Episode:Jesus Faces Death—The Crucifixion (Part 8)

From Symmetry of Soul


During the Sabbath day, all Jerusalem discussed the death of Jesus on the cross. There were almost one and one-half million Jews present in Jerusalem at this time, hailing from all parts of the Roman Empire and from Mesopotamia. This was the beginning of the Passover week, and all these pilgrims would be in the city to learn of the resurrection of Jesus and to carry the report back to their homes.

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Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, His Soul, His Spirit, Michael of Nebadon

Summary by Kermit

Commentary after Review

We revisited our discussion of the Shroud of Turin to illustrate certain mental processes and mechanisms operative in validating reasoned conclusions stemming from initial assumptions. When the specific issues in play are subjectively compelling, there is a temptation to set aside objective considerations which are contrary to our natural biases. SoS proposed a mechanism whereby the mind in asserting initial assumptions define boundary conditions of a reference frame. Depending on the degree of emotional intensity with which the assumptions are held, the reference frame can cause the mind to actually fail to register representations of phenomena which are contrary to such assumptions. Initially unwitting, by adding the personality component of freewill to the issues at hand the dangerous actuality of willful blindness ensues. All of which applied to the specifics of the Shroud of Turin question causes one to fail to register the signal fact that the midwayers tell us that Jesus’ arms were bound to the crossbeam and his hands nailed thereto, contrary to the interpretation from the shroud that the Master was hung from the cross by nails through his wrists. Listen to the archive for further discussion on the need for genuine faith in lieu of credulous belief to resolve the conflicts encountered on the stepwise path to progress (i.e., effort, struggle, conflict etc.).

188:3. During the Sabbath Day

We marveled at the propitious circumstances which allowed for news of the Master’s crucifixion and resurrection to be carried abroad to the Roman world and parts of Mesopotamia in the telling of the million and a half Passover pilgrims in Jerusalem at that time. Also of note, in the initial three paragraphs of the section, by applying the Jewish system of reckoning the beginning and ending of a day as sunset and not midnight, the precision of the narrative allows for reader recognition of the locations and movements of our story’s principals in relation to the Jewish Sabbath.

The midwayers offer a mixture of speculation with confessed ignorance in addressing the issues of what exactly Jesus was referring to when he cried out from the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” As a starting point the midwayers postulate that Jesus was referring to his soul and not his Thought Adjuster, which had had a separate existence since his baptism as a Personalized Adjuster. Looking to the larger revelation we cited [40:10.2] where a Mighty Messenger refers to a “fusion spirit” of a Creator Son, which becomes fused with the souls of ascenders in the pursuit of their destiny as Son-Fusers. We propose that at baptism Jesus’ soul fused with his fusion spirit nature, derived from his Father Deity nature origin. This soul-fusion spirit fact is what he commended into Father’s hands. (Question remains as to whether this soul-fusion fact is “detachable” from Michael). There are numerous complexities, correlated facts, and ancillary issues which were put forth in our discussion and the serious student will surely consult the archive for the discussion in its entirety.

Among the points we considered included some differences between the incarnated Michael and normal Adjuster indwelt evolutionary mortals. Previously mentioned on SoS Adjuster indwelt mortals consist of three selves:

  • material self (Adjutant mind),
  • morontial self (soul), and
  • spirit self (Adjuster).
  • The pre-baptismal bestowal son in addition to these has a Michael self (Deity).

In each case the selves are encompassed by a single personality. SoS proposes that at baptism Jesus’ soul fused with this fusion spirit, as his Thought Adjuster departed to become personalized and put in charge of the celestial hosts then on Urantia as part of the bestowal mission.

The midwayer authors offer their explanation of these matters under four heads, each dealing with one of the four hypothesized selves listed above. They give the opinion that the Master’s soul was part of his resurrected personality. They also offer a conflicting opinion held by other universe creatures that his soul of mortal acquirement remains in the “bosom of the Father” to be subsequently released for leadership of the Nebadon Corps of the Finality in their undisclosed destiny in connection with the uncreated universes of the unorganized realms of outer space. The midwayers make no mention of his fusion spirit.

We also dared to attempt some explanation of the Nebadon Corps of the Finality which I will leave out of this summary, but which awaits the eager student in the archive.

The section concludes with midwayer references to correlated facts which indicate Michael was active in universe management during this time of the tomb. One of these facts they share is the inscription on the Michael Memorial, a morontial structure in the vast court of the resurrection halls of the first mansion world of our system: “In commemoration of the mortal transit of Jesus of Nazareth on Urantia.” SoS deems this highly suggestive that Jesus’ mortal transit (morontia resurrection) included his soul as part of the Master’s resurrected personality.

Notes by Brad

  • We all have a certain natural response to things like the Shroud of Turin. Confirmation bias.
    • Even our sense of touch is subjective--it's subject to preexisting lenses and such in our minds.
    • Even more troubling if you're willfully blind--deliberately blocking ideas so they don't enter the mind.
      • "None is so blind as he who will not see."
      • And careful! Willfully blinding yourself to reality the start toward iniquity. The universe will not abrogate your free will.
    • If you have a flawed starting point, can you not double down on it?
    • Can you set that aside and inspect it objectively?
      • Start by saying "I need to let go of that."
      • Avoid having such a dear, sentimental reaction.


  • Analysis versus synthesis
    • The Shroud of Turin is an artifact just choked with details and facts.
      • Don't start with the details. Start with the big picture.
      • Was Jesus hung by his wrists? No, not according to the 5th ER. This is a fundamental problem with the shroud; you can throw out the millions of details.
    • You might start paying attention to facts you discarded before. Maybe you won't be filtering out the details you disagree with.
    • And this can be helpful in other parts of your life.
      • Like watching the news, let's say. Perhaps neither the point nor the counterpoint being presented might be true! How can you be objective?
      • Try to steer into the conflict with, and overcome it. You might actually progress.
      • Beyond conflict is faith! An attempt to grasp some objective nucleus.
      • You can move on to other more interesting topics.


  • What a time for the crucifixion to be happening.
    • Jerusalem's normal population was only 30,000 or so. Handling 1.5 million people? Without toilets? Oh my.
    • Soon, all these people will return to their home and report the resurrection.
      • Heck of a coincidence, God the Mother. Thanks!


  • A day begins at sunset during these times.
    • The Sabbath ("Saturday" we'd say) began at sundown on Friday.
    • Hence the precision "during the sabbath day" section title.
    • The women lingering late into Friday night at the tomb was an exhibition of courage!
    • The apostles convening late Saturday night? That's no longer the sabbath, it's already the first day of the new week.
    • But Mary the Mother of Jesus left for Bethany before sunset on Saturday--still during the Sabbath.
      • And it's more than a short 1000 yard hop to Bethany!


  • Jesus referred to "my spirit" being commended to his Father.
    • What spirit was that? The midwayers are uncertain. Midwayers don't have a Thought Adjuster, a soul like ours, etc. They have limits.
    • What does the 5th ER synthetically suggest?
    • [40:10.2] is a helpful start: for much as the Truth Spirit of a Creator Son focalizes in the associated Divine Minister, so is his “fusion spirit” implemented in the Reflective Spirits of the higher universes.
      • What the heck is a fusion spirit, and why in quotes?
      • He must have something in his nature that this spirit fragment could fuse to.
      • But the quotes suggest it's not the usual thing.
    • At his baptism, his soul fused with his "fusion spirit", not his Thought Adjuster, which was personalized.
    • It appears the midwayers could be confusing Jesus' soul with his "fusion spirit."
      • At his baptism, his soul fused with his "fusion spirit." Not his Thought Adjuster.
    • But because he had a soul, he needed somewhere to commend it when he died.
      • When we die, we might say "angels, into your hands I commend my soul. Father, into your hands I commend my Thought Adjuster."
      • But it was different for Jesus. Different than all of us.
    • Perhaps since the 5th ER's publication, the midwayers have been studying it and have since figured some of this out. It was a revelation for them, too!


  • Concerning selves, to ease interpreting this section.
    • There are 3 selves within us (and selves are always mindal):
      • Adjutant mindal self.
      • Morontia-mindal self. You're oblivious to this. It's seated on your soul.
      • The Adjuster has a mind, and is a mindal self.
    • Before the baptism, Jesus had 4 mindal selves. The three same as us, and:
      • Michael of Nebadon is a mindal self.
    • All unified in personality!
    • But you can see why his Adjuster needed to be so experienced. That 4th mindal self is a Deity self! A high self!
    • After baptism, Jesus' Adjuster became personalized and was no longer associated with him.
    • So Jesus had 3 mindal selves after baptism:
      • Adjutant mindal self
      • "Soul" type phenomenon. What arises from his "fusion spirit" and the adjutant mindal self (the Adjuster had previously been building up his soul, but not after baptism).
      • Michael of Nebadon self.


  • When Jesus was resurrected, was it basically like it is with us? Or was it highly unusual and unique because he is a Creator Son?
    • Could it be like his 6th bestowal, where he lived as a morontia ascender on a constellation world? A new morontia type being he incarnates as, no preexisting stuff.
      • Is it possible his "fusion spirit" is fragmentable?
      • Son-type deity is not fragmentizable. So a Creator Son (a Father-Son phenomenon) doesn't seem likely to be fragmentizable.
    • Or is it like the usual morontia procedure (albeit on this world instead of a mansion world)
    • This was not an 8th bestowal; resurrection continued his 7th bestowal.
    • So we tentatively agree with the midwayers that this soul of Jesus' returned for resurrection.
      • The Michael Memorial's inscription refers to "Jesus of Nazareth," which supports this theory.
      • And this is what comes back to incarnate in his morontia body. More or less like what we experience.


  • The Nebadon Corps of the Finality seemingly will need a leader someday in the distant future.
    • The 10th set of 7 worlds surrounding Salvington are not explicitly described in [Paper 35].
    • But we can infer they are for this corps.
      • That's because the 5th set of worlds are for the Paradise corps of the Finality.
    • And these are led by Magisterial Sons that are ascending sons.


  • What is this "some personality" who we have "good reason" to believe sat in for Caligastia?
    • Was it Michael? Machiventa Melchizedek isn't vicegerent planetary prince for 1900 more years...
    • A closed-door meeting for sure. We don't know what went on.
      • This author wonders how all the Planetary Princes could be personally present. Maybe they cannot. Maybe it's a video call.