Everyone knows that Jesus lived a life that lasted into his 30s, but up until the introduction of The Urantia Book into our world, only a small portion of those years have been known; Jesus' birth in Bethlehem is well-known; his dramatic disappearance in the temple at Jerusalem when he was 12 years-old is recounted; and of course, the events of Jesus' ministry, from baptism in the Jordan up to his death and resurrection are among the most well-known events of the Master's life. The New Testament accounts are essentially all that the world has been told about the life of this God/man who has made such a profound impact on our civilizations and religious landscape.
But, what of those "lost years" about which there has been so much speculation and curiosity?
Anyone who knows and loves Jesus must wonder about what Jesus' life was like...his day-to-day life-- with Mary and Joseph, with his schoolmates and friends, when he was an adolescent, a young man, a young adult. What was he doing all those years?
Here in this study, we will take you through those years, and supply all the missing pieces, as told in the pages of The Urantia Book. The entire life of Jesus, including all of his teachings, are narrated in Part IV of the book, a modern-day revelation to mankind.
In Part 1 of The Urantia Book we are given a revelation of God the Father - the Universal Father of all; Part IV of the book is the story of how Jesus revealed this same Universal Father during his mission to our world. Jesus often said: "He who has seen me has seen the Father." And throughout his life, Jesus did reveal the loving nature and the sympathetic personality of the Father. The Urantia Book teaches:
2:0.2 The nature of God can be studied in a revelation of supreme ideas, the divine character can be envisaged as a portrayal of supernal ideals, but the most enlightening and spiritually edifying of all revelations of the divine nature is to be found in the comprehension of the religious life of Jesus of Nazareth, both before and after his attainment of full consciousness of divinity. If the incarnated life of Michael is taken as the background of the revelation of God to man, we may attempt to put in human word symbols certain ideas and ideals concerning the divine nature which may possibly contribute to a further illumination and unification of the human concept of the nature and the character of the personality of the Universal Father.
This study will help all believers comprehend that religious life of Jesus, most especially in the years before he was conscious of his divinity...during those days when he was growing up, growing in grace, growing to know the Father and to know who he himself really was.
Taken from our special feature: The Illustrated Stories this study will present story after story of those lost years. Can we be sure that they are accurate? Yes, we can. These details from the Master's life are taken from spiritual witnesses...beings who were actually present during the whole of Jesus' life and who know what really happened. These stories have the unmistakable "ring of truth" that will resonate in the hearts of any who come with an open mind.
If you think about it, you'll likely agree that the incarnation of God into a human body is quite an important event...not only for the bestowal world (ours) but also to the personalities who inhabit the universe of his making. Those hosts of personalities followed and chronicled the career of Jesus carefully; finally, here in The Urantia Book, these witnesses give us the whole story in rich detail--details which you'll find nowhere else.
For the most complete accounting of the story of Jesus, please click to read in its entirety Part IV of the Urantia Book : The Life and Teachings of Jesus
The Urantia Book advises:
196:1.3 To "follow Jesus" means to personally share his religious faith and to enter into the spirit of the Master's life of unselfish service for man. One of the most important things in human living is to find out what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the achievement of his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it.
Here are the stories, listed in chronological order; just click on the blue link when you find a section that is of interest.
Preparation for Jesus' Arrival On Earth
- The Real Beginning Of Jesus' Lifework
- Gabriel's Announcement To Mary
- Joseph's Dream, And "The House Of David"
- Jesus' Earth Parents
- Jesus' Home At Nazareth
- The Trip To Bethlehem For The Census
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
Childhood - Age 3 to 13
- Back In Nazareth (Age 3)
- Jesus Receives The Indwelling Spirit Of God (Age 4)
- Jesus Becomes Inquisitive (Age 6)
- The Galilean Jewish Child
- A Six-Year-Old's Reality Check
- Jesus And John As Playmates
- Jesus Creates His Own Prayers
- Jesus Honors His Mother And Father
- Jesus' Play Life (Age 6)
- Jesus Has An Accident
- School Days In Nazareth
- Sabbath Walks With Joseph
- Math, Music And School
- Nahor Offers To School Jesus In Jerusalem
- Jesus' Artistic Talents Are Thwarted (Age 9)
- The Weather In Nazareth
- The Leader Of The Lads
- Jesus Learns To Keep His Own Counsel (Age 10)
- Jacob The Stonemason's Son Defends Jesus
- What Shall I Be When I Grow Up?
- Joseph Disciplines Jesus (Age 11)
- An Unfortunate Rift Develops Between Mary And Jesus
- Harmonizing Convictions And Obligations (Age 12)
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
Adolescence - Age 13 to 20
- Jesus Discerns His Destiny (Age 13)
- Jesus Graduates From Synagogue (Age 13)
- The Journey To Jerusalem - Jesus Meets Mary, Martha And Lazarus
- Jesus At Jerusalem - Questioning Authority
- Jesus Views The Temple
- Jesus' First Passover
- Jesus Gets Left Behind
- Jesus' First And Second Days In The Temple
- Jesus' Third Day In The Temple
- Mary And Joseph Find Jesus In The Temple
- The Calm Before The Storm
- The Death Of Joseph (Age 14)
- Jesus Formulates "The Lord's Prayer"
- Jesus Ponders His Mission - The "Son Of Man"
- Jesus' First Sermon In The Synagogue (Age 15)
- The Financial Struggle At Home
- Jesus, Tiller Of The Soil (Age 15)
- The Head Of Household (Age 16)
- Jesus Shuns The Political Arena (Age 17)
- Jesus And James Travel To Jerusalem
- Jesus And John Meet Once More (Age 18)
- Another Tragedy On Top Of Poverty
- Family Matters
- Rebecca Falls In Love With Jesus (Age 19)
- The First "Bloodless" Passover With The Zebedees (Age 20)
- On The Threshold Of Full Manhood (Age 20)
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
Early Manhood - Age 20 to 26
- "A Normal And Average Life"
- Jesus Grasps His Dual Nature (Age 21)
- Jesus Takes A New Job And Passes The Torch To James (Age 22)
- Simon And Jesus Make A Memorable Trip To Jerusalem (Age 23)
- Jesus Declines A Tempting Job Offer
- Jesus And The Alexandrian Jews – Another Job Offer Refused
- Jesus And Jude Spend Two Nights In Prison
- Jesus Loved The Children
- The Troublesome Jude
- A Wedding And A Departure
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
Later Adult Life - Age 27 to 29
- Jesus The Boatbuilder (Age 27)
- The "Master" Of Capernaum (Age 27)
- Jesus Continues To Provide For The Family (Age 28)
- Jesus, Annas, The Passover, And A Momentous Meeting
- Jesus And The Indian Travelers (Age 28)
- The Mediterranean Trip - The Human Jesus
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
Early Personal Ministry
- Jesus And Godiah – Jonah And The Whale
- The Young Man Who Was Afraid
- Ezra The Backslidden Jew
- Stephen, The Young Hellenist
- Jesus Meets With Roman Religious Leaders
- Jesus' Personal Ministry Style
- Jesus Counsels The Rich Man
- Jesus And The Thoughtless Pagan
- Jesus Teaches About Buddhism And Inspires Ganid
- Mercy And Justice - Self-Defense And Non-Resistance
- Jesus Rescues An Abused Woman
- Jesus Befriends Crispus
- Jesus And The Two Public Women
- Meeting With The Greek Philosopher
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
More Personal Ministry Stories
- Jesus Counsels A Discouraged Man
- Jesus And The Young Fruit-Vendor
- Jesus And The Roman Senator
- Jesus And The Roman Soldier
- Jesus And Marcus
- Jesus Intercedes For A Man Who Was Falsely Accused
- Jesus Takes A Lost Child Home
- Jesus, Justus And Paul
- Jesus Refuses To Counsel The Beggar
- The Miller
- The Roman Centurian
- The Mithraic Leader
- The Epicurean Teacher
- The Greek Contractor
- The Roman Judge
- The Greek Waitress
- The Chinese Merchant
- The British Traveller
- The Runaway Lad
- The Condemned Criminal
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
The Transition years before public ministry
- Jesus Says Goodbye To His Indian Traveling Companions
- The Caravan Trip To The Caspian
- The Thirty-First Year (AD 25)
- The Forty Days
- What Happened During The Forty Days In The Hills - Six Great Decisions
- >> Click here to read the above stories >>
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From this point on, the basic events of the life of Jesus are well- known...his preparation for ministry, events of public ministry, his death and resurrection. Nonetheless, the Urantia Book accounts of these times will add rich detail and meaning to those times, and you'll find additional stories that flesh out and complete that momentous event in our history- that event of the Creator becoming man and revealing to the material eyes of mankind him who is invisible.
Click HERE to continue the story
