him that the requirements of his bestowal mission on earth had been completed to the Father’s satisfaction. Jesus was told that he could terminate his mission at any time and that his path, from this point, was one of his own choosing. But he decided to stay and continue his work of revealing the Father to mortals and show forth his divine character of love.

During the forty days, Jesus did not go without food; he did not suffer from hunger. No evil spirits bothered him, and there was no “temptation in the wilderness.” Here in the hills, Jesus’ human and divine minds began to function together, as one. He recalled what Immanuel had said to him and later did as he had ordered, namely, to leave no personal writing on the planet. Gabriel told him he could proceed in his own way or the Father's way. Jesus chose the Father’s way.

To guide him in continuing to do public work while on earth, Jesus arrived at six great decisions during his time in the hills. These decisions were principles and choices related to the use of his powers, obedience to natural laws, the use of miracles, his purpose in contrast to the expected Jewish Messiah, and in all other matters, he pledged to be subject to the will of the Father.

Immediately after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, on Monday, January 14, 26 CE, he left John, and his brothers, James and Jude, behind. He headed east to the Perean hills, and no one saw him again for forty days.

At his baptism, Jesus reached the full human consciousness of his true identity; he remembered who he was and where he had come from. When Jesus, John, and Jesus’ brothers heard the words “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” they heard Jesus pray in response: “My Father who reigns in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven.” At this moment, Jesus saw a vision of himself as the Son of God, as he was before he came to earth and as he would be again when his life here was finished. But only Jesus saw this vision.

Jesus had earned the right to the title of Planetary Prince nearly six months previously, in August, 25 CE, when he confronted his enemies on Mount Hermon and ended the Lucifer rebellion. Now, as he adjusted himself to this new realization of himself, he used the forty days by himself as a time to formulate the plans and the techniques he would use to proclaim the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Jesus was now fully aware that he was the Creator of this universe. He recalled Immaniel delivering the bestowal charge to him before his incarnation. He now just needed time for quiet reflection on these new realizations and how this information would inform the way he conducted the rest of his life and his public efforts to proclaim the kingdom, not only to this world, but to his whole universe.

As he wandered in the hills and looked for shelter, Jesus met Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star of the universe. The last time they had met was just before Jesus left on his incarnation bestowal to earth. In this momentous meeting in the hills, Gabriel told Jesus that as regards his mission, Jesus had met the requirements of that mission, namely, that when he terminated the Lucifer rebellion he had earned the right of Sovereignty over this world and universe to the Father’s satisfaction. Jesus had first experienced assurance of this Sovereignty on the day of his baptism when he heard the voice that said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus received even further assurance of these matters when the Constellation Father* appeared to him and Gabriel and said: “The records are completed. I bring to you the bestowal release of Immanuel, your sponsor-brother for the Urantia incarnation. You are at liberty now or at any subsequent time, in the manner of your own choosing, to terminate your incarnation bestowal, ascend to the right hand of your Father, receive your sovereignty, and assume your well-earned unconditional rulership of this universe. Technically, your work on Urantia and in the flesh of the mortal creature is finished. Your course from now on is a matter of your own choosing.” So now, Jesus had the option to end his mission with the Father’s blessing.

Jesus and Gabriel had a long talk about universe welfare; Jesus assured Gabriel he would always remember the pre-bestowal advice he had received from Immanuel, and he sent greetings to him through Gabriel.

*The Constellation Father is one of the "most high Fathers" in this universe who serves on the worlds of space. Melchizedek referred to this most high being as “El Elyon,” and for the purposes of this narrative, we can associate this being, as Melchizedek did, with the concept of the universal deity – God himself.

Jesus determined that he did not wish to teach at the same time that John was teaching. He knew that John was something of a firebrand and that he would likely get crossways with the civil authorities at some time in the future. So, he decided to keep a low profile if, or until, these matters came to a head. And in the meantime, he began to make definite plans for his future public work. His work was far beyond what John had been able to do; Jesus' efforts included not only the people of this world but were on behalf of the entire universe.

Jesus now reviewed the instructions that Immaniel had given him. He recalled that he was to leave no writing behind on the planet. So on his next visit to Nazareth, he proceeded to destroy all of the writings that he had made in his younger days: the boards that hung on the walls of the carpenter shop, and the board with the Ten Commandments, and anything else that he had created. And he thought about Immanuel’s advice concerning how he should formulate the proper attitude towards economics, politics, and social matters, too.

Jesus did not fast while he was in the hills; he did not suffer from hunger. He did stop eating for the first two days, but that was just because he was so preoccupied with thinking about his new realizations about himself that he forgot to eat. On the third day, he went in search of food. No evil spirits bothered him; no rebel personalities intruded. There was no “temptation in the wilderness.” Throughout these eventful days, Jesus found an ancient rock cavern, a shelter in the side of the hills where he elected to stay. This cavern was near a village sometime called Beit Adis. It is perhaps there where he found food, but we have no record of that. He drank water from the small spring which came from the side of the hill near this rock shelter.

This forty-day period of solitude was not a time of temptation, but a time when Jesus made the great decisions that were to mark his conduct and his policies for the rest of his life. The fragmentary narratives that survived about his previous encounter with his enemies on Mount Hermon were the source of confusion about this issue of temptation. But for Jesus, this period was consistent with his own practice of seeking communion with God when he was faced with serious decisions.

While here in the hills, Jesus’ human and divine minds began functioning as one. And though Jesus’ selfhood was still very much present, his spiritualized mind now prevailed so that “Not my will but yours be done” became his dominant attitude.

Jesus did a lot of thinking during these forty days, and he was always alert and aware – never was he starved or distracted by hunger. He did see visions, but they were not the result of a weakened mind; they were visions of things and beings that he was familiar with, things from his previous life before his bestowal.

Gabriel had told Jesus that there were two ways he could conduct his ministry if he chose to stay: He could choose his own, human way; or he could choose the Father’s way.

On the third day of his sojourn, Jesus decided that he would stay and finish his bestowal mission, always subject to the Father’s will; that in any situation where there was a choice of these two ways in his future work, he would always choose the Father’s way. And he never wavered in that choice, even to the bitter end.

Early in his sojourn, and in the midst of his deep thinking, a vision was presented to Jesus. He was able to see the vast assembly of celestial beings that were under his command as Sovereign of the universe. He saw the twelve legions of seraphim and all of the other orders of intelligent beings who were subject to him and who all waited to act on his behalf and by his will. His first decision was in regards to this vast resource of assistance, and whether he would employ any of them in his future plans for public work on earth.

Jesus decided that, unless it was the Father's will, he would not use even one personality of this vast host that waited to do his bidding. Regardless of this decision, these loyal beings stayed with him for the remaining days of his earth life. They remained at the ready, alert to obey even the slightest expression of his will. And even though he did not constantly see these beings with his human eyes, the spirit presence of the Father within him did see them and could communicate with them. And in fact, Jesus now placed this vast host under the control of this spirit presence, his glorified indwelling spirit.

And by this first great decision, Jesus voluntarily chose to divest himself of all superhuman ministry for the remainder of his life, unless it should be the Father’s will that they should intervene in some act or event of his Son’s earth life.

But there were conditions to this decision. While this vast host of universe personalities could be limited in regards to material in space, they could not be limited as regards time. Said the Adjuster: “I will, as you have directed, enjoin the employment of this attendant host of universe intelligences in any manner in connection with your earth career except in those cases where the Paradise Father directs me to release such agencies in order that his divine will of your choosing may be accomplished, and in those instances where you may engage in any choice or act of your divine-human will which shall only involve departures from the natural earth order as to time. In all such events I am powerless, and your creatures here assembled in perfection and unity of power are likewise helpless. If your united natures once entertain such desires, these mandates of your choice will be forthwith executed. Your wish in all such matters will constitute the abridgment of time, and the thing projected is existent. Under my command this constitutes the fullest possible limitation which can be imposed upon your potential sovereignty. In my self-consciousness time is nonexistent, and therefore I cannot limit your creatures in anything related thereto.”

In short, this meant that no miracle or ministry of mercy could constitute a violation of natural law, except in the matter of time, and according to the Father’s will. But now, this meant that Jesus had to stay conscious of time because unless he specifically willed otherwise, whatever he desired to be done, would be done. And so Jesus now better grasped the nature of his public work and its conduct.

Simply stated: it was possible for this Son of God to limit his personal earth activities with reference to space, but it was not possible for the Son of Man thus to limit his new earth status as potential Sovereign of the universe as regards time. What he desired and the Father willed, would be done. And this is how Jesus of Nazareth began his public ministry.

Now that Jesus had decided what to do about the personalities that were always attending him, he began thinking about himself, and how he would conduct his personal life. He was completely self-conscious of who he was and where he had come from; what would this realization mean when he returned to life in Galilee, and his public work? He had already experienced a dilemma right here in the hills after three days of no food. He could either go in search of food as any ordinary man would, or he could use his innate creative powers to produce food. (In the Bible, this great decision is represented as a temptation by the devil: that Jesus could “command that these stones become loaves of bread.”)

In principle, Jesus decided that the rest of his life would be lived in obedience to natural law that he himself, as Creator of the universe, had established; he would not “transcend, violate, or outrage” any of these laws. And he would stay harmonious with the social organization as it existed. He chose to stay on the path of normal human existence, not one of miracles and wonders. But as always, he deferred to the Father’s will and surrendered all of these matters into the Father’s hands. Even before his baptism and its enlightenment to his consciousness he had successfully submitted himself to the Father’s will; he depended on the Father for guidance.

Jesus thought about the natural inclination of all mortals towards self-preservation and that attitude would be normal for any earthly mortal; but in many ways, he was living a mortal life that was meant to inform not only this world, but all the worlds in the universe. And now, he decided to continue but to follow the unnatural course; he would not seek self-preservation above all things. He decided to continue his policy of refusing to defend himself, reminding himself of the words of Scripture that said: “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

In reaching his conclusion about his need for food, the Son of Man made his final declaration concerning all other urges of the flesh and the natural impulses of human nature; he would not use his superhuman powers for himself – for others, yes, but not for himself. And even at the end of his life, he refused to save himself by superhuman means; they said of him: “He saved others; himself he cannot save,” because he would not disregard his own natural laws for his own benefit or to attract glory for himself. And this decision was final.

His people – the Jews – expected a Messiah who would rule an age when “the earth will yield its fruits ten thousandfold, and on one vine there will be a thousand branches, and each branch will produce a thousand clusters, and each cluster will produce a thousand grapes, and each grape will produce a gallon of wine.” But Jesus did not come to serve temporal needs only. His only desire was to reveal his Father to mankind and to teach them to live by the Father’s will for them.

The second decision demonstrated to the entire universe that it is sinful and foolish to use divine talents and abilities for personal gain or personal acclaim. This had been Lucifer’s sin. These talents and abilities that he possessed would not bring happiness, nor would the use of any other human’s use of their talents bring happiness or joy. Striving for higher values – intellectual mastery and spiritual growth – will bring far greater satisfaction. This, Jesus decided, was the new and better way to live.

Now Jesus turned his attention to what his attitude should be if he was ever in personal danger. He thought it wise to employ normal care over his human safety and he decided to take care that he did not expose himself to unnecessary risk to his life so that he didn’t die by some untimely means. When it came to the end of his life, if there was a crisis to face, he intended to refrain from using any superhuman intervention.

While he was thinking about all of this, Jesus was sitting under a shade tree that grew right at the edge of a cliff. He realized that he could, if he so desired, jump right off the edge into space and he would not come to harm, as long as he reversed his first great decision not to employ the celestial hosts that were always standing by. And he would also have to reverse his second great decision about his own self-preservation. And this he refused to do.

His fellow Jews were looking for a Messiah who would not be bound by natural laws; he had learned in Scripture about this belief when he was taught: “There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone.” But, he reasoned, would defiance of natural law in order to protect himself or to win the support of his people be justified? It might be a wonderful sign to these Jews, but it would not be a revelation of his Father. It would be a matter of playing with the established laws of the universe.

When we understand the meaning of this great decision, we can be certain that Jesus never walked on water; he never did anything that negated material, universal laws. But, he still had not thought of any way to override his lack of control over the matter of time in connection with the matters that were under the authority of his adjuster.

He never wavered from this decision; even when the Pharisees dared him to produce a sign of his divinity, or when the witnesses at Calvary dared him to come down from the cross. He remained loyal to this decision.

Next Jesus wrestled with the issue of whether he might use his superhuman powers to attract, or win the support of his fellow man. Again, he knew that the Jews really desired a leader with spectacular and marvelous attributes; he possessed those attributes, but should he use them to bring his mission to the attention of mankind? He decided that he should not, and would not. Even when he allowed certain miracles of healing to occur, he always told the recipients of such mercy to “tell no man.” And when challenged by his enemies to “show us a sign” to prove his divinity, he refused to do so

Jesus understood that the working of miracles and the display of “signs and wonders” would appeal to people only because they would intimidate the mind into believing. These things did nothing to reveal God or to save souls. His only concern was to establish the kingdom of heaven in peoples’ minds and hearts. He decided not to become just a wonder worker.

But Jesus’ human mind was worried that if he did not do wonders, that his people, the Jews, would not take him seriously. Part of his worry was due to some purely human doubts about the divine mind within himself. Would the working of a wonder prove the existence and reality of the divine mind to his own human mind? Would he need that assurance, and would it be consistent with the Father’s will? He ultimately decided that he did not need that assurance; that the existence of his powerful indwelling spirit was proof enough for him of the true partnership that he enjoyed with divinity.

Another concern: should he use all of the knowledge of the world that he had gained through his world travels to further his mission? He thought of politics, commerce, and tactics like compromise and diplomacy that the world uses to realize its aims. He decided not to use the “wisdom of the world” or any connection with money in his ministry; instead, he chose to depend only on the Father’s will.

He knew he could easily sway the masses to him by wonders that the Jews expected of their awaited Messiah. He thought about the upcoming Passover celebration in Jerusalem where there would be thousands of people. He could go up high on one the spires of the temple and walk out on nothing but the air if he wanted only to focus the attention of the world on himself. But since he had no intention of fulfilling the expectation they had of their Messiah re-establishing David’s throne, he knew that he would ultimately disappoint them, even if they might be initially attracted to him and his powers. Such a spectacle would be futile for his purposes.

This Son of Man decided that he would employ the natural, slow, and sure way of accomplishing his divine purpose, depending only on the Father's will. This method would be the only method available to his earth children when he had to finally leave the earth, and he decided it would be his method, too. And this was a great test for Jesus, as it remains for all civilized people: to have power and steadfastly refuse to use it for purely selfish or personal purposes.

It is important to remember that the Son of God was now dwelling in the mind of a first-century human being. Jesus of Nazareth was not a modern man: his hereditary, cultural, educational, and environmental factors were natural for a man of his time. His humanity was natural and derived from elements unique to that day and time. Although he possessed a divine mind that could transcend his purely human intellect, he had a sound human mind that functioned as any other mind under those conditions would function. And with that mind, he saw the absurdity of trying to create any artificial situations where he would use his exceptional potential of divine power for the purpose of advancing the purposes of his mission.

The Master triumphantly put loyalty to his Father’s will above every other earthly and temporal consideration.

Jesus now began to consider how he was going to go about proclaiming and establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth – what methods should he use? How could he build on Concepts of the Expected Messiah’s mission? How should he organize his followers and helpers? How could he go beyond the ideas of the Jewish Messiah that were so powerful and prevalent?

Jesus knew that the hopes that the people placed in the idea of the Messiah were never going to be realized. The kingdom of heaven was a matter of purely spiritual concern, not one of Jewish national interests. The idea of a militant display, as the Jews expected, was unthinkable to him, although he could have chosen that course of action. Thus far, he had submitted himself to the Father’s will, and he would continue on that course as the Son of Man. He would proclaim to an onlooking universe, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”

With each passing day there in the hills, Jesus’ thoughts became clearer and clearer. He understood that relying solely on the Father’s will was not going to be the easy way; he even began to think that his remaining life might contain some bitterness, but he decided to embrace it anyway. His human mind still had questions but he was able to accept the divine answers as final. In this, he was submitting ever more to the Father’s divine will.

For the Jews, Jesus represented the last great hope for their aspiration of world dominance; Jesus understood this, but he refused to use the powers that he possessed either for himself or for the nationalistic advantage of his people into whose midst he had been born. He could have taken all of the “kingdoms of this world,” but he did not want to have them. As Creator of the universe, he had only one overarching objective: the revelation of God to man and the establishment of the kingdom, God’s rule, in the hearts of mankind.

Jesus could not abide the militaristic ideas of battles and hostility and warlike behavior. Even in his youth, he had refused to join the Zealots in their efforts to overturn Roman rule. He would appear on earth as the Prince of Peace to reveal a God of love. He would finish his time here in the hills, return to Galilee, and begin the quiet proclamation of the kingdom of heaven. And he would leave the day-to-day details to God.

Every person on every world in this universe can view Jesus as a worthy example when he refused to defy natural laws and refused to solve spiritual problems with material means. And he refused to take temporal power as a means to achieve spiritual glory, even though he could have done so. In fact, by not doing so, such refusal to fulfill the Jews’ hopes meant that they would surely reject him and any claims of authority that he might make. Even so, Jesus did all he could to prevent his followers from referring to him as the Messiah.

If there was doubt in Jesus’ mind when he went up to the hills after his baptism, it had disappeared by the time he returned to his life in Galilee after the forty days were over. He now had established in his mind a program for his future work. And he never departed from any of the decisions that he made in these days of isolation in the Perean hills.

On Saturday, February 23, 26 CE, before leaving the mountain to join his fellows, Jesus made his last and final decision. He made this declaration to the spirit of God that dwelled within himself: “And in all other matters, as in these now of decision-record, I pledge you I will be subject to the will of my Father.” And when he headed down the mountain, his face shone with the glory of spiritual victory and moral achievement.